Numerical Modeling of Alternate Melting and Solidification

A finite-volume model is used to analyze alternate melting and solidification, which is the fundamental operational mode of latent thermal energy storage (LTES) systems. The simulated cases include: (1) melting of tin with natural convection, (2) alternate melting and solidification of sodium nitrate, and (3) cyclic phase change of gallium. For each case, temporal evolution of the heat transfer rate and liquid fraction is presented. In addition, snapshots of phase interface, temperature, pressure, and liquid velocity distributions are presented. The implications of the modeling results are discussed.