Experimental and Numerical Investigation of Heat Transfer Inside an Air Cavity with a Phase Change Material Side
Abstract
A numerical model was developed to study the coupling of heat transfer in the PCM and the air inside the enclosure. The solidification of the initially melted PCM induces a natural convection of air flow inside the cavity. We present in this work the heat transfer behavior between a chosen phase change material (PCM) incorporated in a thin right wall and a square enclosure filled with air whereas the left one is kept at ambient temperature. The solidification of the PCM generates a latent heat inducing a natural convection air flow inside the cavity and compensating the heat loss. The numerical analysis leaded to a Nusselt number correlations depending on constant Stefan number. Nusselt number is given as a function of a Rayleigh number and dimensionless temperature difference between hot and cold sides. These correlations have been established since there is a lake in the literature to evaluate the natural convection heat transfer coefficient between air and a PCM wall. The parametric domain covered the range of Rayleigh number between 〖3.4 10〗^5 to 4〖.10〗^7 with Prandtl number Pr = 0.73 and Stefan number Ste=0.41.