Model for the Discharging of a Dual PCM Heat Storage Tank and Its Experimental Validation

Artur Nemś and Antonio M. Puertas
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Artur Nemś: Department of Thermodynamics and Renewable Energy Sources, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, 50-370 Wroclaw, Poland
Antonio M. Puertas: Dpto. de Química y Física, Universidad de Almería, 04120 Almería, Spain

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 21, 1-16

Abstract: The important topic of modelling tanks filled with phase change materials (PCMs) is discussed in this article. Due to the increasing use of heating and cooling installations, tanks containing two types of PCMs are the subject of many experimental analyses. However, there are still deficiencies in their models, which are presented in this paper. The theory model was created in order to design two tanks, each with a volume of 2 m 3 . They were filled with water and containers with two PCMs. The modelled tanks were meant to replace the existing water tanks that were previously used in the solar heating and cooling installation in a research building located in the southern part of Spain. After the tanks were assembled, the model was validated during the summer period when the designed storage tanks supported the operation of the solar system operating in the cooling mode. The created model consists of a 1D description of the heat transfer in the storage tank, and also a 1D description of the phase change in the containers with the PCMs. The model takes into account the front of the phase change and also discusses its impact on the thermal efficiency of the tanks. The agreement of the water output temperature is very good and validates the model, which can then be used to provide further details on the operation of the storage system—in particular, heat fluxes or a fraction of solid or liquid PCM.

Keywords: thermal storage; phase change materials; heat transfer process (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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