Energy storage analysis for discharging of nanoparticle enhanced phase change material within a triplex-tube thermal storage

Abstract

In current transient modeling, discharging of PCM based on FEM has been scrutinized. Due to importance of phenomenon near the solid front, time linked mesh has been employed and to reduce the thermal irreversibility, copper oxide nanomaterial was dispersed into H2O. Outputs indicate that using wavy wall and dispersing Platelet copper oxide are capable for expedition of discharging. Obtaining the completed solidification in minimum time is main criteria for designing a storage unit. Changing shape of nanoparticle from spherical to Platelet can reduce the solidification duration about 5.96%. Utilizing greater amplitude of sinusoidal wall can reduce the discharging time by about 7.58% which is related to stronger conduction mechanism. Inclusion of nanoparticles, not only improve the phase change rate but also decline the irreversibility due to lower temperature of domain. Needed time declines about 22.7% with disperse of platelet CuO. As shape of powder changes from platelet to sphere, required time alters from 337.41 s to 358.8 s. The solidification rate for A = 0.3 is 1.06 times greater than that of A = 0.1.