Observation the melting process of the phase change material inside a half-cylindrical with thermal non-equilibrium porous media: CFD simulation

Abstract

The aim of this study is numerically to investigate the effects of local thermal non-equilibrium porous media on the melting process of paraffin with the melting temperature33°C. The geometry consists of a half-cylinder containing paraffin with a uniform constant temperature and an insulating wall. Also, Darcy model and buoyant force due to density changes are considered in this simulation. The effects of the presence of aluminum foam with porosity ε=0.8,and0.95 and difference temperature ΔT=5,10,and15 have been studied on the melting fraction of PCM, temperature and streamlines contours and heat flux of cylinder's surface. The observations show that enhancement of porosity 0.8 to 0.9 increases the volume of PCM 11.7%, and reduces time of melting process 30.8% for ΔT=15. Moreover, increment of ΔT=5to15 leads to decrease time of melting process 71.8% when porosity is 0.95.