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A review on the use of coconut oil as an organic phase change material with its melting process, heat transfer, and energy storage characteristics

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry volume 147, pages 4451–4472 (2022)Cite this article

Abstract

As the energy demand is increasing and conventional energy sources are declining, renewable energy sources are becoming increasingly popular. It is very important to store this energy efficiently. The use of phase change materials (PCMs) as latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) technology has utmost importance to researchers due to its high storage density and stable thermal characteristics. During charging and discharging of PCM, correspondingly occurring phase change processes (i.e. melting and solidification/ freezing) have been the crux of discussions in most of the subject-related articles in the recent literature. The objectives of those articles are to analyse and understand the phase change properties of PCM in its natural form, with nano-additives, and with or without metal foams. This manuscript provides a detailed review of energy storage, heat transfer, and melting process characteristics of coconut oil, which is an organic phase change material in its nature. Melting features like the progression of solid–liquid interface, time to complete the melting process, rate of melting, and augmentation in the rate of heat transfer owing to a colloidal suspension of nano-material inside PCM are reviewed and presented.

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Abbreviations

A :

Thermal diffusivity ratio

B :

Buoyancy parameter

c p :

Specific heat at constant pressure (J kg−1 K−1)

C R :

Thermal capacity ratio

Hor h :

Height

h :

Heat transfer coefficient

L :

Enclosure height (m)

Nu 1 :

Nusselt number for pure PCM

Nu 2 :

Nusselt number for nano-PCM

Pr:

Prandtl number

Ra :

Rayleigh number

Re, Re H :

Reynolds number

U :

Amount of energy stored (J)

T :

Temperature (°C or K)

T ∞ :

Ambient temperature

T w :

Wall temperature

T 0 :

Initial Temperature

T m :

Melting Temperature (°C or K)

Ts:

Supercooling Temperature

c w :

Heat capacity of water

c t :

Heat capacity of tube

hf or \(\nabla H\) :

Latent heat of fusion (J kg−1)

k :

Thermal conductivity (W m−1 K−1)

m t :

Mass of tube

m p :

Mass of PCM sample

m w :

Mass of water

p :

Pressure

q + :

Heat flux

r :

Radius

u :

Velocity in the x-direction

v :

Velocity in the y-direction

ŭ:

Velocity in the radial direction

ŵ:

Velocity in the axial directions

t :

Time

u ∞ :

Free stream velocity

β :

Coefficient of volumetric thermal expansion (K−1)

μ :

Dynamical nano-PCM filled energy storage system for solar (Pa s)

ρ :

Density (kg m−3) of nano-PCM

ξ :

Porosity of metal foam

ϕ :

Weight fraction of nanoparticles

C-TES:

Cylindrical Thermal Energy Storage

MF:

Melt fraction

FEM:

Finite element method

FVM:

Finite volume method

GITT:

Generalized integral transform technique

GHG:

Greenhouse gas

PCM:

Phase change material

RHS:

Right hand side

TES:

Thermal energy storage

LHTES:

Latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES)

TCES:

Thermochemical energy storage

SHTES:

Sensible heat thermal energy storage

BOD:

Biological oxygen demand

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Acknowledgements

The authors extend their appreciation to the Deanship of Scientific Research at King Khalid University, Saudi Arabia, for funding this work through Research Group Program under Grant No: R.G.P.1/104/42.

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  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, King Khalid University, PO Box 394, Abha, 61421, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

    C. Ahamed Saleel

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Saleel, C.A. A review on the use of coconut oil as an organic phase change material with its melting process, heat transfer, and energy storage characteristics. J Therm Anal Calorim 147, 4451–4472 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-021-10839-7

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Keywords

  • Coconut oil
  • Phase change material
  • Nano-additives
  • Metal foams
  • Melting fraction
  • Solid–fluid interface
  • Energy stored