Availability (exergy) analysis in a thermal energy storage system with the phase change materials arranged in series

Abstract

In this article, a thermal energy storage system is studied from the irreversibility point of view. The system consists of some phase change materials arranged in series. The phase change materials are located in the annular space between two concentric cylinders while the working fluid is flowing in the inner cylinder. Charging and discharging processes occur periodically. The conservation equations of energy for the working fluid and the phase change materials are solved numerically. The numerical results are validated when compared with available experimental results. The effect of different physical and geometrical factors on the irreversibility of the system is studied. The results show that the number of phase change materials and their arrangement have great influence on the irreversibility of the system. The temperature distribution inside the phase change materials affects the availability of the system. The proper arrangement of the phase change materials can reduce the irreversibility or increase the availability of the system.

Keywords

phase change materials availability analysis numerical method experimental results series arrangement thermal energy storage

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Dincer

Rosen

M. A.

, Thermal energy storage (New York: John Wiley & Sons 2002).

Zaiba

Marin

J. M.

Cabeza

L. F.

Mehling

, ‘Review on thermal energy storage with phase change materials’ Heat Transf. Anal. Appl., Appl. Therm. Eng. 23 (2002): 251–283.

Solomon

A. D.

Morris

M. D.

Olszewski

, ‘The development of a simulation code for a latent heat thermal energy storage system in a space station’ (1986): Technical report ORNL-6213.

Stovall

T. K.

Arimilli

R. V.

, ‘Transient thermal analysis of three fast changing latent heat storage configuration for a space based power system’ In Proceedings of the 23rd Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering Conference, Denver, Colorado, 1988, pp. 171–177.

Cao

Faghri

, ‘Performance characteristics of a thermal energy storage module: a transient PCM/forced convection conjugate analysis’ Int. J. Heat Mass Transf. 34 (1991): 93–101.

Bellecci

Conti

, ‘Phase change thermal storage: transient behavior analysis of a solar receiver/storage module using enthalpy method’ Int. J. Heat Mass Transf. 36 (1991): 2157–2163.

Bellecci

Conti

, ‘Transient behavior analysis of a latent heat thermal storage module’ Int. J. Heat Mass Transf. 36 (1991): 3851–3857.

Bellecci

Conti

, ‘Phase change energy storage: entropy production, irreversibility and second law efficiency’ Sol. Energy 53 (1991): 163–70.

Maveety

J. G.

Razani

, ‘Exergy analysis and optimal removal time for a lithium fluoride phase change material’ ASME Thermodyn. Des., Anal. Improv. Energy Syst. 35 (1991): 89–96AES-Vol.

10.

Couti

Bellecci

Aharach

, ‘Thermodynamic design of a phase change thermal storage module’ J. Sol. Energy Eng. 118 (1991): 89–96.

11.

Gong

Z. X.

Mujumdar

A. S.

, ‘Exergetic analysis of energy storage using multiple phase change material’ ASME 118 (1991): 242–249.

12.

Korin

Reshef

Tshermichovesky

Sher

, ‘Reducing cold start emission from internal combustion engines by means of a catalyic converter embedded in a phase change material’ Proc. IMechE, Part D: J. Automobile Engineering 213 (1991): 575–583 DOI: 10.1243/0954407991527116.

13.

Zeng

J. L.

Sun

L. X.

Tan

Z. C.

Zhang

Z. H.

Zhang

, ‘Study of a PCM based energy storage system containing Ag nanoparticles’ J. Therm. Anal. Calorimetry 87 (2002): 369–373.

14.

Khodadadi

J. M.

Hosseinizadeh

S. F.

, ‘Nanoparticle-enhanced phase change materials (NEPCM) with great potential for improved thermal energy storage’ Int. Commun. Heat Mass Transf. 34 (2002): 534–543.

15.

Bagheri

G. H.

Mehrabian

M. A.

Hooman

, ‘Numerical study of transient behaviour of a phase change material thermal storage module’ Proc. IMechE. Part A: J. Power and Energy 224 (2012): 505–516 DOI: 10.1243/09576509JPE861.

16.

Atthey

D. R.

Ockendon

J. R.

Hodgkins

W. R.

, ‘A numerical scheme for melting problem based on the method of weak solutions’ Moving boundary problems in heat flow and diffusion (London: Oxford University Press 1975): 182–191.

17.

Keshavarz

Ghassemi

Mostafavi

, ‘Thermal energy storage module design using energy and exergy analysis’ Heat Transf. Engng Int. J. 24 (2002): 76–85.

18.

Patankar

S. V.

, Numerical heat transfer and fluid flow (New York: Hemisphere Publishing Corporation 1980).

19.

Mostafavi

, Optimization of thermal storage system by using exergy method (KN Toosi University of Technology 2002) MS Thesis.

20.

Moghaddam

, Exergetic analysis in a latent-heat thermal storage system. (KN Toosi University of Technology 1999) MSc Thesis.

21.

Prikandi

, Numerical investigation of convective heat transfer coefficient effect on thermal storage system optimization. (KN Toosi University of Technology 2002) MSc Thesis.