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Numerical study of PCMs arrangement effect on heat transfer performance in plate-finned heat sink for passive cooling system

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Abstract

Passive temperature control and thermal storage systems using phase change materials are widespread and have a high potential in modern technologies. This research deals with the computational analysis of natural convection melting in a multi-PCM thermal sink heated from an element of volumetric energy production. The influence of the geometric parameters of the system and the arrangement of materials in it is analyzed. Numerical modeling has been carried out using the finite difference technique. Governing equations for the mass, momentum and energy transfer have been written employing stream function, vorticity and temperature. Based on the obtained distributions of local fields for energy and mass transference and changes in the average temperature of the heater, it is shown that, despite the smaller surface area, separation by vertical flat fins provides lower temperatures and longer melting when the source is located below.

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Abbreviations

Bi:

Biot parameter

c :

Heat capacity, JK−1 kg−1

g :

Gravitational acceleration, ms−2

H :

Cabinet height, m

h :

Specific enthalpy, Jkg−1

k :

Thermal conductivity, WK−1 m−1

L f :

Latent melting energy, Jkg−1

Os:

Ostrogradsky parameter

p :

Pressure, Pa

Pr:

Prandtl parameter

Q :

Heat generation intensity per unit volume, W m−3

Ra:

Rayleigh parameter

Ste:

Stefan parameter

t :

Time, s

T :

Temperature, K

T m :

Melting temperature, K

u, v :

Horizontal and vertical velocity components, ms−1

U, V :

Dimensionless velocity components

V liq :

Molten phase change material volume ratio

x, y :

Coordinates, m

X, Y :

Dimensionless coordinates

α :

Heat diffusivity, m2 s−1

β :

Heat expansion parameter, K−1

γ :

Heat transport parameter, WK−1 m−2

η :

Melting temperature parameter, K

Θ:

Dimensionless temperature

μ :

Dynamic viscosity, Pa s

ν :

Kinematic viscosity, m2 s−1

ρ :

Density, kgm−3

τ :

Dimensionless time

φ :

Melt volume fraction

ψ :

Stream function, m2 s−1

Ψ :

Dimensionless stream function

ω :

Vorticity, s−1

Ω:

Dimensionless vorticity

0:

Initial condition or external

1:

Cold zone

2:

Hot zone

l:

Liquid

m:

Melt

s:

Solid

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Acknowledgements

The research was funded by RFBR and Tomsk region, Project Number 19-48-703034.

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  1. Laboratory on Convective Heat and Mass Transfer, Tomsk State University, Tomsk, Russia, 634050

    Nadezhda S. Bondareva & Mikhail A. Sheremet

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  1. Nadezhda S. Bondareva
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  2. Mikhail A. Sheremet
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Correspondence to Mikhail A. Sheremet.

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Bondareva, N.S., Sheremet, M.A. Numerical study of PCMs arrangement effect on heat transfer performance in plate-finned heat sink for passive cooling system. J Therm Anal Calorim 147, 10305–10317 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-022-11296-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-022-11296-6

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