Abstract
Designing effective thermal control modules in spacecraft is one of the prime concerns for space missions. 2D numerical simulations are carried out for investigating the melting process of paraffin wax as a phase change material (PCM) in microgravity conditions. Divided into three categories, a total of twelve different arrangements of heat source-sink pairs in a square cavity are considered to obtain the stored energy, liquid fraction, and as well as heat transfer characteristics. The differences in the arrangements of the heat sinks and sources affect the performance of these thermal storage devices greatly. Moreover, the discrete and continuous arrangements of the heat sources influence the propagation of the melting front in the PCM, and the spacing in between the discrete heat sources should be optimized considering the duration of the charging cycle. The melting fronts, along with Isotherm lines, are depicted to show the symmetric progression of melting of the PCM in the square cavity for the optimized cases. It is also found that the melting rate can be as high as 60% lower than that observed under Earth's gravity due to the lack of natural convection heat transfer. In addition, the Nusselt number decreases rapidly early in the melting process and tends toward a constant value. The simulation results are validated with available literature with good agreement for both the Earth-bound and the microgravity conditions.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Amselem, S.: Remote Controlled Autonomous Microgravity Lab Platforms for Drug Research in Space. Pharm. Res. 36(12), 183 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11095-019-2703-7
Ansys Fluent | Fluid Simulation Software. (n.d.). Retrieved September 30, 2021, from https://www.ansys.com/products/fluids/ansys-fluent
Arasu, A.V., Mujumdar, A.S.: Numerical study on melting of paraffin wax with Al2O3 in a square enclosure. Int. Commun. Heat Mass Transfer 39(1), 8–16 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icheatmasstransfer.2011.09.013
Assis, E., Katsman, L., Ziskind, G., Letan, R.: Numerical and experimental study of melting in a spherical shell. Int. J. Heat Mass Transf. 50(9), 1790–1804 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2006.10.007
Bechiri, M., Mansouri, K.: Study of heat and fluid flow during melting of PCM inside vertical cylindrical tube. Int. J. Therm. Sci. 135, 235–246 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijthermalsci.2018.09.017
Borshchak Kachalov, A., Salgado Sánchez, P., Martínez, U., Fernández, J., Ezquerro, J.M.: Optimization of thermocapillary-driven melting in trapezoidal and triangular geometry in microgravity. Int. J. Heat Mass Transf. 185, 122427 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2021.122427
Borshchak Kachalov, A., Salgado Sánchez, P., Porter, J., Ezquerro, J.M.: The combined effect of natural and thermocapillary convection on the melting of phase change materials in rectangular containers. Int. J. Heat Mass Transf. 168, 120864 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2020.120864
Cao, X., Gao, D., Huang, Y., Liu, X.: An Improved Lattice Boltzmann Model for Convection Melting in the Existence of an Inhomogeneous Magnetic Field. Microgravity Sci. Technol. 33(4), 56 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12217-021-09903-6
Chen, C., Feng, S., Peng, H., Peng, X., Chaoyue, L., Zhang, R.: Thermocapillary Convection Flow and Heat Transfer Characteristics of Graphene Nanoplatelet Based Nanofluid Under Microgravity. Microgravity Sci. Technol. 33(3), 40 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12217-020-09854-4
Chen, X., Hao, G., Yao, F., Zhang, C.: Numerical Study on Melting Phase Change under Microgravity. Microgravity Sci. Technol. 31, 793–803 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12217-019-09710-0
Collette, J., Rochus, P., Peyrou-Lauga, R., Pin, O., Nutal, N., Larnicol, M., Crahay, J.: Phase change material device for spacecraft thermal control. 62nd Int Astronaut Cong. 2011, IAC 2011. 7, 6020–6031 (2011)
Deng, Q.: Fluid flow and heat transfer characteristics of natural convection in square cavities due to discrete source–sink pairs. Int. J. Heat Mass Transf. 51, 5949–5957 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2008.04.062
Dhaidan, N., Khodadadi, J.: Melting and convection of phase change materials in different shape containers: A review. Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev. 43, 449–477 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2014.11.017
Dutta, R., Atta, A., Dutta, T.K.: Experimental and numerical study of heat transfer in horizontal concentric annulus containing phase change material. Can. J. Chem. Eng. 86(4), 700–710 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1002/cjce.20075
Ebrahimi, A., Dadvand, A.: Simulation of melting of a nano-enhanced phase change material (NePCM) in a square cavity with two heat source–sink pairs. Alex. Eng. J. 54(4), 1003–1017 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aej.2015.09.007
Ezquerro, J.M., Bello, A., Salgado Sánchez, P., Laveron-Simavilla, A., Lapuerta, V.: The Thermocapillary Effects in Phase Change Materials in Microgravity experiment: Design, preparation and execution of a parabolic flight experiment. Acta Astronaut. 162, 185–196 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2019.06.004
Ezquerro, J.M., Salgado Sánchez, P., Bello, A., Rodríguez, J., Lapuerta, V., Laveron-Simavilla, A.: Experimental evidence of thermocapillarity in phase change materials in microgravity: Measuring the effect of Marangoni convection in solid/liquid phase transitions. Int. Commun. Heat Mass Transfer 113, 104529 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icheatmasstransfer.2020.104529
Faraji, M., El Qarnia, H.: Numerical study of melting in an enclosure with discrete protruding heat sources. Appl. Math. Model. 34(5), 1258–1275 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apm.2009.08.012
Hall, L.: Phase Change Material Heat Exchanger (PCM HX) [Text]. NASA. (2016). http://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/image-feature/phase_change-material_heat_exchanger
Hameter, M., Walter, H.: Influence of the Mushy Zone Constant on the Numerical Simulation of the Melting and Solidification Process of Phase Change Materials. In Z. Kravanja & M. Bogataj (Eds.), Comput Aided Chem Eng. 38, 439–444 (2016). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-444-63428-3.50078-3
Hong, Y., Ye, W.-B., Du, J., Huang, S.-M.: Solid-liquid phase-change thermal storage and release behaviors in a rectangular cavity under the impacts of mushy region and low gravity. Int. J. Heat Mass Transf. 130, 1120–1132 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2018.11.024
Humphries, W. R., Griggs, E. I.: A design handbook for phase change thermal control and energy storage devices (N-78–15434; NASA-TP-1074; M-230). National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Huntsville, AL (USA). George C. Marshall Space Flight Center (1977). https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6899545-design-handbook-phase-change-thermal-control-energy-storage-devices
Islam, M.N., Ahmed, D.H.: Delaying the temperature fluctuations through PCM integrated building walls—Room conditions, PCM placement, and temperature of the heat sources. Energy Storage 3(5), e245 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1002/est2.245
Islam, M.N., Hossain, M.N., Ahmed, D.H.: Investigation of phase-change materials for interior temperature regulation in public transport. Clean Energy 6(1), 942–956 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1093/ce/zkac003
Kansara, K., Singh, V.K., Patel, R., Bhavsar, R.R., Vora, A.P.: Numerical investigations of phase change material (PCM) based thermal control module (TCM) under the influence of low gravity environment. Int. J. Heat Mass Transf. 167, 120811 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2020.120811
Khan, R.J., Bhuiyan, Md.Z.H., Ahmed, D.H.: Investigation of heat transfer of a building wall in the presence of phase change material (PCM). Energy and Built Environment 1(2), 199–206 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbenv.2020.01.002
Kumar, M., Krishna, D.J.: Influence of Mushy Zone Constant on Thermohydraulics of a PCM. Energy Procedia 109, 314–321 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egypro.2017.03.074
Lafdi, K., Mesalhy, O., Elgafy, A.: Graphite foams infiltrated with phase change materials as alternative materials for space and terrestrial thermal energy storage applications. Carbon 46, 159–168 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbon.2007.11.003
Li, X., Ma, T., Liu, J., Liu, L., Wang, Q.: Investigation of gravity effect on phase change heat transfer using the lattice Boltzmann method. Energy Procedia 142, 3902–3907 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egypro.2017.12.310
Li, X., Zhu, Z., Xu, Z., Ma, T., Zhang, H., Liu, J., Wang, Q.: Effect of supergravity on heat transfer characteristics of PCM with the pore-scale lattice Boltzmann method. Energy Procedia 158, 4641–4647 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egypro.2019.01.742
Lotto, M.A., Johnson, K.M., Nie, C.W., Klaus, D.M.: The Impact of Reduced Gravity on Free Convective Heat Transfer from a Finite, Flat, Vertical Plate. Microgravity Sci. Technol. 29(5), 371–379 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12217-017-9555-8
Madruga, S., Mendoza, C.: Introducing a new concept for enhanced micro-energy harvesting of thermal fluctuations through the Marangoni effect. Appl. Energy 306, 117966 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2021.117966
Mallya, N., Haussener, S.: Buoyancy-driven melting and solidification heat transfer analysis in encapsulated phase change materials. Int. J. Heat Mass Transf. 164, 120525 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2020.120525
Martínez, N., Salgado Sánchez, P., Porter, J., Ezquerro, J.M.: Effect of surface heat exchange on phase change materials melting with thermocapillary flow in microgravity. Phys. Fluids 33(8), 083611 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0058869
McPherson, A., DeLucas, L.J.: Microgravity Protein Crystallization. Npj Microgravity 1(1), 1–20 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/npjmgrav.2015.10
Mo, D.-M., Zhang, S., Zhang, L., Ruan, D.-F., Li, Y.-R.: Effect of Heat Dissipation on Thermocapillary Convection of Low Prandtl Number Fluid in the Annular Pool Heated from Inner Cylinder. Microgravity Sci. Technol. 32(4), 661–672 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12217-020-09788-x
Morea, S. F.: LliE LUNAR ROVING VEHICLE-N 9 3 -14008 HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE. 14 (n.d.).
Poran, S., Ahmed, D. H.: Effect of cavity shape and heat source/sink orientation on PCM melting. J Therm Energy Syst(e-ISSN: 2582–5747), 3(1), Article 1 (2018). http://matjournals.in/index.php/JoTES/article/view/2203
Prasad, A., Sengupta, S.: Nusselt Number and Melt Time Correlations for Melting Inside a Horizontal Cylinder Subjected to an Isothermal Wall Temperature Condition. J. Sol.energy Eng. 110(4), 340–345 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1115/1.3268277
Raj, C., Sivan, S., Bhavsar, R., Singh, V., Akash, K.: Influence of fin configurations in the heat transfer effectiveness of Solid solid PCM based thermal control module for satellite avionics: Numerical simulations. Journal of Energy Storage 29, 101332 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.est.2020.101332
Saeed, R., Schlegel, J., Sawafta, R., Kalra, V.: Plate type heat exchanger for thermal energy storage and load shifting using phase change material. Energy Convers. Manage. 181, 120–132 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2018.12.013
Salgado Sánchez, P., Ezquerro, J.M., Fernández, J., Rodríguez, J.: Thermocapillary effects during the melting of phase change materials in microgravity: Heat transport enhancement. Int. J. Heat Mass Transf. 163, 120478 (2020a). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2020.120478
Salgado Sánchez, P., Ezquerro, J.M., Porter, J., Fernández, J., Tinao, I.: Effect of thermocapillary convection on the melting of phase change materials in microgravity: Experiments and simulations. Int. J. Heat Mass Transf. 154, 119717 (2020b). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2020.119717
Salgado Sanchez, P., Ezquerro, J., Porter, J., Fernandez, J., Rodríguez, J., Tinao, I., Lapuerta, V., Laveron, A., Ruiz, X., Gavaldà, F., Bou-Ali, M., Zárate, J.: The effect of thermocapillary convection on PCM melting in microgravity: Results and expectations (2020).
Sánchez, P. S., Ezquerro, J. M., Fernández, J., Rodríguez, J.: Thermocapillary effects during the melting of phase-change materials in microgravity: Steady and oscillatory flow regimes. J Fluid Mech, 908 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1017/jfm.2020.852
Sarbu, I., Sebarchievici, C.: A Comprehensive Review of Thermal Energy Storage. Sustainability 10(1), 191 (2018). https://doi.org/10.3390/su10010191
Shokouhmand, H., Kamkari, B.: Experimental investigation on melting heat transfer characteristics of lauric acid in a rectangular thermal storage unit. Exp. Thermal Fluid Sci. 50, 201–212 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.expthermflusci.2013.06.010
Space Launch to Low Earth Orbit: How Much Does It Cost?: Aerospace Security (n.d.). Retrieved September 26, 2021, from https://aerospace.csis.org/data/space-launch-to-low-earth-orbit-how-much-does-it-cost/
Tan, F.L., Hosseinizadeh, S.F., Khodadadi, J.M., Fan, L.: Experimental and computational study of constrained melting of phase change materials (PCM) inside a spherical capsule. Int. J. Heat Mass Transf. 52(15), 3464–3472 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2009.02.043
Teamah, M., Dawood, M., El-Maghlany, W: Double Diffusive Natural Convection in a Square Cavity with Segmental Heat Sources. 54, 1450–2216 (2011)
Topham, T.S., Bingham, G.E., Latvakoski, H., Podolski, I., Sychev, V.S., Burdakin, A.: Observational study: Microgravity testing of a phase-change reference on the International Space Station. Npj Microgravity 1(1), 1–5 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/npjmgrav.2015.9
Varas, R., Salgado Sánchez, P., Porter, J., Ezquerro, J.M., Lapuerta, V.: Thermocapillary effects during the melting in microgravity of phase change materials with a liquid bridge geometry. Int. J. Heat Mass Transf. 178, 121586 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2021.121586
Voller, V.R., Cross, M., Markatos, N.C.: An enthalpy method for convection/diffusion phase change. Int. J. Numer. Meth. Eng. 24(1), 271–284 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1002/nme.1620240119
Wu, Y.K., Lacroix, M.: Melting of a PCM inside a vertical cylindrical capsule. Int. J. Numer. Meth. Fluids 20(6), 559–572 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1002/fld.1650200610
Xu, Y., Wang, J., Yan, Z.: Experimental investigation on melting heat transfer characteristics of a phase change material under hypergravity. Int. J. Heat Mass Transf. 181, 122004 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2021.122004
Acknowledgements
This work has been supported by the Mechanical and Production Engineering Department
(MPE) of Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology (AUST).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Competing Interest
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Mahmud, H., Ahmed, D.H. Numerical Investigations on Melting of Phase Change Material (PCM) with Different Arrangements of Heat Source-sink Pairs Under Microgravity. Microgravity Sci. Technol. 34, 20 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12217-022-09936-5
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12217-022-09936-5