IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/appene/v216y2018icp142-156.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Numerical study on the effects of fins and nanoparticles in a shell and tube phase change thermal energy storage unit

Author

Listed:
  • Parsazadeh, Mohammad
  • Duan, Xili

Abstract

Energy storage is critically important for intermittent renewable sources such as solar or wind. This paper presents a numerical study on a shell and tube thermal energy storage unit using a common organic phase change material (PCM) – paraffin wax. To overcome the problem of slow charging due to low thermal conductivity of paraffin wax, this research applies a multiscale heat transfer enhancement technique, with circular plate fins on outer surface of the heat transfer fluid (HTF) tube and highly conductive nanoparticles (Al2O3) dispersed in the PCM on the shell side. The novelty of this research is that by simultaneous application of two enhancement methods, we are able to analyze the interactions between the two, which was not possible in previous studies on separate technique. A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model is developed to simulate melting of the PCM with the following parameters: nanoparticle concentration ϕ from 0 to 4 vol%; fin angle α from −45° to 45°, and pitch p from 45 to 65 mm. The obtained numerical data was analyzed with a traditional method and a statistical response surface method (RSM). The latter represents another novelty of this research. The RSM analysis shows that fin angle and nanoparticle concentration are two significant parameters in affecting the PCM melting, but pitch of the fins does not show noticeable effect. Numerical results demonstrate that adding nanoparticles in the PCM does not accelerate the charging process; on the contrary it leads to longer charging time and lower overall heat transfer rate due to reduction of natural convection in the melted PCM. A strong interaction is also found between these two significant parameters, for example the charging time considerably increases when nanoparticles are added at α = −45°, but this effect is less pronounced when α = 45°. Positive fin angles are found to be favorable for PCM melting due to enhanced natural convection with strong local vorticities formed below the fins. A moderate fin angle of 35° leads to the shortest charging time among all studied cases. These new findings can be valuable in design of PCM units for renewable energy storage, waste heat recovery, or thermal management in engineering systems.

Suggested Citation

  • Parsazadeh, Mohammad & Duan, Xili, 2018. "Numerical study on the effects of fins and nanoparticles in a shell and tube phase change thermal energy storage unit," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 216(C), pages 142-156.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:appene:v:216:y:2018:i:c:p:142-156
    DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2018.02.052
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306261918301776
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.apenergy.2018.02.052?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Oró, E. & de Gracia, A. & Castell, A. & Farid, M.M. & Cabeza, L.F., 2012. "Review on phase change materials (PCMs) for cold thermal energy storage applications," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 513-533.
    2. Zhou, D. & Zhao, C.Y. & Tian, Y., 2012. "Review on thermal energy storage with phase change materials (PCMs) in building applications," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 593-605.
    3. Guo, Shaopeng & Zhao, Jun & Wang, Weilong & Yan, Jinyue & Jin, Guang & Wang, Xiaotong, 2017. "Techno-economic assessment of mobilized thermal energy storage for distributed users: A case study in China," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 194(C), pages 481-486.
    4. Tay, N.H.S. & Bruno, F. & Belusko, M., 2013. "Comparison of pinned and finned tubes in a phase change thermal energy storage system using CFD," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 79-86.
    5. Miró, Laia & Gasia, Jaume & Cabeza, Luisa F., 2016. "Thermal energy storage (TES) for industrial waste heat (IWH) recovery: A review," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 179(C), pages 284-301.
    6. Yang, Xiaohu & Lu, Zhao & Bai, Qingsong & Zhang, Qunli & Jin, Liwen & Yan, Jinyue, 2017. "Thermal performance of a shell-and-tube latent heat thermal energy storage unit: Role of annular fins," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 202(C), pages 558-570.
    7. Alimohammadisagvand, Behrang & Jokisalo, Juha & Kilpeläinen, Simo & Ali, Mubbashir & Sirén, Kai, 2016. "Cost-optimal thermal energy storage system for a residential building with heat pump heating and demand response control," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 174(C), pages 275-287.
    8. Guo, Shaopeng & Zhao, Jun & Wang, Weilong & Yan, Jinyue & Jin, Guang & Zhang, Zhiyu & Gu, Jie & Niu, Yonghong, 2016. "Numerical study of the improvement of an indirect contact mobilized thermal energy storage container," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 161(C), pages 476-486.
    9. Renaldi, R. & Kiprakis, A. & Friedrich, D., 2017. "An optimisation framework for thermal energy storage integration in a residential heat pump heating system," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 186(P3), pages 520-529.
    10. Wang, Weilong & Guo, Shaopeng & Li, Hailong & Yan, Jinyue & Zhao, Jun & Li, Xun & Ding, Jing, 2014. "Experimental study on the direct/indirect contact energy storage container in mobilized thermal energy system (M-TES)," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 181-189.
    11. Xu, Haoxin & Romagnoli, Alessandro & Sze, Jia Yin & Py, Xavier, 2017. "Application of material assessment methodology in latent heat thermal energy storage for waste heat recovery," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 187(C), pages 281-290.
    12. Xu, Yang & Ren, Qinlong & Zheng, Zhang-Jing & He, Ya-Ling, 2017. "Evaluation and optimization of melting performance for a latent heat thermal energy storage unit partially filled with porous media," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 193(C), pages 84-95.
    13. Zauner, Christoph & Hengstberger, Florian & Etzel, Mark & Lager, Daniel & Hofmann, Rene & Walter, Heimo, 2016. "Experimental characterization and simulation of a fin-tube latent heat storage using high density polyethylene as PCM," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 179(C), pages 237-246.
    14. Mahdi, Jasim M. & Nsofor, Emmanuel C., 2017. "Melting enhancement in triplex-tube latent heat energy storage system using nanoparticles-metal foam combination," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 191(C), pages 22-34.
    15. Wang, Weilong & Li, Hailong & Guo, Shaopeng & He, Shiquan & Ding, Jing & Yan, Jinyue & Yang, Jianping, 2015. "Numerical simulation study on discharging process of the direct-contact phase change energy storage system," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 150(C), pages 61-68.
    16. Nourani, Moloud & Hamdami, Nasser & Keramat, Javad & Moheb, Ahmad & Shahedi, Mohammad, 2016. "Thermal behavior of paraffin-nano-Al2O3 stabilized by sodium stearoyl lactylate as a stable phase change material with high thermal conductivity," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 474-482.
    17. Li, Hailong & Wang, Weilong & Yan, Jinyue & Dahlquist, Erik, 2013. "Economic assessment of the mobilized thermal energy storage (M-TES) system for distributed heat supply," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 178-186.
    18. Mahdi, Jasim M. & Nsofor, Emmanuel C., 2017. "Solidification enhancement in a triplex-tube latent heat energy storage system using nanoparticles-metal foam combination," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 501-512.
    19. Fan, Li-Wu & Fang, Xin & Wang, Xiao & Zeng, Yi & Xiao, Yu-Qi & Yu, Zi-Tao & Xu, Xu & Hu, Ya-Cai & Cen, Ke-Fa, 2013. "Effects of various carbon nanofillers on the thermal conductivity and energy storage properties of paraffin-based nanocomposite phase change materials," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 163-172.
    20. Guo, Shaopeng & Li, Hailong & Zhao, Jun & Li, Xun & Yan, Jinyue, 2013. "Numerical simulation study on optimizing charging process of the direct contact mobilized thermal energy storage," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 1416-1423.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Du, Kun & Calautit, John & Eames, Philip & Wu, Yupeng, 2021. "A state-of-the-art review of the application of phase change materials (PCM) in Mobilized-Thermal Energy Storage (M-TES) for recovering low-temperature industrial waste heat (IWH) for distributed heat," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 168(C), pages 1040-1057.
    2. Golmohamadi, Hessam & Larsen, Kim Guldstrand & Jensen, Peter Gjøl & Hasrat, Imran Riaz, 2022. "Integration of flexibility potentials of district heating systems into electricity markets: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).
    3. Kuta, Marta, 2023. "Mobilized thermal energy storage (M-TES) system design for cooperation with geothermal energy sources," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 332(C).
    4. Zhang, Chengbin & Li, Jie & Chen, Yongping, 2020. "Improving the energy discharging performance of a latent heat storage (LHS) unit using fractal-tree-shaped fins," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 259(C).
    5. Du, Kun & Calautit, John & Wang, Zhonghua & Wu, Yupeng & Liu, Hao, 2018. "A review of the applications of phase change materials in cooling, heating and power generation in different temperature ranges," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 220(C), pages 242-273.
    6. Yang, Xiaohu & Lu, Zhao & Bai, Qingsong & Zhang, Qunli & Jin, Liwen & Yan, Jinyue, 2017. "Thermal performance of a shell-and-tube latent heat thermal energy storage unit: Role of annular fins," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 202(C), pages 558-570.
    7. Li, Zhi & Lu, Yiji & Huang, Rui & Chang, Jinwei & Yu, Xiaonan & Jiang, Ruicheng & Yu, Xiaoli & Roskilly, Anthony Paul, 2021. "Applications and technological challenges for heat recovery, storage and utilisation with latent thermal energy storage," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 283(C).
    8. Guo, Junfei & Liu, Zhan & Du, Zhao & Yu, Jiabang & Yang, Xiaohu & Yan, Jinyue, 2021. "Effect of fin-metal foam structure on thermal energy storage: An experimental study," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 172(C), pages 57-70.
    9. Yang, Xiaohu & Yu, Jiabang & Guo, Zengxu & Jin, Liwen & He, Ya-Ling, 2019. "Role of porous metal foam on the heat transfer enhancement for a thermal energy storage tube," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 239(C), pages 142-156.
    10. Serge Nyallang Nyamsi & Ivan Tolj & Mykhaylo Lototskyy, 2019. "Metal Hydride Beds-Phase Change Materials: Dual Mode Thermal Energy Storage for Medium-High Temperature Industrial Waste Heat Recovery," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(20), pages 1-27, October.
    11. Zhangyang Kang & Wu Zhou & Kaijie Qiu & Chaojie Wang & Zhaolong Qin & Bingyang Zhang & Qiongqiong Yao, 2023. "Numerical Simulation of an Indirect Contact Mobilized Thermal Energy Storage Container with Different Tube Bundle Layout and Fin Structure," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-13, March.
    12. Kumar, Ashish & Saha, Sandip K., 2020. "Experimental and numerical study of latent heat thermal energy storage with high porosity metal matrix under intermittent heat loads," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 263(C).
    13. Guelpa, Elisa & Verda, Vittorio, 2019. "Thermal energy storage in district heating and cooling systems: A review," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 252(C), pages 1-1.
    14. Zauner, Christoph & Hengstberger, Florian & Mörzinger, Benjamin & Hofmann, Rene & Walter, Heimo, 2017. "Experimental characterization and simulation of a hybrid sensible-latent heat storage," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 189(C), pages 506-519.
    15. Liu, Y.K. & Tao, Y.B., 2018. "Thermodynamic analysis and optimization of multistage latent heat storage unit under unsteady inlet temperature based on entransy theory," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 227(C), pages 488-496.
    16. Marta Kuta, 2022. "Mobilized Thermal Energy Storage for Waste Heat Recovery and Utilization-Discussion on Crucial Technology Aspects," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(22), pages 1-26, November.
    17. Pathak, Saurabh & Jain, Komal & Kumar, Prashant & Wang, Xu & Pant, R.P., 2019. "Improved thermal performance of annular fin-shell tube storage system using magnetic fluid," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 239(C), pages 1524-1535.
    18. Qiu, Lin & Ouyang, Yuxin & Feng, Yanhui & Zhang, Xinxin, 2019. "Review on micro/nano phase change materials for solar thermal applications," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 140(C), pages 513-538.
    19. Guo, Shaopeng & Liu, Qibin & Zhao, Jun & Jin, Guang & Wang, Xiaotong & Lang, Zhongmin & He, Wenxiu & Gong, Zhijun, 2017. "Evaluation and comparison of erythritol-based composites with addition of expanded graphite and carbon nanotubes," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 205(C), pages 703-709.
    20. Shahsavar, Amin & Al-Rashed, Abdullah A.A.A. & Entezari, Sajad & Sardari, Pouyan Talebizadeh, 2019. "Melting and solidification characteristics of a double-pipe latent heat storage system with sinusoidal wavy channels embedded in a porous medium," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 171(C), pages 751-769.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:appene:v:216:y:2018:i:c:p:142-156. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/405891/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.