Effect of fill volume on solidification characteristics of DI (deionized) water in a spherical capsule – An experimental study

P. Chandrasekaran, M. Cheralathan and R. Velraj

Energy, 2015, vol. 90, issue P1, 508-515

Abstract: The present study aims to investigate the solidification characteristics of water, as the PCM (phase change material), due to the effect of fill volume of PCM in a spherical capsule. The experiments were conducted with the spherical capsule, filling it with water of 80, 85, 90, 92 and 95 percentage of its full volume and immersing it in a constant temperature bath maintained at various temperatures. It was observed that the increase in fill volume had a significant influence in reducing the degree of supercooling and it was eliminated with 95% fill volume. Further, the increase in fill volume had a considerable effect in advancing the commencement of solidification. Increasing the temperature potential enhanced the heat flux during the solidification of first 50% of PCM mass and its effect was more pronounced at higher fill volumes. The heat flux was increased several fold particularly at 95% fill volume making it highly suitable for applications that demand large cooling load in a short duration. Hence the proper selection of fill volume and temperature driving potential is essential to achieve overall energy efficiency while designing the CTES (cool thermal energy storage) system.

Keywords: Phase change material; Solidification; Supercooling; Fill volume; Cool thermal energy storage; Thermal contact resistance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:energy:v:90:y:2015:i:p1:p:508-515

DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2015.07.086

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