A continuum model for transport phenomena in convective flow of solid–liquid phase change material suspensions

Abstract

Heat and mass transport is modeled in convective flow of a dilute binary mixture of a continuous fluid with mono-dispersed particles (PCM suspensions), in which solid-liquid phase change can take place. The model is based on the mixture continuum approach together with an approximate enthalpy formulation, in which the temporal and spatial variations of phase change fraction in the particles are considered explicitly. Derivations are given for a set of equations governing conservation of mass, momentum, species, and energy of the suspensions, as well as the evolution of phase change fraction of the dispersed particles.

Effects of Wall Properties on Temperature-Control Effectiveness of Heating Section in a Thermosiphon Containing PCM Suspensions

“…The last term on the right-hand side of Equation 4represents the transport of latent-heat absorption and the release of PCM particles, and requires closure in terms of liquid-phase volume fraction of particles ξ l . The approximate enthalpy model [26,30] was utilized to characterize the phase change of the PCM particles, as well as ξ l :…”

Thermal and electrical performance of a water-surface floating PV integrated with a water-saturated MEPCM layer

“…However, for the phase change process, the MEPCM maintained a thermal balance with the material inside of the pores (water). (9) The enthalpy approximation model [22] was used for the solid-liquid phase change process of the MEPCM. (10) Subcooling was not considered for the MEPCM (i.e., its melting point was equal to its freezing point).…”

“…Mathematical equations for the MEPCM-PV(1) The energy equations for the MEPCM layer are shown below. This equation was retrieved from Ho[22] and included the melting rate for the phase change.…”

Lattice Boltzmann simulation of flow and heat transfer evolution inside encapsulated phase change materials due to natural convection melting

“…However, the uniform temperature assumption made the melting rate present a linear decline inside of a non-linear trend when the thermal conductivity of the PCM was low. It was because this assumption ignored the drawdown of the melting rate caused by the inhibition of the low thermal conductivity of the PCM, resulting in a deviation between numerical results and experimental data [39]. To the best of our knowledge, based on the correlative algorithm [40,41], it is reasonable to construct a multi-scale model without the above assumptions, which can provide a result that is more close to the reality.…”