Abstract
This study addresses restricted thermal conductivity in phase change materials (PCMs) used in latent heat storage (LHS) systems, aiming to enhance heat transfer efficiency by intensifying convective flow using a novel wedge fin design. A comparative experimental analysis is performed between wedge-finned and annular-finned tube heat exchangers (HXs), assuming equal fin material. Results show that the wedge-finned tube HX achieves higher Nusselt numbers, improved heat distribution, and a remarkable 12.8% reduction in melting time compared to the annular-finned HX at a heat transfer fluid (HTF) temperature of 90℃. Furthermore, the wedge-finned tube HX exhibits a substantial 84.3% decrease in melting time compared to the bare tube HX. These findings highlight the practical significance of employing wedge fin design for improving heat transfer efficiency in LHS systems, offering valuable insights for the design and optimization of such systems.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 102474 |
| Pages (from-to) | 1-10 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | Thermal Science and Engineering Progress |
| Volume | 49 |
| Early online date | 19 Feb 2024 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published (in print/issue) - 31 Mar 2024 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2024 The Authors
Keywords
- Latent heat storage (LHS)
- Phase change materials (PCM)
- Heat exchanger (HX)
- Heat transfer
- Wedge fins
- Annular fins