Parametric Study of Panel PCM–Air Heat Exchanger Designs

Tlegen Kamidollayev, Juan Pablo Trelles, Jay Thakkar and Jan Kosny
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Tlegen Kamidollayev: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA 01854, USA
Juan Pablo Trelles: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA 01854, USA
Jay Thakkar: Department of Plastics Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA 01854, USA
Jan Kosny: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA 01854, USA

Energies, 2022, vol. 15, issue 15, 1-15

Abstract: Heat exchangers, devices for the transfer of heat between two or more working fluids, are extensively used in cooling applications and heating applications. Heat exchangers in buildings are typically components of space-conditioning systems, as well as of water-heating applications. Heat exchangers are also sometimes used in applications that require storage and release of energy at specific times. Phase change materials (PCMs) enhance these heat-exchange processes, given their ability to melt and solidify at a fixed range of temperatures, absorbing or releasing significant amounts of latent heat. Five different configurations of PCM–air heat exchangers for thermal control in buildings are analyzed in this work. The heat exchangers were fitted with PCM encapsulated in plastic and composite pouches of various shapes, and packaged in stackable panel layers. Three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling of coupled incompressible fluid and conjugate heat transfer were performed on the designs. The phase change process was numerically modelled using the apparent heat capacity method. Steady-state CFD simulations provided quantification of pressure drop as a function of air flow velocity. Transient simulation results describe the thermal evolution of PCM in the pouches, helping to determine the best performing configuration with respect to total thermal charging time.

Keywords: PCM; heat exchanger; design optimization; CFD (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: 2022
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