Heat Transfer Enhancement in Latent Thermal Energy Storage Systems Using Metal Foam, Fins, and Nanoparticles: Review.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52262/9r469v56Keywords:
PCM · Fins . Nanopartical. Metal foams ·Abstract
People mostly like Latent Heat Thermal Energy Storage (LHTES) systems because they can store a lot of energy while keeping the temperature pretty much the same. Still, their performance isn't great because most phase-change materials (PCMs) don't conduct heat very well. In the last few years, a lot of research has tried to fix this problem by using three passive methods: adding fins, using open-cell metal foams, and mixing the PCM with nanoparticles. Metal foams usually make things better the most. They make a path for heat to flow through the PCM all the time, which makes the material melt much faster—sometimes by 40–80%. Copper foams usually work a little better than aluminium foams. Graphite foams, on the other hand, can speed up the melting process and make the temperature more even because they have a higher thermal conductivity (up to 25–200 W/m•K). When you lower the porosity from about 95% to 90%, the melted part also goes up by about 8–12%. However, changing the pore density from 15 to 30 PPI doesn't make a big difference. Fins also make things look better. Depending on the shape and placement, circular and spiral fins can cut the time it takes to melt by 30% to 70%. Adding small amounts of nanoparticles (usually less than 2 wt%) to PCM increases its thermal conductivity by about 10–46%. But higher concentrations can cause problems like higher viscosity and lower stability. Overall, metal foams still have the most promise, fins are a quick and cheap way to make things better, and nanoparticles can help a little bit as long as their concentration stays stable. These results also show that there are still problems to solve and that using more than one improvement method might be helpful for future LHTES designs.
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