Subcooling Effect on PCM Solidification: A Thermostat-like Approach to Thermal Energy Storage

Nicola Bianco, Andrea Fragnito, Marcello Iasiello, Gerardo Maria Mauro and Luigi Mongibello ()
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Nicola Bianco: Dipartimento di Ingegneria Industriale, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, P. Le Tecchio 80, 80125 Napoli, Italy
Andrea Fragnito: Dipartimento di Ingegneria Industriale, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, P. Le Tecchio 80, 80125 Napoli, Italy
Marcello Iasiello: Dipartimento di Ingegneria Industriale, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, P. Le Tecchio 80, 80125 Napoli, Italy
Gerardo Maria Mauro: Dipartimento di Ingegneria, Università degli Studi del Sannio, Piazza Roma 21, 82100 Benevento, Italy
Luigi Mongibello: ENEA–Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, Piazzale Enrico Fermi 1, 80055 Portici, Italy

Energies, 2023, vol. 16, issue 12, 1-16

Abstract: Choosing the right phase change material (PCM) for a thermal energy storage (TES) application is a crucial step in guaranteeing the effectiveness of the system. Among a variety of PCMs available, the choice for a given application is established by several key factors, e.g., latent heat, stability, and melting point. However, phenomena such as subcooling—for which PCM cools in a liquid state below its solidification point—can lead to a reduction in the amount of energy stored or released, reducing the TES overall effectiveness, and also in some inaccuracies when modeling the problem. Thus, understanding the effects of subcooling on PCM performance is crucial for modeling and optimizing the design and the performance of TES systems. To this end, this work analyzes the PCM discharging phase in a cold thermal energy storage coupled to a chiller system. A first conduction-based predictive model is developed based on enthalpy–porosity formulation. Subcooling phenomena are encompassed through a control variable formulation, which takes its cue from the operation of a thermostat. Then, thermal properties of the PCM, i.e., the phase change range and specific heat capacity curve with temperature, are evaluated by using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), in order to derive a second predictive model based on these new data, without including subcooling, for the sake of comparison with the first one. Experimental results from the storage tank confirm both model reliability and the fact that the PCM suffers from subcooling. Between the two numerical models developed, the first one that considers subcooling proves it is able to predict with satisfactory accuracy (RMSE < 1 °C) the temperature evolution on different tank levels.

Keywords: phase change materials; subcooling; shell-and-tube heat exchanger; thermal energy storage; experimental tests; DSC analysis; thermostat-like approach (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: 2023
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