Experimental study on the effect of partial filling of copper foam on heat storage of paraffin-based PCM

Yujie Hou, Hua Chen and Xiuli Liu

Renewable Energy, 2022, vol. 192, issue C, 561-571

Abstract: Phase change materials widely utilized in latent thermal energy storage have the disadvantages of low thermal conductivity and long heat storage time. Partially filled copper foam is an ideal solution to the problem. The optimization effect of partially filled copper foam on thermal storage performance of PCMs is estimated by experiments for utilization of renewable energy. The Copper foam filled is designed in three layouts: two rows and distributed in a ring (case 1), a ring perpendicular to the direction of the coil (case 2), and a ring in a direction paralleling to the horizontal axis (case 3) to investigate influence of three layouts on the heat transfer characteristics. The time to reach the melting temperature of three layouts have a 30%–50% reduction compared to paraffin, and case 1 saves 40% time compared with other cases. Case 1 can increase the temperature distribution uniformity along the radial direction which directional temperature derivative is 21%–19% smaller than other cases. Case 2 can increase the temperature distribution uniformity along the peripheral direction which directional temperature derivative is 67%–35% smaller than other cases. Case 1 has the best heat transfer performance which the storage efficiency is 2.79%–0.65% higher than other cases.

Keywords: Copper foam/paraffin; Heat storage; Filling mode; Experimental study (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:renene:v:192:y:2022:i:c:p:561-571

DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2022.04.084

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