Validation of a CFD Melting and Solidification Model for Phase Change in Vertical Cylinders

The complex nature of the phase change process makes the optimization of latent heat storage systems very difficult. A model that exists in Fluent CFD software for the modeling of melting and solidification can be employed for complex geometries. In this paper, comprehensive validation of this model for the modeling of melting in vertical cylinders was conducted, using well-documented experimental data and other numerical models from the literature. The model was able to predict the melt fraction with a maximum discrepancy of 7.5%. Comparison to other numerical models showed that the accuracy obtained is similar.