(PDF) Experimental Study of A Latent Heat Thermal Energy Storage System Assisted by A Heat Pipe Network

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1 Citation 42 References 3 Figures
Experimental study of a latent heat thermal energy storage system assisted by a heat pipe network
Article (PDF Available) in Energy Conversion and Management

153 · December 2017 with 197 Reads
DOI: 10.1016/j.enconman.2017.10.019
Cite this publication
Saeed Tiari Mahboobe Mahdavi

17.89 · Gannon University 17.78 · Gannon University
Songgang Qiu
23.98 · West Virginia University
Abstract
The charging and discharging processes of a latent heat thermal energy storage system assisted by a heat pipe network was experimentally studied.
Rubitherm RT55 was chosen as the phase change material (PCM) and was enclosed within a vertical cylindrical container. A network of simulated heat
pipes was embedded within the PCM to enhance the heat transfer. The heat pipe array consisted of a primary central heat pipe with an array of
secondary heat pipes. The primary heat pipe transfers the thermal energy from the heat source to the heat sink while the secondary heat pipes transport
the extra thermal energy into to the phase change material during the charging process or retrieve it from the phase change material during the
discharging process. The heat pipe network was simpli ed by employing an arrangement of copper and acrylic pipes. Water was used as the heat
transport uid, which was circulated through the pipe network with a relatively high velocity to decrease the temperature drop, similar to what happens
inside a real heat pipe. The effects of different heat transfer uid ow rates and temperatures on the thermal performance of the latent heat energy
storage system were studied. The results indicated that the heat transfer uid ow rate and temperature have signi cant impacts on the total charging
time of the system. It was also found that the while the ow rate of the heat transfer uid has minimal effect on the discharging process, the
temperature of the heat transfer uid plays a signi cant role.
Figures
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/320408990_Experimental_study_of_a_latent_heat_thermal_energy_storage_system_assisted_by_a_heat_pipe_network
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1 Citation(PDF) 42 References
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Available from: Saeed Tiari, Oct 15, 2017

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Energy Conversion and Management 153 (2017) 362–37
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Energy Conversion and Management

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/enconman
Experimental study of a latent heat thermal energy storage system assisted MAR
by a heat pipe network
a a b,⁎
Saeed Tiari , Mahboobe Mahdavi , Songgang Qiu
a
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Gannon University, 109 University Square MS30, Erie, PA 16541, USA
b
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, West Virginia University, 395 Evansdale Drive Morgantown, WV 26506, USA
A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T
Keywords: The charging and discharging processes of a latent heat thermal energy storage system assisted by a heat
Latent heat network was experimentally studied. Rubitherm RT55 was chosen as the phase change material (PCM) and
Thermal energy storage enclosed within a vertical cylindrical container. A network of simulated heat pipes was embedded withi
Heat pipe network PCM to enhance the heat transfer. The heat pipe array consisted of a primary central heat pipe with an arr
Phase change material
secondary heat pipes. The primary heat pipe transfers the thermal energy from the heat source to the heat
Experimental study
while the secondary heat pipes transport the extra thermal energy into to the phase change material durin
Charging
Discharging
charging process or retrieve it from the phase change material during the discharging process. The heat
network was simplified by employing an arrangement of copper and acrylic pipes. Water was used as the
transport fluid, which was circulated through the pipe network with a relatively high velocity to decrease
See all › See all › See all › temperature drop, similar to what happens inside a real heat pipe. The effects of different
Download heat PDF
full-text transfer fluid
1 Citation 42 References 3 Figures rates and temperatures on the thermal performance of the latent heat energy storage system were studied
results indicated that the heat transfer fluid flow rate and temperature have significant impacts on the
charging time of the system. It was also found that the while the flow rate of the heat transfer fluid has min
effect on the discharging process, the temperature of the heat transfer fluid plays a significant role.
1. Introduction [5] investigated the functionality of a bimetallic finned tube f

LHTES system with NaNO3 as the PCM. Sheikholeslami et al. [6]
Thermal energy storage (TES) systems are promising solutions for died the utilization of snowflake shaped fins to enhance the solidi
the intermittency issues associated with renewable energy resources, tion of a PCM enclosed in a square container. The influence of inte
especially solar energy. Latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) has horizontal fins on the melting process of octadecane was reporte
the advantages of a larger energy storage density, nearly isothermal Sharifi et al. [7]. Kabbara at al. [8] experimentally studied the char
operation, and a wide range of operational temperatures in comparison and discharging processes of a dodecanoic acid based LHTES sys
to sensible heat thermal energy storage (SHTES). These advantages not assisted by a finned tube heat exchanger.
only make LHTES systems a good option for solar power generation but Another method to improve the heat transfer in LHTES system
also qualify them for other applications such as waste heat recovery [1], the impregnation of highly conductive porous materials within PC
electronic cooling [2] and domestic heating and air conditioning [3,4]. Mesalhy et al. [9] numerically investigated the melting process with
Despite the above-mentioned advantages, the inexpensive and high thermal conductivity porous matrix saturated with PCM. M
commonly used phase change materials (PCMs), which are used as nelli at al. [10] experimentally tested the thermal behavior of RT3
storage media, have relatively low thermal conductivities. This leads to enhanced by copper foam. Zhao et al. [11] used graphite foam to
much longer charging and discharging processes which limit the per- hance the thermal conductivity of a magnesium chloride when used
formance of LHTES systems. Different heat transfer enhancement PCM. Meng and Zhang [12] experimentally and numerically studied
techniques have been studied and developed to resolve this issue and impregnation of copper foam with a paraffin wax PCM. The me
improve the heat transfer within the PCMs. Numerous studies have process of a eutectic mixture of Li2CO 3 and K2CO3 in a LHTES
been conducted on employing fins and extended surfaces as an effective partially filled with porous media was numerically investigated by
method to enhance heat transfer within LHTES systems. Urschitz et al. et al. [13].
⁎
Corresponding author.
E-mail addresses: tiari001@gannon.edu (S. Tiari), mahdavi001@gannon.edu (M. Mahdavi), songgang.qiu@mail.wvu.edu (S. Qiu).
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2017.10.019
Received 26 June 2017; Received in revised form 17 September 2017; Accepted 7 October 2017
0196-8904/ © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

S. Tiari et al. Energy Conversion and M
Nomenclature Greek
Latin ΔT temperature difference, °C

ρ density, kg m−3
cp specific heat, J kg−1 K −1 λ thermal conductivity, W m−1 K −1
h sl latent heat of fusion, kJ kg−1
L length, m Subscripts
ṁ mass flow rate, kg s −1
Q̇ power, W HTF heat transfer fluid
t time, s m melting
T °C
T temperature, °C
A similar approach to enhance the heat transfer in LHTES systems is water as the PCM. Wu et al. [40] experimentally studied the ther
the dispersion of high thermal conductivity particles into the PCM. performance of a heat pipe assisted PCM based battery thermal m
Dhaidan et al. [14] studied the melting of n-octadecane enhanced with agement system. It was shown that combining forced air convec
CuO nanoparticle both experimentally and numerically. Yuan et al. with a heat pipe assisted PCM enhances the cooling process of
[15] analyzed the thermal performance of palmitic-stearic acid en- system significantly. Krishna et al. [41] reported the results of t
hanced by graphene nanoplatelets and expanded graphite. Das et al. experimental study on heat pipe assisted nano-enhanced Tricosane P
[16] numerically investigated the thermal performance of a LHTES unit for electronic cooling applications. They investigated the effects of P
with n-eicosane enhanced with graphene nanosheets. Ghalambaz et al. fill volume, heat input, and nanoparticle concentration on the the
[17] studied the effects of nanoparticle dispersion on the melting pro- performance of the system. The charging and discharging processes
cess of octadecane enclosed in a square container. The solidification finned heat pipe assisted LHTES system with potassium nitrate w
process of n-octadecane enhanced with dispersed titanium dioxide studied by Tiari et al. [42,43] using a two-dimensional nume
(TiO2) nanoparticles was experimentally studied by Motahar et al. [18]. model. It was found that heat pipe spacing is an important paramet
An extensive and comprehensive review of the thermal conductivity the thermal performance of the system during both melting and
enhancement methods in LHTES systems is presented by Gasia et al. dification of the PCM. Tiari and Qiu [44] developed a transient th
[19] and Fan and Khodadadi [20]. dimensional model to evaluate the charging process of a heat pipe
Another proposed a technique to enhance the heat transfer within sisted LHTES system with a eutectic mixture of sodium nitrate
the latent heat thermal energy storage systems is the use of metallic potassium nitrate as the PCM. The results indicated that heat
alloys as phase change materials. Risueño et al. [21] studied the network arrangement and natural convection within the molten
structural characterization and thermal stability of three alloys with play key roles in the thermal response of the system during the char
different aluminum content (Mg71Zn28.9 Al 0.1, Mg 70Zn 24.9 Al5.1 and process.
Mg 70Zn24.4 Al5.6) as the phase change material for latent heat storage In this paper, thermal performance of a LHTES system assisted
application. In Birchenall et al. [22,23] work, the CuMgSi ternary alloys novel heat pipe network is studied experimentally. This novel netw
were used as promising phase change materials for latent heat thermal of heat pipes consists of a primary heat pipe and four secondary
energy storage. Blanco-Rodríguez et al. [24] analyzed the possibility of pipes. The primary heat pipe transfers the thermal energy from the
using magnesium based eutectic alloys as PCM for latent heat thermal source to the heat sink. The secondary heat pipes transport the sur
energy storage in concentrated solar power generation applications. thermal energy into the PCM during the charging process while
Utilizing passive heat transfer devices such as heat pipes to enhance trieving the stored energy from the PCM during the discharging pro
the heat transfer within the PCM is another technique which has been The main components of the test rig, shown in Fig. 2, are the cylind
investigated in experimental and numerical studies [25–28]. Robak container filled with the PCM and embedded primary and secon
et al. [29] experimentally investigated a LHTES system enhanced by heat pipes, water tank and a pump to circulate hot or cold H
heat pipes or fins. It was found that employing heat pipes leads to Transport Fluid (HTF), the flow and temperature measurement dev
significant improvement in both the charging and discharging processes and data acquisition system. The experimental study was conducte
of the system. Shabgard et al. [30] used a thermal resistance network demonstrate the functionality of the suggested heat pipe network an
model to analyze the thermal response of a heat pipe assisted LHTES examine the effects of the HTF temperature and flow rate on
with potassium nitrate as the PCM. Liu et al. [31,32] experimentally thermal performance of the LHTES system during the charging,
studied the thermal performance of a heat pipe assisted LHTES system charging, and partial charging processes.
with paraffin wax as the PCM. They analyzed the charging and dis-
charging processes individually as well as a simultaneous charging/ 2. Experimental setup
discharging operation mode of the system. Mahdavi et al. [33,34] de-
veloped a new heat pipe configuration for a specific application in 2.1. Phase change material
concentrated solar power generation. They optimized the geometry of
the heat pipe to enhance the performance of the system. Sharifi et al. RUBITHERM RT55 was chosen as the PCM for the experiment
[35] used a novel heat pipe-metal foil approach to enhance the thermal to its relatively low cost, lab safe melting temperature, stable ther
performance of a LHTES system with n-Octadecane. Murray and Groulx physical properties during experiment testing, and relatively high la
[36,37] experimentally investigated the phase change heat transfer of a heat of fusion. The thermophysical properties of RUBITHERM RT55
LHTES with dodecanoic acid as the PCM during consecutive and si- listed in Table 1.
multaneous charging and discharging operations. Nithyanandam and
Pitchumani [38] numerically studied the influence of quantity and or-
ientation of embedded heat pipes on the thermal performance of a 2.2. Apparatus
LHTES system during charging and discharging. Lohrasbi et al. [39]
employed a two-dimensional numerical model to analyze the dischar- The PCM container was made of a 30.48 cm (1 ft.) long, 21.5
ging process of a heat pipe assisted LHTES system with nano-enhanced (8.5 in) outer diameter clear cast acrylic tube with a 0.635 cm (0.2
wall thickness. The container was wrapped by a 3.81 cm (1.5 in) t
363


Table 1
Thermophysical properties of RUBITHERM RT55 [45].
Melting temperature range, Tm ( °C ) 51–57

Latent heat of fusion, hsl (kJ/kg) 172 ± 7.5%
Density, ρ (kg/m3 ) 880 (solid) 770 (liqu
Specific heat, cp (J/kg K) 2000
Thermal conductivity, λ (W /m K ) 0.2 (both phases)
Thermal expansion (%) 14
tank. An 1100 W side-mounted immersion circulator with tempera

control was used to keep the HTF at a constant temperature. The
curacy in the temperature of the incoming HTF was 0.1 °C. Two B
White paddlewheel flow meters (model F-1000) with a digital dis
were used to measure the flow rate of the HTF during the system
eration. Fig. 2 shows a schematic of the experimental setup.
Twelve K-type thermocouples (T1–T12), 0.3175 cm (0.125 in
diameter, connected to a National Instruments 16-channel ther
couple CompactDAQ module (NI 9213) were located throughout
container to measure the PCM temperature during the experiments.
thermocouples were inserted into the acrylic container through c
pression fittings, which allows for the adjustment of the thermoco
depth in the PCM. Thermocouples were inserted at three axial el
tions within the PCM container to monitor the length-wise tempera
distribution over the course of the experiment. At each of the a
elevations, 4 thermocouples were placed radially within the PCM:
near the secondary heat pipe (T1, T5, and T9), one near the prim
heat pipe (T3, T7, T11), and two thermocouples were symmetric
placed on either side of the primary heat pipe midway between
secondary heat pipes (T2 and T4, T6 and T8, and T10 and T12).
arrangement of thermocouples is shown in Fig. 3.
Fig. 1. The PCM container and embedded heat pipe network.
In addition to the thermocouples placed within the PCM, three
Ohm Class B RTDs (T13–T15), with 0.476 cm (0.1875 in) diameter w
piece of foil-faced fiberglass insulation. Four copper pipes with a connected to a National Instruments 4-channel RTD CompactD
1.27 cm (0.5 in) outer diameter are used as secondary heat pipes, which module (NI 9217) to measure the HTF temperature. T13 is the inlet
are embedded in the PCM. Fig. 1 shows the PCM container and em- temperature. T14 shows the HTF outlet temperature of the secon
bedded heat pipe network. heat pipes. T15 is the outlet HTF temperature of the primary heat p
Water was used as the HTF and was circulated through the heat pipe Temperatures measured by thermocouples and RTDs were collecte
network to charge or discharge the system. The HTF was circulated by a a National Instruments cDAQ-9188 data acquisition system usin
variable speed pump (GRUNDFOS UP 15) from a well-insulated water LabView software.
Fig. 2. Schematics of the experimental setup for thermal energ

rage unit.

364

process is shown in Fig. 4.

To charge the latent heat thermal energy storage system, the HT
the water tank was heated by immersion circulator to the desired
temperature at which point the pump was turned on to circulate the
HTF through the system. The HTF was continuously circulated thro
the system until the entire mass of solid PCM inside the container
melted. For the discharging process, cold HTF was pumped through
system until all of the molten PCM had solidified. The repeatabilit
the experiments was checked by repeating the charging process t
times using 68.3 °C (155 °F) HTF with a flow rate of 1.89 L/
Examination of the obtained results, shown in Fig. 5, demonstrated
the LHTES system had relatively the same temperature profiles fo
three cases, indicating the repeatability of the experiments. The
lost from the PCM container to the environment was calculated
keeping a fully charged (entirely molten PCM) system at 65 °C fo
extended period of time. During this time, the thermal energy tr
ferred into the system from the HTF was assumed to be equal to the
loss from the system. It was calculated that the heat loss is app
mately 45 W.
3. Results and discussion
3.1. Charging process
3.1.1. Impact of heat pipe network

To understand the impact of the heat pipe network on the opera
of the energy storage system, the performance of heat pipe-assi
system is compared to a benchmark energy storage unit without
heat transfer enhancement. Fig. 6 shows the temperature profile
different elevations during the charging process for the benchmark
and the heat pipe-assisted case with HTF temperatures of 15
(68.3 °C) and flow rate of 0.5 gpm (1.89 L/min). As can be seen,
ploying the complex heat pipe network leads to a significant impr
ment of heat transfer within the PCM during the charging process
In the benchmark case, the heat is added to the PCM from
bottom surface only. That is why T1, which is the closest thermoco
to the heated surface, shows higher temperature comparing to T5
T9, which are located further away from the heating surface.
However, in the heat pipe-assisted case, due to heat pipe arra
Fig. 3. Dimensions of the PCM container and positions of thermocouples in the system.
ment, heat is transferred to the PCM from both the bottom surface
the top surface. There two surfaces are connected by the center pip
the same time, heat is also transferred to PCM through the secon
The uncertainty in this study originates from the measurements heat pipes (the array of small pipes) that are connected to the top o
conducted by the RTDs, thermocouples, and flow meters. Table 2 shows container That is why in the heat pipe assisted case the tempera
conducted by the RTDs, thermocouples, and flow meters. Table 2 shows container. That is why in the heat pipe-assisted case, the tempera
the values of uncertainty provided by the manufacturer of the mea- distribution of T1, T5 and T9 are close to each other, which are
surement devices. Download citation Share
1 Citation 42 References 3 Figures ferent form, but better than the benchmark case.
The measured temperatures during the melting process in the
2.3. Thermal imaging pipe-assisted case are affected by several factors. At the early stag
melting the added heat via top and bottom surfaces and secondary
A thermal imaging camera (FLIR T440) with a thermal resolution of pipes is spread out in the PCM mainly via conduction. Later, as
76,800 (320 × 240) pixels was used to take a sequence of thermal melting proceeds at different locations, natural convection, sinkin
images of the LHTES system during the charging and discharging pro- solid parts of the PCM as well as expansion and upward motion of
cesses. The accuracy of this thermal camera is within ± 2% of its molten PCM become significant. The combination of these effects l
reading and its thermal sensitivity at 30 °C is less than 0.04 °C [46]. to the observed phenomena in the temperature distribution of T1
and T9 in Fig. 6. At the beginning, as the heat is mainly conducte
2.4. Experimental procedure the PCM via the secondary pipes, temperatures of thermocouples T1
and T9 increase at the similar rate. After 2000 s, the T1 and
The container was filled with 5 kg of RT55 PCM. Prior to injecting
Table 2
the PCM to the container, it was heated above its melting temperature
The uncertainty of measurement devices.
in an oven to remove all the air bubbles and dissolved gas from the as-
received material. A glass syringe was used to inject the liquid PCM to Measurement device Uncertainty
the container through a small charging valve placed on the top of the
RTDs (T13–T15) ± (0.3 + 0.005 T) (°C)
container wall. An approximate volume of 100 mL of liquid PCM was
Thermocouples (T1–T12) ± 1.5%
injected into the container in each injection and given enough time to Flow meters ± 2%
form a solid layer before adding the next layer of liquid PCM. This
365

Fig. 4. The process of filling the container

the PCM.
70 LHTES system was investigated for both the charging and dischar
65 process. For the charging process, the temperature of the HTF was s
60 155 °F (68.3 °C) and three flow rates, 0.5, 1 and 2 gpm (1.89, 3.79
7.57 L/min, respectively), were examined. As shown in Fig. 3, three
Temperature (°C)
55
of thermocouples are inserted into the PCM container at three diffe
50
axial locations to measure the PCM temperature. At each axial loca
45 there are four radially distributed thermocouples. The first set of a
40 thermocouples (T1–T4) was located 2.54 cm (1 in) above the co
35 T1 (first trial) T5 (first trial) T9 (first trial)
base wall. The second set of thermocouples (T5–T8) was inserted
30
the middle of the cylindrical PCM container at a height of 10.1
(4 i ) h fi l f h l ( 9 12) i l d h
T1 (second trial) T5 (second trial) T9 (second trial) (4 in). The final set of thermocouples (T9–T12) is located at the to
25
See all › See all › See all › the PCM container, 17.78 cm (7 in) Download
from the bottom. Fig. 7 show
full-text PDF
T1 (third trial) T5 (third trial) T9 (third trial) Download citation Share
1 Citation 4220References 3 Figures temperature of the PCM at different locations during the char
15 process for three different HTF flow rates. The system had an in
0 5000 10000 15000 20000 25000 30000 35000 40000 45000 50000
temperature of 19 °C for all of the experiments conducted. The char
Time (s) process started at time t = 0 when the HTF (155 °F or 68.3 °C) bega
Fig. 5. Measured temperatures by repeating the charging process for HTF with tem- circulate through the system.
perature of 68.3 °C and flow rate of 1.89 L/min. As shown in Fig. 7, the HTF flow rate (which is directly proporti
to heat transfer rate from heat source) has a significant effect on
80 overall charging time of the LHTES system. For the lowest flow ra
75 T1 T5 T9 1.89 L/min, the total charging time is 14 h (50,000 s). For the cases
70 T1 (benchmark) T5 (benchmark) T9 (benchmark) flow rate of 3.79 L/min and 7.57 L/min, it took 12 h (43,000 s) and
65 (36,000 s) respectively for the system to become entirely molten
Temperature (°C)
60 creasing the flow rate of the incoming HTF from 1.89 to 7.57 L/
55 results in an approximately 30% increase in the charging rate of
50 system. In all cases, the thermocouples T1, T5, and T9 have the hig
45 temperature during the early stage of the charging process due to t
40 proximity to the secondary heat pipe. As conduction is the sole mod
35 heat transfer at this point in the melting process, the PCM tempera
30
measured by these thermocouples increases at a rate that is nearly
25
dependent of axial location. However, these thermocouples show
20
15 ferent behaviors during the later stages of the charging process after
0 5000 10000 15000 20000 25000 30000 35000 40000 45000 50000 PCM begins to melt and natural convection starts to affect the ov
Time (s) heat transfer within the system. As the charging process proceed
layer of molten PCM is formed near the heated base wall and
Fig. 6. Comparison between benchmark case and heat pipe-assisted case with HTF
around the secondary heat pipes. The higher temperature at the to
temperatures of 68.3 °C and flow rate of 1.89 L/min.
the container (T9–T12) results from the relatively warmer HTF at
entrance of the secondary heat pipes. As the temperature of the PC
temperatures are affected by the heat conduction from the top and the lower elevation (T1–T4) reaches the upper bound of the P
bottom surfaces. Because the distance from T1 to bottom surface is melting range, 57 °C, the temperature profiles begin to flatten as
shorter than the distance from T9 to top surface, T1 is a little hotter PCM starts melt which results in a transition from sensible heat sto
than T9. At around 8000 s, the natural convection of liquid PCM starts to isothermal latent heat storage process. A similar pattern can be
to affect the temperature distribution. Liquid PCM moves upwards due for the temperature profiles (T9–T12) at the top of the containe
to density change while the cold solid PCM moves downwards, leading well.
to more rapid temperature increase of T1. At around 30,000 s, the The majority of the PCM that resides in the middle of the conta
temperature of T5 also catches up T1 because the majority of the PCM remains solid until the later stage of the charging process. Again
around T5 is melted. heat transfer in this area is dominated by conduction until the
perature of the PCM reaches the 51 °C melting point. At this time
effects of natural convection in the thick molten layers of PCM at
3.1.2. Effect of heat transfer fluid flow rate
bottom of the container as well as in the vicinity of the secondary
The effect of the HTF flow rate on the thermal performance of the
366

70 temperatures over the duration of the experiment. Therefore thi

65 dicates that the lateral motion of the molten PCM and heat transf
60 this direction are nearly negligible during the charging process.
Fig. 8 shows a sequence of thermal images taken over the cour
perature (°C)
55
50
the charging process with a HTF flow rate of 7.57 L/min. The
picture was taken a few minute after the start of the charging pro
45
and therefore almost all of the PCM inside the container is still in
40
solid phase and the temperature is close to the initial 19 °C except
0
Temp
solid phase and the temperature is close to the initial 19 C except
35 thin layer of hot solid PCM near the top and bottom copper walls. A
T1 T2 T3 T4 Download
charging citation
process Sharethe temperature
continues, of the solid PCM incre
1 Citation 4230References 3 Figures
T5 T6 T7 T8
25 and the thin layer of the hot solid PCM near the top and bottom w
T9 T10 T11 T12
20 T13 T14 has melted. The effect of the secondary heat pipe array on the P
temperature distribution can be observed at time t = 2 h. The PC
15
0 5000 10000 15000 20000 25000 30000 35000 40000 45000 50000 the secondary heat pipes (between thermocouple columns) has a hi
Time (s) temperature than in the other surrounding areas. It can also be seen
the thickness of the molten PCM at the top and bottom of the conta
(a)
grows quickly starting from t = 6 h due to the increase in heat tran
70 resulting from natural convection occurring within the molten P
After eight hours, only a small portion of the PCM in the middle pla
65
still in the solid phase. Continued charging for two more hours resul
60
all of the PCM being melted and the LHTES system is now fully char
55 The evolution of the melting front (solid-liquid transition) of the sys
Temperature (°C)
50 during the charging process is shown in Fig. 9. The opaque white c

45
is the solid phase while the clear portions are the molten PCM.
The average temperature difference between the inlet and o
40
temperature of the HTF during charging for the three flow rates an
35 initial inlet temperature of 68.3 °C is shown in Fig. 10. The tempera
30 difference of the HTF decreases with an increase of flow rate.
T1 T2 T3 T4
25 T5 T6 T7 T8
power input into the system during the charging process can be
T9 T10 T11 T12 culated using the following equation:
20
T13 T14
15 Q ̇= m ̇ c p,HTF ΔT
0 5000 10000 15000 20000 25000 30000 35000 40000
Time (s)
where ṁ is the mass flow rate of the HTF, cp, HTF is the specific he
(b) HTF, ΔT and is the temperature difference between the inlet and ou
of HTF (T13–T14) during charging process. Fig. 11 shows the ave
70
input thermal power during charging process for different HTF
65
rates.
60 As can be seen, increasing HTF flow rate results in a notable
Temperature (°C)
55 crease in the heat transfer rate to PCM. The higher HTF flow rate re
50 in a higher HTF velocity within the secondary heat pipes, and hen
45 higher rate of convection between the hot HTF and the copper p
40 while also lowering the total thermal resistance between the PCM
the HTF. For the experiment with the highest flow rate of 7.57 L/
35
the heat transfer rate drops quickly to under 300 W whereas the in
30
T1 T2 T3 T4 thermal power for the 3.79 L/min case is around 200 W and it is
25 T5 T6 T7 T8
100 W for the 1.89 L/min case. The net thermal energy stored in
T9 T10 T11 T12
20 T13 T14 LHTES system is equal to the total thermal energy transferred into
15 system via the HTF minus the heat lost from the system during
0 5000 10000 15000 20000 25000 30000 35000 course of the charging process.
Time (s)
(c)
3.1.3. Effects of heat transport fluid temperature
Fig. 7. Measured temperatures during the charging process for different flow rates: (a)
The influence of the HTF temperature on the thermal perform
1.89 L/min (b) 3.79 L/min, and (c) 7.57 L/min.
of the system during the charging process was analyzed by varying
inlet temperature of the HTF fluid. The temperature was set to 6
pipes results in an increase in the overall heat transfer rate. This leads to 68.3 °C, and 73 °C at a flow rate of 7.57 L/min (2 gpm). The tempera
a rapid increase in the temperature of the remaining solid PCM as it profiles at the various thermocouple locations over the entire char
melts. This can be seen in the temperature profiles of thermocouple process for the three HTF temperatures are shown in Fig. 12.
T6–T8. system has an initial temperature of 19 °C for all three experiment
In order to capture the axial or lateral motion of the melting front illustrated in Fig. 12, the incoming HTF temperature plays a signifi
within the PCM, two symmetric thermocouples were inserted into the role in the total charging time of the system. The overall charging
container at each axial location midway between the secondary heat of the system is 16 h (60,000 s) for the 63 °C case, 10 h (36,000 s) for
pipes. Thermocouple T2 and T4 are at the bottom, T6 and T8 are in the 68.3 °C case and only 7 h (26,000 s) for the 73 °C case. Increasing
middle and T10 and T12 are at the top of the container. For all three temperature of the incoming HTF by 10 degrees resulted in a 55%
HTF flow rates, the thermocouple pairs recorded nearly the same duction in the overall charging time of the LHTES system.
367


Fig. 8. Thermal images of the LHTES syste

different times during the charging process
HTF flow rate of 7.57 L/min and HTF temper
of 68.3 °C.
Fig. 9. Temporal evolution of charging process with HTF flow rate of 7.57 L/min and HTF temperature of 68.3 °C.
2.5 600
550
1.89 L/min 1.89 L/min
2 500
3.79 L/min 3.79 L/min
Temperature (°C)
450
7.57 L/min 400 7.57 L/min
Power (W)
1.5
350
300
1 250
200
0.5 150
100
0 50
0 5000 10000 15000 20000 25000 30000 35000 40000 45000 50000 0
Time (s) 0 5000 10000 15000 20000 25000 30000 35000 40000 45000 50
Time (s)
Fig. 10. Temperature difference between inlet and outlet of HTF during charging process
for different HTF flow rates. Fig. 11. Average input thermal power during the charging process for different HTF
rates.
3.2. Discharging process

and 7.57 L/min were investigated. The temperature profiles for
3.2.1. Effects of heat transfer fluid flow rate entire discharging process are shown in Fig. 13 for all three HTF
For the discharging process of the LHTES system, cold water with a rates. The results indicate that the flow rate of the HTF does not hav
temperature of 20 °C provided by a chiller refrigeration unit (Active high of an impact on the performance of the system as it did during
temperature of 20 C provided by a chiller refrigeration unit (Active g p p y g
Aqua, model 1/10 HP) was circulated through the heat pipe network. charging process. The total discharging process takes around
See all › See all › See all ›
The discharging process was started right after the completion of the Download
(62,000 s) forcitation HTF flowDownload
Share
the lowest rate (1.89full-text
L/min), PDF
while it t
PCM charging process to ensure that all of the PCM was in the molten almost 16 h (58,000 s) at the highest flow rate (7.57 L/min). A 3
state. The discharging process was continued until all of the PCM ma- increase in the HTF flow rate only resulting in a 6.5% decrease in
terial had solidified. To study the effect of HTF flow rate on the thermal total discharging time. The discharging rate is predominantly de
response of the system during discharging, three flow rates 1.89, 3.79, dent upon the heat conduction rate through the PCM. The p
368

70 70
T1 T2 T3 T4
65 65
T5 T6 T7 T8
60 60 T9 T10 T11 T1
Temperature (°C)
Temperature (°C)
55 55 T13 T14
50 50
45
45
40
40
35 T1 T2 T3
35
30 T4 T5 T6
T7 T8 T9 30
25
T10 T11 T12 25
20
T13 T14
15 20
0 10000 20000 30000 40000 50000 60000 15
Time (s) 0 10000 20000 30000 40000 50000 600
Time (s)
(a)
(a)
70 70
T1 T2 T3 T4
65 65
T5 T6 T7 T8
60 60 T9 T10 T11 T12
Temperature (°C)
55
Temperature (°C)
55 T13 T14
50 50
45 45
40 40
35 35
30 30
T1 T2 T3 T4
25 T5 T6 T7 T8 25
T9 T10 T11 T12
20 20
T13 T14
15 15
0 5000 10000 15000 20000 25000 30000 35000 0 10000 20000 30000 40000 50000 600
Time (s) Time (s)
(b) (b)
75 70
T1 T2 T3 T4
70 65
T5 T6 T7 T8
65 60 T9 T10 T11 T12
erature (°C)
60 55 T13 T14
ature (°C)
55 50
50 45
45 40
45
Tempera
40
Temp
40 35
1 Citation 4235References 3 Figures 30
30 T1 T2 T3 T4 25
25 T5 T6 T7 T8
20
T9 T10 T11 T12
20 15
T13 T14
15 0 10000 20000 30000 40000 50000

0 5000 10000 150 00 20000 25000 Time (s)
Time (s) (c)
(c) Fig. 13. Measured temperatures during the discharging process for different flow
(a) 1.89 L/min (b) 3.79L/min, and (c) 7.57L/min.
Fig. 12. Measured temperatures during the charging process for different HTF tempera-
ture: (a) 63 °C (b) 68.3 °C, and (c) 73 °C.
identical for all three cases, the flow rate of the HTF has a min
impact on the overall heat transfer within the LHTES sys
conductivity of the selected PCM limits the discharging rate.
Additionally, the temperature of the symmetrically placed ther
For all three cases studied, the temperature of the PCM near the
couples showed similar temperature trends over the length of the
secondary heat pipes (T1, T5, and T9) drops quickly once the dischar-
charging process in all three cases. Therefore, the lateral motion
ging process starts. This results in a solid layer of PCM forming at the
heat transfer of the molten PCM is negligible during the solidifica
surface of each secondary heat pipe. After the sensible heat is extracted
process as well.
from the superheated molten PCM, the temperature profiles flatten out
A series of thermal images were taken over the course of dischar
as isothermal solidification of the PCM occurs. As discharging con-
process and are presented in Fig. 14 for the case where the LH
tinues, the PCM at the top and bottom of the container is solidified,
system was discharged using a HTF at 20 °C temperature and 7.5
however, the PCM near the mid-plane, surrounded by solid layers, re-
min flow rate. The first image in Fig. 14 was taken a few minutes
mains at the solidus temperature of the PCM for an extended period of
the start of the discharging process when the entire mass of PCM w
time. Since the general trend of the temperature profiles is almost
the liquid state and thus its temperature was above the liqu
369

Fig. 14. Thermal images of the LHTES syste

different times during the discharging pr
with HTF flow rate of 7.57L/min.

Fig. 15. Temporal evolution of discharging process with HTF flow rate of 7.57 L/min and HTF temperature of 20 °C.
2 300
1.89 L/min 1.89 L/min

250
3.79 L/min
1.5
Temperature (°C)
3.79 L/min
200 7.57 L/min
7.57 L/min
Power (W)
1 150
100
0.5
50
0 0
0 10000 20000 30000 40000 50000 60000 0 10000 20000 30000 40000 50000 6000
Time (s) Time (s)
Fig. 16. Average temperature difference between inlet and outlet of HTF during dis-
Fig. 17. Average power extracted from the PCM during the discharging process fo
charging process for different HTF flow rates.
ferent HTF flow rates.
temperature. As the discharging process progresses, a layer of cold so- by the HTF. Due to the low thermal conductivity of the PCM,
lidified PCM forms at the top and bottom of the container as well as temperature within the PCM decreases slowly, therefore, even
around the secondary heat pipes. However, at this time the bulk of the after the initiation of the discharging process, a portion of the P
PCM is still in molten or partially solidified state after 4 h. This can also located far from the secondary heat pipes and the bottom wall is
be seen in the temperature profiles of Fig. 13c and in the photos of the hot with a temperature around 35 °C. At the same time, the tempera
solid-liquid interface shown in Fig. 15. In Fig. 15, the clear, see-through of the PCM that is close to the cold HTF is around 20 °C. The temp
portion of the PCM is molten while the white opaque material is solid evolution of the solid-liquid interface for the case with a HTF flow
PCM. The solidification process completes around 6 h after the start of of 7.57 L/min and HTF temperature of 20 °C are shown in Fig. 15
discharging and all of the stored latent heat energy has been retrieved
370

70 70
65 T1 T2 T3 T4
65
60 T5 T6 T7 T8
60
55 T9 T10 T11 T12
C)
55
C)
50 T13 T14
Temperature (°C
50
Temperature (°C
T13 T14
45 50
40 Download
45 citation Share
1 Citation 4235References 3 Figures
40
30
25 35
20 30 T1 T2 T3 T4
15 25
T5 T6 T7 T8
10 T9 T10 T11 T12

20
5 T13 T14 T15
0 15
0 10000 20000 30000 40000 50000 60000 0 5000 10000 15000 20000 25000 30000 3500
Time (s) Time (s)
(a) (a)
70
70
65 T1 T2 T3 T4 65
60 T5 T6 T7 T8 60
55
Temperature (°C)
T9 T10 T11 T12
Temperature (°C)
55
50
T13 T14
45 50
40 45
35
30 40
25 35
20 30 T1 T2 T3 T
15 T5 T6 T7 T
10 25
T9 T10 T11 T
5 20
T13 T14 T15
0
0 10000 20000 30000 40000 50000 60000 15
0 5000 10000 15000 20000 25000 30000 35000
Time (s)
Time (s)
(b)
(b)
70 Fig. 19. Measured temperatures during the partial charging process for differen
T1 T2 T3 T4
65
T5 T6 T7 T8 ondary heat pipes flow rates: (a) 1.89 L/min (b) 3.79L/min.
60
T9 T10 T11 T12
Temperature (°C)
55
50 T13 T14
3.2.2. Effects of heat transfer fluid temperature
45
40 The effects of the temperature of the incoming HTF on the the
35 performance of the system was analyzed by setting the flow rat
30 1.89 L/min and setting the inlet temperature to 10 °C, 15 °C, or 20 °C
25
20 in the previous experiments, the discharging process was initiated
15 mediately after the completion of the charging process. The temp
10 ture profiles from all of the thermocouple locations are shown in Fig
5 for three inlet temperatures. It can be seen that it takes around 60,0
0
0 10000 20000 30000 40000 50000 60000 for the molten PCM to fully solidify and reach the inlet HTF temp
Time (s) ture for all cases. However, since the initial conditions and dischar
(c) time are the same for all three cases, higher amount of thermal en
was extracted from the PCM in the cases with the lower HTF
Fig. 18. Measured temperatures during the discharging process for different HTF tem-
temperature. In other words, decreasing the temperature of the
perature: (a) 10 °C (b) 15 °C, and (c) 20 °C.
coming HTF results in a quicker discharging process, as expected.
The average temperature difference between the inlet and outlet of

the HTF during the discharging process for the various flow rates is 3.3. Partial charging process
shown in Fig. 16. During the early stage of the discharging process, the
temperature difference of the HTF decreases with the increase in the The partial charging process of the LHTES system was exam
flow rate of the HTF. As the process progresses, all three cases present using two different scenarios. The input flow rate for both cases wa
small temperature difference, and hence small heat extraction rate. to a total 7.57 L/min with an inlet temperature of 68.3 °C. For the
The power extracted from the PCM during the discharging process case, only 1.89 L/min of the total input flow rate goes to the secon
can also be calculated from Eq. (1). Fig. 17 depicts the average power heat pipes to charge the PCM while the remaining HTF is discha
extracted from the PCM during discharging for the three flow rates from the top of the container to emulate the full operation of a
investigated. The results show that higher HTF flow rates yield higher engine. In the second case, half of the total input flow, 3.79 L/mi
heat transfer rates within the system. The heat transfer rate within the used to charge the PCM and the other half is directed out of the sy
system quickly drops to below 60 W for the 7.57 L/min case, 40 W for to a heat engine. The initial temperature of the PCM for both pa
3.79 L/min, and 30 W for 1.89 L/min. charging experiments is 19 °C. Thermocouple T15 shows the temp
ture of the HTF exiting the LHTES system to the heat acceptor of
371


heat engine. Energy Convers Manage 2015;89:260–9.

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373
Citations (1) References (42)
... This drawback hinders the heat transfer rate between the PCM and heat source or sink
resulting in slow charging and discharging of the thermal systems which are the main
concern for many practical applications. To resolve the low heat transfer rate in PCMs,
See all › See all
several › transfer enhancement
heat See all › methods have been developed including employing Download full-text PDF
1 Citation ns42 Referencesimpregnation
[13][14][15], 3 Figures of PCM in a porous structure such as metal matrix [16],
embedding heat pipe [17] , dis- persing high conductivity nanoparticles [18]. ...
Experimental investigation of melting behaviour of phase change material in nned rectangular

enclosures under different inclination angles
Article Apr 2018 · EXP THERM FLUID SCI
Babak Kamkari · Dominic Groulx
View Show abstract
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In the present study, the startup 3 Figures
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6/19/2018 (PDF) Experimental study of a latent heat thermal energy storage system assisted by a heat pipe network

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Article (PDF Available) in Energy Conversion and Management

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Saeed Tiari Mahboobe Mahdavi

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Available from: Saeed Tiari, Oct 15, 2017

Energy Conversion and Management 153 (2017) 362–37

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

Energy Conversion and Management

1. Introduction [5] investigated the functionality of a bimetallic ﬁnned tube f

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S. Tiari et al. Energy Conversion and M

Latin ΔT temperature diﬀerence, °C

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S. Tiari et al. Energy Conversion and M

Melting temperature range, Tm ( °C ) 51–57

tank. An 1100 W side-mounted immersion circulator with tempera

Fig. 2. Schematics of the experimental setup for thermal energ

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S. Tiari et al. Energy Conversion and M

process is shown in Fig. 4.

3. Results and discussion

3.1. Charging process

3.1.1. Impact of heat pipe network

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Fig. 4. The process of ﬁlling the container

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70 temperatures over the duration of the experiment. Therefore thi

50 during the charging process is shown in Fig. 9. The opaque white c

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Fig. 8. Thermal images of the LHTES syste

3.2. Discharging process

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15 0 10000 20000 30000 40000 50000

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Fig. 14. Thermal images of the LHTES syste

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1.89 L/min 1.89 L/min

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10 T9 T10 T11 T12

T9 T10 T11 T12

The average temperature diﬀerence between the inlet and outlet of

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heat engine. Energy Convers Manage 2015;89:260–9.

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Experimental investigation of melting behaviour of phase change material in nned rectangular

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Heat pipe-assisted latent heat thermal energy storage systems

Advanced Stirling Power Generation System