Thermal Performance of Eccentric High-Temperature Latent Heat Storage System: Passive Heat Transfer Enhancement Strategy
Abstract
The present study demonstrates the combined influence of orientation of latent heat storage (LHS) domain and radial eccentricity of the heat transfer fluid (HTF) tube on the charging performance of high-temperature LHS system with help of a comprehensive numerical investigation. Charging duration of concentric horizontal configuration (ex= ey= 0, θ = 0°) is found to be 19.94 % lower than the vertical domain (ex= ey = 0, θ = 90°). Thereafter, the degree of radial eccentricity of HTF tube is varied in vertical direction (ex = 0, ey = ±5 mm, ±10 mm and ± 20 mm) for the domain θ = 0°. The spatio-temporal distribution of liquid fraction and temperature during phase change are observed for both concentric and eccentric LHS domain. Degree of eccentricity in horizontal direction (ex = 5 mm and 10 mm) does not produce significant variation as compared to concentric (ex = ey = 0) configuration. However, charging duration for the LHS domain having vertical eccentricity (ey = -5 mm, θ = 0°) is observed to be 11.7 % lower than concentric (θ = 0°, ex = ey = 0) domain. Moreover, the charging duration for ey = -10 mm is 17.64 % and 33.33% lower than θ = 0° and θ = 90° respectively.