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Study on the influence of tank structure and fin configuration on heat transfer performance of phase change thermal storage system

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  • Mao, Qianjun
  • Li, Ying
  • Li, Guiqiang
  • Badiei, Ali

Abstract

Owing to the intermittent and fluctuating nature of solar energy, thermal energy storage (TES) plays a vital role in solar energy utilization. The structural and geometric limits of the traditional heat storage systems, as well as the low thermal conductivity of phase change materials (PCMs), decrease the heat storage and exothermic efficiency of TES severely. To alleviate these shortcomings and improve the TES heat storage and release efficiency, the geometrical structure of TES and fin structure of the heat storage system need to be optimized. This study established a 2D model of the phase change TES unit with a single tank and auxiliary electric heating based on the experimental findings. The heat transfer performance of the truncated cone model with different taper configurations was also analyzed numerically. The influence of long and short fins on PCM heat transfer was analyzed under the premise of a certain fin volume. The influence of fins with different inclinations on the heat transfer process was also analyzed. The results show that the truncated cone with a taper of 0.37 performs best in the charging and discharging process. Compared with long fins, most short fins showed to have a more significant effect on accelerating the charging process. The enhancement effect of the different fin on the heat transfer process was divided into two categories, and the analysis shows that the fins with an inclination angle of −15° have the most significant enhancement effect. These findings of the study will guide the optimization design of the heat transfer structure of TES with a single tank configuration.

Suggested Citation

  • Mao, Qianjun & Li, Ying & Li, Guiqiang & Badiei, Ali, 2021. "Study on the influence of tank structure and fin configuration on heat transfer performance of phase change thermal storage system," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 235(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:235:y:2021:i:c:s0360544221016303
    DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2021.121382
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Mao, Qianjun, 2016. "Recent developments in geometrical configurations of thermal energy storage for concentrating solar power plant," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 320-327.
    2. Tay, N.H.S. & Belusko, M. & Liu, M. & Bruno, F., 2015. "Investigation of the effect of dynamic melting in a tube-in-tank PCM system using a CFD model," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 137(C), pages 738-747.
    3. Mao, Qianjun & Zhang, Yamei, 2020. "Thermal energy storage performance of a three-PCM cascade tank in a high-temperature packed bed system," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 152(C), pages 110-119.
    4. Tao, Y.B. & He, Y.L., 2015. "Effects of natural convection on latent heat storage performance of salt in a horizontal concentric tube," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 143(C), pages 38-46.
    5. Yang, Xiaoping & Yang, Xiaoxi & Ding, Jing & Shao, Youyuan & Fan, Hongbo, 2012. "Numerical simulation study on the heat transfer characteristics of the tube receiver of the solar thermal power tower," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 90(1), pages 142-147.
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    Cited by:

    1. Rusin, Krzysztof & Ochmann, Jakub & Bartela, Łukasz & Rulik, Sebastian & Stanek, Bartosz & Jurczyk, Michał & Waniczek, Sebastian, 2022. "Influence of geometrical dimensions and particle diameter on exergy performance of packed-bed thermal energy storage," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 260(C).
    2. Mao, Qianjun & Hu, Xinlei & Li, Tao, 2022. "Study on heat storage performance of a novel vertical shell and multi-finned tube tank," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 193(C), pages 76-88.
    3. Mao, Qianjun & Zhu, Yuanyuan & Li, Tao, 2023. "Study on heat storage performance of a novel bifurcated finned shell-tube heat storage tank," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 263(PA).
    4. Li Peng & Hongjun Wu & Qianjun Mao, 2022. "Visualizing Experimental Study of the Effect of Inclination Angle on the Melting Performance for an Energy Storage Tank," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-11, October.
    5. Qianjun Mao & Xinlei Hu & Yuanyuan Zhu, 2022. "Numerical Investigation of Heat Transfer Performance and Structural Optimization of Fan-Shaped Finned Tube Heat Exchanger," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-16, August.
    6. Dawid Taler & Jan Taler & Tomasz Sobota & Jarosław Tokarczyk, 2022. "Cooling Modelling of an Electrically Heated Ceramic Heat Accumulator," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(16), pages 1-26, August.

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