Analysis of a Phase Change Material-Based Condenser of a Low-Scale Refrigeration System

This study concerns the numerical simulation and the experimental implementation of a low-scale Phase Change Material-based (PCM-based) condenser, to be included in a PCM-based portable cooling systems. In this category of cooling systems, the PCM can be integrated either in the condenser or in the evaporator. In the present study, the PCM is integrated in the condenser of the vapor compression cycle to absorb the heat power released from the refrigerant fluid (R134a) during condensation, thus eliminating the need to transfer heat to the external environment. The main objective of the present study is to realize and validate a numerical model capable of simulating both the refrigerant fluid and the PCM thermofluid dynamics. For this purpose, a commercial solver was used for the implementation of the developed numerical model, and experimental tests were performed to validate the numerical simulations results. The paper reports the details and test results of both the numerical model and the experimental apparatus. The simulation results indicate a good accordance between the numerical and experimental data.

Automated summary

This study focuses on the simulation and implementation of a small-scale PCM-based condenser in a portable cooling system. The PCM is integrated in the condenser to absorb the heat released during condensation, eliminating the need for external heat transfer. The objective is to develop and validate a numerical model that can simulate both the refrigerant fluid and the PCM thermofluid dynamics. A commercial solver was used for the numerical model implementation, and experimental tests were conducted to validate the simulations. The results show good agreement between the numerical and experimental data.