Numerical simulation of solidification around staggered tube arrangement with convection – dominated

Abstract EN

This work describes and analyses thermal storage system as a phase change problem which involves a fluid flowing inside cooled tubes in a staggered arrangement installed in a rectangular duct surrounded by a phase-change material (water).

The temperature of the fluid inside the tubes is below the freezing temperature of the PCM which causes ice formation around each tube.

The problem is modeled as, two-dimensional, time dependent and convection–dominated phenomena.

A finite volume numerical approach is developed and used to simulate the physical details of the problem.

This approach is based on the enthalpy method which is traditionally used to track the motion of the liquid–solid front and obtain the temperature and velocity profiles in the liquid–phase.

The study gives an instruction on the presentation of ice–on–coil storage tank.

Results of solidification experiments are used to assess and evaluate the performance.