IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v14y2021i9p2605-d548034.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Optimization of Design Variables of a Phase Change Material Storage Tank and Comparison of a 2D Implicit vs. 2D Explicit Model

Author

Listed:
  • Alicia Crespo

    (GREiA Research Group, University of Lleida, Pere de Cabrera s/n, 25001 Lleida, Spain)

  • Gabriel Zsembinszki

    (GREiA Research Group, University of Lleida, Pere de Cabrera s/n, 25001 Lleida, Spain)

  • David Vérez

    (GREiA Research Group, University of Lleida, Pere de Cabrera s/n, 25001 Lleida, Spain)

  • Emiliano Borri

    (GREiA Research Group, University of Lleida, Pere de Cabrera s/n, 25001 Lleida, Spain)

  • Cèsar Fernández

    (GREiA Research Group, University of Lleida, Pere de Cabrera s/n, 25001 Lleida, Spain)

  • Luisa F. Cabeza

    (GREiA Research Group, University of Lleida, Pere de Cabrera s/n, 25001 Lleida, Spain)

  • Alvaro de Gracia

    (GREiA Research Group, University of Lleida, Pere de Cabrera s/n, 25001 Lleida, Spain)

Abstract

In this study, a thermal energy storage tank filled with commercial phase change material flat slabs is investigated. The tank provides heat at around 15 °C to the evaporator of a seasonal thermal energy storage system developed under the EU-funded project SWS-Heating. A 2D numerical model of the phase changed material storage tank based on the finite control volume approach was developed and validated with experimental data. Based on the validated model, an optimization was performed to identify the number, type and configuration of slabs. The final goal of the phase change material tank model is to be implemented into the whole generic heating system model. A trade-off between results’ accuracy and computational time of the phase change material model is needed. Therefore, a comparison between a 2D implicit and 2D explicit scheme of the model was performed. The results showed that using an explicit scheme instead of an implicit scheme with a reasonable number of nodes (15 to 25) in the heat transfer fluid direction allowed a considerable decrease in the computational time (7 times for the best case) with only a slight reduction in the accuracy in terms on mean average percentage error (0.44%).

Suggested Citation

  • Alicia Crespo & Gabriel Zsembinszki & David Vérez & Emiliano Borri & Cèsar Fernández & Luisa F. Cabeza & Alvaro de Gracia, 2021. "Optimization of Design Variables of a Phase Change Material Storage Tank and Comparison of a 2D Implicit vs. 2D Explicit Model," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-15, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:14:y:2021:i:9:p:2605-:d:548034
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/9/2605/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/9/2605/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Prieto, Cristina & Cabeza, Luisa F., 2019. "Thermal energy storage (TES) with phase change materials (PCM) in solar power plants (CSP). Concept and plant performance," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 254(C).
    2. Royo, Patricia & Acevedo, Luis & Ferreira, Victor J. & García-Armingol, Tatiana & López-Sabirón, Ana M. & Ferreira, Germán, 2019. "High-temperature PCM-based thermal energy storage for industrial furnaces installed in energy-intensive industries," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 173(C), pages 1030-1040.
    3. Halawa, E. & Saman, W. & Bruno, F., 2010. "A phase change processor method for solving a one-dimensional phase change problem with convection boundary," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 35(8), pages 1688-1695.
    4. Romaní, Joaquim & Belusko, Martin & Alemu, Alemu & Cabeza, Luisa F. & de Gracia, Alvaro & Bruno, Frank, 2018. "Control concepts of a radiant wall working as thermal energy storage for peak load shifting of a heat pump coupled to a PV array," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 118(C), pages 489-501.
    5. Pirasaci, Tolga, 2020. "Investigation of phase state and heat storage form of the phase change material (PCM) layer integrated into the exterior walls of the residential-apartment during heating season," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 207(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Crespo, Alicia & Fernández, Cèsar & Vérez, David & Tarragona, Joan & Borri, Emiliano & Frazzica, Andrea & Cabeza, Luisa F. & de Gracia, Alvaro, 2023. "Thermal performance assessment and control optimization of a solar-driven seasonal sorption storage system for residential application," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 263(PA).
    2. PELELLA, Francesco & ZSEMBINSZKI, Gabriel & VISCITO, Luca & William MAURO, Alfonso & CABEZA, Luisa F., 2023. "Thermo-economic optimization of a multi-source (air/sun/ground) residential heat pump with a water/PCM thermal storage," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 331(C).
    3. Hongyu Zhang & Fei Gan & Guangqin Huang & Chunlong Zhuang & Xiaodong Shen & Shengbo Li & Lei Cheng & Shanshan Hou & Ningge Xu & Zhenqun Sang, 2022. "Study on Heat Storage Performance of Phase Change Reservoir in Underground Protection Engineering," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-31, August.

    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. Hongyu Zhang & Fei Gan & Guangqin Huang & Chunlong Zhuang & Xiaodong Shen & Shengbo Li & Lei Cheng & Shanshan Hou & Ningge Xu & Zhenqun Sang, 2022. "Study on Heat Storage Performance of Phase Change Reservoir in Underground Protection Engineering," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-31, August.
    2. Bailera, Manuel & Pascual, Sara & Lisbona, Pilar & Romeo, Luis M., 2021. "Modelling calcium looping at industrial scale for energy storage in concentrating solar power plants," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 225(C).
    3. Miguel Castro Oliveira & Muriel Iten & Pedro L. Cruz & Helena Monteiro, 2020. "Review on Energy Efficiency Progresses, Technologies and Strategies in the Ceramic Sector Focusing on Waste Heat Recovery," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(22), pages 1-24, November.
    4. Bravo, Ruben & Ortiz, Carlos & Chacartegui, Ricardo & Friedrich, Daniel, 2021. "Multi-objective optimisation and guidelines for the design of dispatchable hybrid solar power plants with thermochemical energy storage," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 282(PB).
    5. Balderrama Prieto, Silvino A. & Sabharwall, Piyush, 2024. "Technical and economic evaluation of heat transfer fluids for a TES system integrated to an advanced nuclear reactor," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 360(C).
    6. Chen, Xiaoming & Zhang, Quan & Zhai, Zhiqiang John & Ma, Xiaowei, 2019. "Potential of ventilation systems with thermal energy storage using PCMs applied to air conditioned buildings," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 138(C), pages 39-53.
    7. Waqas, Adeel & Ud Din, Zia, 2013. "Phase change material (PCM) storage for free cooling of buildings—A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 18(C), pages 607-625.
    8. Wang, XiaoLong & Sun, GuoChen & Zhang, LinHua & Lei, WenJun & Zhang, WenKe & Li, HaoYi & Zhang, ChunYue & Guo, JingChenxi, 2023. "Application of green energy in smart rural passive heating: A case study of indoor temperature self-regulating greenhouse of winter in Jinan, China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 278(C).
    9. Celena Lorenzo & Luis Narvarte & Ana Belén Cristóbal, 2020. "A Comparative Economic Feasibility Study of Photovoltaic Heat Pump Systems for Industrial Space Heating and Cooling," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-20, August.
    10. Ye, Yang & Lu, Jianfeng & Ding, Jing & Wang, Weilong & Yan, Jinyue, 2020. "Numerical simulation on the storage performance of a phase change materials based metal hydride hydrogen storage tank," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 278(C).
    11. Liu, Hongtao & Zhai, Rongrong & Patchigolla, Kumar & Turner, Peter & Yu, Xiaohan & Wang, Peng, 2023. "Multi-objective optimisation of a thermal-storage PV-CSP-wind hybrid power system in three operation modes," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 284(C).
    12. Kong, Xiangfei & Jiang, Lina & Yuan, Ye & Qiao, Xu, 2022. "Experimental study on the performance of an active novel vertical partition thermal storage wallboard based on composite phase change material with porous silica and microencapsulation," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 239(PE).
    13. Pirasaci, Tolga & Sunol, Aydin, 2024. "Potential of phase change materials (PCM) for building thermal performance enhancement: PCM-composite aggregate application throughout Turkey," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 292(C).
    14. Ljungdahl, V. & Taha, K. & Dallaire, J. & Kieseritzky, E. & Pawelz, F. & Jradi, M. & Veje, C., 2021. "Phase change material based ventilation module - Numerical study and experimental validation of serial design," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 234(C).
    15. Rostami, Sara & Afrand, Masoud & Shahsavar, Amin & Sheikholeslami, M. & Kalbasi, Rasool & Aghakhani, Saeed & Shadloo, Mostafa Safdari & Oztop, Hakan F., 2020. "A review of melting and freezing processes of PCM/nano-PCM and their application in energy storage," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 211(C).
    16. Wu, Chunlei & Wang, Qing & Wang, Xinmin & Sun, Shipeng & Wang, Yuqi & Wu, Shuang & Bai, Jingru & Sheng, Hongyu & Zhang, Jinghui, 2024. "Al2O3 nanoparticles integration for comprehensive enhancement of eutectic salt thermal performance: Experimental design, molecular dynamics calculations, and system simulation studies," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 292(C).
    17. Liu, Yang & Wang, Hongxia & Ayub, Iqra & Yang, Fusheng & Wu, Zhen & Zhang, Zaoxiao, 2021. "A variable cross-section annular fins type metal hydride reactor for improving the phenomenon of inhomogeneous reaction in the thermal energy storage processes," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 295(C).
    18. Li, Y.Q. & He, Y.L. & Song, H.J. & Xu, C. & Wang, W.W., 2013. "Numerical analysis and parameters optimization of shell-and-tube heat storage unit using three phase change materials," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 92-99.
    19. Amin, N.A.M. & Belusko, M. & Bruno, F., 2014. "An effectiveness-NTU model of a packed bed PCM thermal storage system," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 134(C), pages 356-362.
    20. Luu, Minh Tri & Milani, Dia & Nomvar, Mobin & Abbas, Ali, 2020. "A design protocol for enhanced discharge exergy in phase change material heat battery," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 265(C).

    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:gam:jeners:v:14:y:2021:i:9:p:2605-:d:548034. 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: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    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.