Effect of Dispersing Copper Oxide Nanoparticles to RT-35 filled a Circular Thermal Energy Storage System

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Date

May-18

Authors

Ebadi, Soroush
Hajiyan, Mohammadhossein
Tasnim, Syeda
Aliabadi, Amir Abbas
Mahmud, Shohel

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

CSME-SCGM

Abstract

Phase Change Materials (PCMs) have been widely used in Latent Heat Thermal Energy Storage Systems (LHTES) to store and release thermal energy. However, PCMs suffer from their low thermal conductivities, which leads to longer melting (charging) or solidification (discharging) time. Dispersing highly conductive nanoparticles into PCM is one of the methods to improve the thermal conductivity of the PCM. In this paper, we have experimentally and numerically investigated the effect of dispersing Copper Oxide nanoparticles into RT-35 filled a vertical cylindrical Thermal Energy Storage (TES) system. The TES system is consisted of two vertical cylindrical enclosures, which are attached to a thick acrylic plate. One of the enclosures is filled with pure PCM and the other one is filled with nano-PCM. The setup is insulated from the bottom and isothermally heated from its sides by using a constant temperature bath. To study more about the thermal and velocity fields, melting fraction and stored energy, a numerical simulation is conducted by using COMSOL Multiphysics software. It is concluded that although adding nanoparticles to PCM improves the melting rate, it is lowering the amount of energy stored inside the TES system.

Description

Paper presented at 2018 Canadian Society of Mechanical Engineers International Congress, 27-30 May 2018.

Keywords

Fluid Mechanics, Heat Transfer, Thermal energy storage (TES), Latent heat, Phase change material (PCM), Nano-PCM

Citation