Numerical Study on the Effects of Step Fins on Improving the Performance of a Heat Storage Unit in the Presence of a Middle Plate and Porous Medium

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Jiroft, Jiroft, Iran

2 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Vali-e-Asr University of Rafsanjan, Rafsanjan, Iran

Abstract

In the current paper, the effects of size and direction of step fins on improving the melting process of a vertical triple-tube heat exchange unit in the presence of a middle plate and porous medium are studied. The phase change process of the thermal energy storage unit is simulated using the enthalpy-porosity approach, developed in ANSYS FLUENT 2020 R2. The initial temperature and the temperature of heat transfer fluid, passing through the heat exchange unit, are supposed to be 15 and 50 C, respectively. Furthermore, the Reynolds number of the heat transfer fluid is assumed to be 1000. To evaluate the effects of step fins size and direction on boosting the melting process of the thermal unit, both liquid fraction and temperature contours of the cases with pure and composite PCM were compared. Based on the obtained numerical data, the effects of step fins geometries and direction on improving the thermal performance of the unit in the cases of pure PCM were greater than those of composite PCM. It should also be mentioned that energy storage values of the case with composite PCM (Case 3) increases by 166.69 % compared with that of the case with pure PCM.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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Energy Engineering and Management
Volume 14, Issue 2
October 2024
Pages 70-87

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