Simulation for charging of phase change material in existence of nanomaterial within solar energy storage system

Regarding possible solutions for thermal management of the storage unit, probably the main remedy might be to equip the system with an extended surface made from metallic materials which have high conductivity. In this study, by changing the number (n) and thickness (t1) of plates, four arrangements of the system have been suggested and solid matrix were made of three materials namely: Silicon Carbide (SiC), Aluminum (Al) and Stainless Steel (SS). Moreover, the heat absorption of phase change material (PCM) has been improved with loading of alumina nanoparticles. Increasing the number of radial plates and decreasing their thickness makes the heating penetration to increase. When the structure of geometry for SiC plates changes from (n = 5, t1 = 4 mm) to (n = 40, t1 = 0.5 mm), the melting time declines around 63.87 %. With changing the material from SS to SiC, the period of melting decreases about 66.33 % when n = 5, t1 = 4 mm. The worst case among scrutinized cases in view of speed of melting happens when n = 5, t1 = 4 mm involving Al. The best case occurs when n = 40, t1 = 0.5 mm involving SiC material and its melting time is 87.84 % lower than that of the worst case.

Automated summary

Regarding the thermal management of the storage unit, one possible solution is to use an extended surface made of highly conductive metallic materials. This study suggests four different arrangements of the system by changing the number and thickness of plates, and solid matrix made of Silicon Carbide, Aluminum, and Stainless Steel. Additionally, loading alumina nanoparticles improves the heat absorption of the phase change material. Increasing the number of radial plates and reducing their thickness enhances heating penetration. The best case in terms of melting speed is achieved when using 40 plates with a thickness of 0.5 mm made of SiC material, resulting in a 87.84% reduction in melting time compared to the worst case.