Characteristic analysis of annular plate heat exchanger based phase change thermal storage

Shixiang Lu, Yongkang Li, Xiaochao Guo and Fang Wang

Renewable Energy, 2025, vol. 246, issue C

Abstract: An annular plate heat exchanger based phase change thermal storage device (APHX-PCTS) has been proposed in this paper. It has been specially designed to ensure sufficient and uniform heat transfer between the circulating heat fluid and the phase change material. Based on experimental investigation and numerical simulation, the APHX-PCTS's phase change thermal storage performance has been studied, and the effects of several parameters on its thermal storage characteristics have been analyzed comprehensively, including placement orientation, temperature and flow rate of circulating heat water (CHW), as well as the diameter and distance of the annular plates. Results show that the paraffin's melting rate of the vertical placed APHX-PCTS is 86.7 % higher than that of the horizontal placed one. The flow rate variation of CHW has little effect on the APHX-PCTS's thermal storage performance. As to structural parameters, it can be concluded that as the distance and diameter of the annular plates increase, the paraffin's melting rate tends to decrease. However, as the values of the aforementioned structural parameters reach a certain extent, their impact on the paraffin's melting rate becomes negligible. Therefore, the APHX-PCTS is well-suited for phase change thermal storage applications that require substantial volumes or high thermal storage capacities.

Keywords: Annular plate heat exchanger; Phase change thermal storage; Large capacity thermal storage; Optimization of thermal storage device (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:renene:v:246:y:2025:i:c:s0960148125005944

DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2025.122932

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