Solidification & Melting: Sandwiched PCM

Sandwiched PCM CFD Simulation

Description

In this project, a phase change material (PCM) sandwiched between two concentric cylindrical tubes is simulated, and the results are investigated using ANSYS Fluent software. The problem is carried out and investigated through CFD analysis.

The three-dimensional geometry of this project is produced using Design Modeler software. The length and width of the computational domain are 50 cm, and its height is 300 cm. The meshing is carried out using ANSYS Meshing software. The mesh type is structured, and the number of elements is 360,000.

Methodology

In this project, the phase change material (PCM) sandwiched between two concentric cylindrical tubes is simulated using ANSYS Fluent software. The PCM is trapped between two cylindrical walls, with the inner wall held at a high temperature.

These materials are able to store and release thermal energy, making them useful for energy storage and discharge applications. The PCM properties are defined as a function of temperature. In addition, the temperature of the heated wall varies with the distance from the inlet boundary, which produces a non-uniform melting profile. The RNG k-epsilon model is used to solve the turbulent fluid flow equations.

Conclusion

After the solution, contours of velocity, temperature, and liquid volume fraction are obtained. For example, the liquid volume fraction contour shows that the PCM near the hot wall changes phase as its temperature rises, transforming from solid to liquid and forming a liquid layer. The thickness of this layer gradually increases over time.