A numerical study of phase change energy transport in two-dimensional rectangular enclosures
Abstract
A computational model for diffusion-dominated, solid/liquid phase change energy storage within cells of rectangular cross section is presented. The energy input, Dirichlet or Neumann, is applied over one surface of the container, the remaining three sides being adiabatic. The model thus represents a single cell of a panel system containing many such adjacent cells, with energy transfer to or from the system from one surface. The sidewalls in a system of this type represent internal conducting fins. A modified enthalpy model is used with flags to identify the state of individual discrete control volumes. A novel computational procedure is used which entails costs an order of magnitude lower than those incurred with conventional codes. The results are presented of parametric studies for three different aspect ratios and three different container wall thicknesses in addition to three different Stefan numbers for both the Dirichlet and Neumann boundary environments.
- Publication:
-
Journal of Energy
- Pub Date:
- December 1983
- Bibcode:
- 1983JEner...7..652S
- Keywords:
-
- Energy Storage;
- Heat Transfer;
- Phase Change Materials;
- Spacecraft Environments;
- Temperature Control;
- Boundary Value Problems;
- Cooling Fins;
- Dirichlet Problem;
- Enthalpy;
- Finite Difference Theory;
- Melting;
- Neumann Problem;
- Thermal Boundary Layer;
- Two Dimensional Boundary Layer;
- Fluid Mechanics and Heat Transfer