Experimental validation of a CFD and an ε-NTU model for a large tube-in-tank PCM system

An experimental validation for a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and an effectiveness-number of transfer units (epsilon-NTU) model for tubes in a large phase change material (PCM) tank has been conducted. The inlet and outlet heat transfer fluid (HTF) temperatures as well as twelve temperature locations in the PCM tank were compared with the CFD results. The average effectiveness of the phase change process of each experimental point was also compared with results from the CFD as well as the epsilon-NTU models. From this study, it was concluded that the CFD model and the epsilon-NTU model developed can accurately predict the behaviour of the thermal storage system during the freezing process. There are however, discrepancies in the melting process due to the exclusion of the effect of natural convection in the models. Using the experimental results, an effective thermal conductivity has been determined to account for buoyancy for various distances of tubes. The paper gives details of the CFD model of the phase change thermal storage system, and presents results from the CFD model, experiments and epsilon-NTU model. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.