Performance Analysis of Heat Sinks With Phase-Change Materials Subjected to Transient and Cyclic Heating

Phase-change cooling technique is a suitable method for thermal management of electronic equipment subjected to transient or cyclic heat loads. The thermal performance of a phase-change based heat sink under cyclic heat load depends on several design parameters, namely, applied heat flux, cooling heat transfer coefficient, thermophysical properties of phase-change materials (PCMs), and physical dimensions of phase-change storage system during melting and freezing processes. A one-dimensional conduction heat transfer model is formulated to evaluate the effectiveness of preliminary design of practical PCM-based energy storage units. In this model, the phase-change process of the PCM is divided into melting and solidification subprocesses, for which separate equations are written. The equations are solved sequentially and an explicit closed-form solution is obtained. The efficacy of analytical model is estimated by comparing with a finite-volume-based numerical solution for both transient and cyclic heat loads.     

流动风阻网格模型与热仿真设计方法优化动力电池模组结构的研究

风冷系统因结构简单、成本低等特点,在热管理系统中占据重要地位。目前常规的风冷热管理设计方法存在重复性工作多、设计时间长的缺点。本文提出空气流动风阻网格模型结合热力学模型仿真的设计方法,先采用空气流动风阻网格模型获得优化的电池结构,再采用热力学模型进行仿真求解,获得优化的电池模组的流场和温度场分布特性。仿真结果验证了优化结构的准确性。优化结果表明,“C”字形结构更有利于提升模组内单体电池冷却效果的一致性,并且优化后的“C”字形结构进一步提升了电池模组内单体电池温度场的一致性。此外,计算结果发现模组内空气流动方向为上进下出时可进一步降低模组内单体电池的最高温度,提升单体电池温度场的一致性。     

Thermal performance of high brightness LED array package on PCB

This paper presents a thermal analysis and experimental validation of natural convective air cooling of a high brightness 3 × 3 LED array package on a printed circuit board (PCB) during operation from 0 to 180° inclinations. Temperature distribution and heat flow of the LED package are assessed by thermal profile measurement using an IR camera and thermocouples. In addition, a design study on the thermal performance of the packaging structure is also performed. The analysis results reveal that the effect of position and inclination plays an important role in the heat dissipation of the LED package. The heat transfer process of the LED PCB package in natural convection is also modelled and simulated using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method. The proposed thermal analytical study provides a detailed understanding of the thermal response of an open or enclosed LED array PCB unit under various operating conditions. The results provide criteria for setting up a LED array system and for adopting design features that would be beneficial to effective thermal management.     

Impact of Phase Change Material's Thermal Properties on the Thermal Performance of Phase Change Material Hollow Block Wall

ABSTRACT

Composite phase change material (PCM) hollow block wall (CPCMHBW) can be established by introducing PCM into the holes of generally used hollow block wall, and good thermal insulation performance will probably produce together with the energy storage function from PCM simultaneously. In this article, the impact of PCM's thermal properties on the thermal performance of CPCMHBW has been analyzed, using two-dimensional enthalpy model. The conclusions include: complete melting and freezing processes and a bit amount of remaining PCM which has not melted or solidified, are fundamental and necessary for high performance; furthermore, that the average surrounding temperature equals to PCM's central phase change temperature determines whether the PCM's function can be used; besides, the PCM's total latent heat controls wall's thermal storage level; in addition, relatively low block material's thermal conductivity and Fourier number (better smaller than 1.0 W·m^?1·K^?1 and 59.83) and medium PCM's corresponding values (lies in the ranges 0.2–0.7 W·m^?1·K^?1 and 0.80–2.80) generate optimum thermal performance. Finally, the thermal factors are ranked with the functions in descending order.     

Performance Estimation of a Latent Heat Thermal Energy Storage System with Different Packing Module Arrangements,Boundary Conditions and Melting Models

In a latent heat thermal energy storage system, the shape of the container for encapsulating the phase change material (PCM) and the arrangement of the PCM vessels within the thermal storage tank have a high influence on the performance of the thermal storage tank. In the present study, a newly designed PCM container was used to investigate the effect of the arrangement of the packing module on the performance of the thermal storage tank. To reflect an actual situation, the system should be modeled using the unconstrained melting model, which includes a density difference between the solid and liquid PCM, and also the convective boundary condition with heat transfer fluid should be applied. The amount of deviation from a real situation was analyzed for simplified models of a constrained melting model and an isothermal boundary condition, which have been commonly used in most previous works. The horizontal arrangement of the packing module showed higher performance than the vertical arrangement. Compared to the unconstrained melting model, the constrained melting model underestimated melting by 50 min and 70 min for the horizontal and vertical arrangements, respectively. Compared to the convective boundary condition, the isothermal boundary condition overestimated melting by 115 min and 100 min for the horizontal and vertical arrangements, respectively.     

An analysis of a packed bed latent heat thermal energy storage system using PCM capsules: Numerical investigation

This paper is aimed at analyzing the behavior of a packed bed latent heat thermal energy storage system. The packed bed is composed of spherical capsules filled with paraffin wax as PCM usable with a solar water heating system. The model developed in this study uses the fundamental equations similar to those of Schumann, except that the phase change phenomena of PCM inside the capsules are analyzed by using enthalpy method. The equations are numerically solved, and the results obtained are used for the thermal performance analysis of both charging and discharging processes. The effects of the inlet heat transfer fluid temperature (Stefan number), mass flow rate and phase change temperature range on the thermal performance of the capsules of various radii have been investigated. The results indicate that for the proper modeling of performance of the system the phase change temperature range of the PCM must be accurately known, and should be taken into account.     

Numerical simulation of porous latent heat thermal energy storage for thermoelectric cooling

Porous latent heat thermal energy storage for thermoelectric cooling is simulated via a matrix-based enthalpy formulation, having the temperature as unknown, in a three-dimensional domain. The system is made up of two aluminum containers; the inner one contains the cooling objective in water suspension and the outer one the phase change material (PCM) in a porous aluminum matrix. The system’s charging and discharging processes are simulated for constant thermoelectric module cold side temperature under different porosities of the aluminum matrix. The mathematical modeling approach simplifies the analysis while the metal matrix in the PCM greatly improves performance. A direct application of the studied system is vaccine conservation in solar powered thermoelectric cooling systems.     

Thermal transmittance of multiple glazing: computational fluid dynamics prediction

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is applied for predicting the convective heat transfer coefficient, thermal resistance and thermal transmittance for a double glazing unit. The predicted thermal resistance of glazing is compared with reference data and good agreement is achieved. The convective heat transfer coefficient and thermal transmittance vary with the air space width and the temperature difference across glazing. The CFD technique can be used to gain insight into multiple glazing performance and also optimise the design and operation of novel multiple glazing systems such as air flow windows or double skin facades in terms of energy efficiency and thermal comfort.     

Thermal Insulation for a Pipe Using Phase Change Material

This research studies the effectiveness of phase change material (PCM) as a thermal insulation for a pipe. The proposed PCM insulation can be used for a pipe when the operating time is limited. The objective of using PCM is to utilize its latent heat from fusion to minimize heat loss from the pipe by absorbing and storing it to be discharged later to the pipe. The finite element method is employed to solve the problem, and both conduction and natural convection of liquid PCM are considered modes of heat transfer. The effectiveness of the PCM insulation is evaluated by comparing its thermal performance with insulation without phase change. Both time-dependent and time-independent boundary conditions are examined. For the time-independent case, the PCM insulation reduces the heat loss from the pipe for a significant amount of time if the Rayleigh number is low. For the time-dependent case, heat loss is effectively reduced with the PCM insulation for a significant amount of time. The high resolution capturing of the solid/liquid moving boundary and the details of flow structure are also presented.     

Numerical analysis on the thermal behavior of high temperature latent heat thermal energy storage system

High temperature latent heat thermal energy storage technology is a promising option for future cost reduction in parabolic trough or tower power plant. However, low thermal conductivity of phase-change material (PCM) is the major shortage of latent heat thermal energy storage. This paper proposed a new thermal energy storage system (TESS) that metal foam and fins were used to enhance the effective conductivity of PCM. Three-dimensional physical model was established for representative element extracted from TESS. Considering the natural convection in the liquid part of PCM, volume-averaged mass and momentum equations were employed with the Brinkman–Forchheimer extension to Darcy law to simulate the porous resistance. A local thermal equilibrium model was developed to obtain temperature field. The governing equations were solved with finite-volume approach and enthalpy method was employed to account for phase change. The model was firstly validated against low temperature experiments from the literature and then used to predict the charging and discharging behavior of the present TESS. The position of solid/liquid interface was explored and the effects of design parameters, including that of metal foam pore density and porosity, configuration of fin and Rayleigh number, on melting and solidifying rate and energy stored in each time step were revealed and discussed. The results indicate that metal foam and fins can effectively improve the heat transfer performance for thermal storage system and decrease charging and discharging time.     

A numerical model for heat sinks with phase change materials and thermal conductivity enhancers

The effectiveness of thermal conductivity enhancers (TCEs) in improving the overall thermal conductance of phase change materials (PCMs) used in cooling of electronics is investigated numerically. With respect to the distribution of TCE and PCM materials, the heat sink designs are classified into two types. The first type of heat sink has the PCM distributed uniformly in a porous TCE matrix, and the second kind has PCM with fins made of TCE material. A transient finite volume method is used to model the heat transfer; phase change and fluid flow in both cases. A generalized enthalpy based formulation and numerical model are used for simulating phase change processes in the two cases. The performance of heat sinks with various volume fractions of TCE for different configurations is studied with respect to the variation of heat source (or chip) temperature with time; melt fraction and dimensionless temperature difference within the PCM. Results illustrate significant effect of the thermal conductivity enhancer on the performance of heat sinks.     

Experimental investigation of a domestic solar water heater with solar collector coupled phase-change energy storage

Phase change materials (PCMs) have good properties such as high thermal capacity and constant phase change temperature. Their potential use in solar energy storage is promising. Tests of exposure and constant flow rate are performed to investigate the thermal performance of a domestic solar water heater with solar collector coupled phase-change energy storage (DSWHSCPHES). Due to the low thermal conductivity and high viscosity of PCM, heat transfer in the PCM module is repressed. The thermal performance of the DSWHSCPHES under exposure is inferior to that of traditional water-in-glass evacuated tube solar water heaters (TWGETSWH) with an identical collector area. DSWHSCPHES also performs more efficiently with a constant flow rate than under the condition of exposure. Radiation and initial water temperature have impacts on system performance; with the increase of proportion of diffuse to global radiation and/or initial water temperature, system performance deteriorates and vice versa.     

Melting of PCM in a thermal energy storage unit: Numerical investigation and effect of nanoparticle enhancement

The present paper describes the analysis of the melting process in a single vertical shell‐and‐tube latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES), unit and it is directed at understanding the thermal performance of the system. The study is realized using a computational fluid‐dynamic (CFD) model that takes into account of the phase‐change phenomenon by means of the enthalpy method. Fluid flow is fully resolved in the liquid phase‐change material (PCM) in order to elucidate the role of natural convection. The unsteady evolution of the melting front and the velocity and temperature fields is detailed. Temperature profiles are analyzed and compared with experimental data available in the literature. Other relevant quantities are also monitored, including energy stored and heat flux exchanged between PCM and HTF. The results demonstrate that natural convection within PCM and inlet HTF temperature significantly affects the phase‐change process. Thermal enhancement through the dispersion of highly conductive nanoparticles in the base PCM is considered in the second part of the paper. Thermal behavior of the LHTES unit charged with nano‐enhanced PCM is numerically analyzed and compared with the original system configuration. Due to increase of thermal conductivity, augmented thermal performance is observed: melting time is reduced of 15% when nano‐enhanced PCM with particle volume fraction of 4% is adopted. Similar improvements of the heat transfer rate are also detected. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Thermal intensification of heat transfer characteristics on the plate‐fin heat sink with piezoelectric fan

This study applied the computational fluid dynamic (CFD) code, ANSYS Fluent for simulating the effect a piezoelectric fan installed inside the rectangular channel by numerical simulation method for transient flow field and investigating the influence of each parameter. To remove the disorganized form of energy from the electronic components, the reversible piezoelectric effect is employed to energize the piezoelectric fan. To observe the variation of fan characteristics and to predict the convective heat transfer coefficient, CFD code ANSYS Fluent 15.0 is used. The numerical simulation parameters included are Nusselt number, number of fins (n = 12 and 14), and counter‐shift (inward and outward‐phase), and distance between the upper portion of the fan tip to the front part of the low thermal reservoir. Numerical analysis was carried out to evaluate the effect of thermal flow fields on the heat sink and piezoelectric fan employed in a flow domain. the results showed that by varying the height from channel bottom to the center of piezoelectric fan improves the performance of the piezoelectric fan, piezoelectric fan swinging in a transient phenomena and also simultaneously influences fluid flow behavior on the heat source surface, the fan vibration at counter‐phase has a better rate of heat transfer than vibration in in‐phase.     

Constructal enhancement of thermal transport in metal foam-PCM composite-assisted latent heat thermal energy storage system

The aim of this study is to augment thermal transport in latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) system by the optimum allocation of metal foam-phase change material (PCM) composite. This study emphasizes on the optimal volume and distribution of metal foam-PCM composite (MFPC) to enhance melting performance without delay in the total melting time. Therefore, a MFPC is designed according to constructal theory. The fundamental principle of the theory is to configure high thermal conductivity agents at optimal thermal energy flow path for effective heat exchange. A numerical code based on local thermal nonequilibrium approach equipped enthalpy porosity method is formulated, and evaluated. The results of the proposed configuration show that the provision of MFPC only at high local temperature gradient enhances the conductive transport with improvement in the overall thermal transport. It is derived that the elimination of metal foam volume at low temperature gradient incorporates the advantageous effect of natural convective transport, which is seen to be suppressed. Additionally, the proposed configuration may increase the volume of PCM, thus, the TES capacity. It also reduces the total weight and economy of energy storage system. The overall melting rate is improved by 11.11% in comparison with the LHTES with full volume of this high thermal conductivity agent.     

Role of Melt Convection on Optimization of PCM-Based Heat Sink Under Cyclic Heat Load

In this article, we study the thermal performance of phase-change material (PCM)-based heat sinks under cyclic heat load and subjected to melt convection. Plate fin type heat sinks made of aluminum and filled with PCM are considered in this study. The heat sink is heated from the bottom. For a prescribed value of heat flux, design of such a heat sink can be optimized with respect to its geometry, with the objective of minimizing the temperature rise during heating and ensuring complete solidification of PCM at the end of the cooling period for a given cycle. For given length and base plate thickness of a heat sink, a genetic algorithm (GA)-based optimization is carried out with respect to geometrical variables such as fin thickness, fin height, and the number of fins. The thermal performance of the heat sink for a given set of parameters is evaluated using an enthalpy-based heat transfer model, which provides the necessary data for the optimization algorithm. The effect of melt convection is studied by taking two cases, one without melt convection (conduction regime) and the other with convection. The results show that melt convection alters the results of geometrical optimization.     

Melting in a vertical cylindrical tube: Numerical investigation and comparison with experiments

The present work numerically investigates melting of a phase-change material (PCM) in a vertical cylindrical tube. The analysis aims at an investigation of local flow and thermal phenomena, by means of a numerical simulation which is compared to the previous experimental results .The numerical analysis is realized using an enthalpy–porosity formulation. The effect of various parameters of the numerical solution on the results is examined: in particular, the term describing the mushy zone in the momentum equation and the influence of the pressure–velocity coupling and pressure discretization schemes. PISO vs. SIMPLE and PRESTO! vs. Body-Force-Weighted schemes are examined. No difference is detected between the first two. However, considerable differences appear with regard to the last two, due to the mushy zone role.Image processing of experimental results from the previous studies is performed, yielding quantitative information about the local melt fractions and heat transfer rates. Based on the good agreement between simulations and experiments, the work compares the heat transfer rates from the experiments with those from the numerical analysis, providing a deeper understanding of the heat transfer mechanisms. The results show quantitatively that at the beginning of the process, the heat transfer is by conduction from the tube wall to the solid phase through a relatively thin liquid layer. As the melting progresses, natural convection in the liquid becomes dominant, changing the solid shape to a conical one, which shrinks in size from the top to the bottom.     

Impact of the Relationship between Phase Change Temperature and Boundary Temperature on the Thermal Performance of a PCM Wall and the Presentation of PCM Thermal Performance Indexes

In the composite phase change material (PCM) building envelope, the matching relationship between the phase change temperature of the PCM and the wall's boundary temperature significantly affects the energy storage performance of the PCM building envelope. In this paper, a type of concrete hollow block with a typical structure and a common PCM were adopted to produce multiform composite PCM hollow blocks, and the temperature changing hot chamber method was performed to test the thermal performance of the hollow block walls under different temperature conditions. New indexes were proposed for the thermal performance evaluation of the PCM wall. Meanwhile, combined with experimental data, the effective heat capacity model and the enthalpy model were used to analyze the effect of correlations concerning how the relationship between phase change temperature and wall's boundary temperature influenced the thermal performance of PCM wall. Three main impact factors related to temperature were obtained through the analysis. In addition, approaches for improving the thermal performance of a composite PCM wall were put forward. This paper provides the theoretical basis, data reference and practical instruction for the proper use of a PCM wall and ways for improving the thermal performance of a composite PCM wall.     

The Effect of Windbreak Walls on the Thermal Performance of Natural Draft Dry Cooling Towers

A three-dimensional study using the standard k-? turbulence model to simulate airflow in and around a natural draft dry cooling tower (NDDCT) has been conducted using a general-purpose CFD code. This investigation considered the location and the porosity of windbreak walls' structure on the NDDCT thermal performance. In addition, the effect of the windbreak walls on the thermal performance of two NDDCTs with different capacities has been investigated. Two parameters have been used to show the effect of the windbreak walls on the NDDCT thermal performance. At the reference heat exchanger temperature, the thermal effectiveness parameter has been employed. At the reference rejected heat from the NDDCT, the change in the cooling tower approach parameter has been employed. The results in this paper show an improvement in the NDDCT thermal performance due to the introduction of windbreak walls. Moreover, optimizing the location of the windbreak walls has been shown to have a more significant effect on the NDDCT thermal performance than the porosity of the walls. In addition, the effect of the windbreak walls on the thermal performance is similar for the two NDDCT with different capacities.     

Analysis and optimization of a latent thermal energy storage system with embedded heat pipes

Latent thermal energy storage system (LTES) is an integral part of concentrating solar power (CSP) plants for storing sun’s energy during its intermittent diurnal availability in the form of latent heat of a phase change material (PCM). The advantages of an LTES include its isothermal operation and high energy storage density, while the low thermal conductivity of the PCM used in LTES poses a significant disadvantage due to the reduction in the rate at which the PCM can be melted (charging) or solidified (discharging). The present study considers an approach to reducing the thermal resistance of LTES through embedding heat pipes to augment the energy transfer from the heat transfer fluid (HTF) to the PCM. Using a thermal resistance network model of a shell and tube LTES with embedded heat pipes, detailed parametric studies are carried out to assess the influence of the heat pipe and the LTES geometric and operational parameters on the performance of the system during charging and discharging. The physical model is coupled with a numerical optimization method to identify the design and operating parameters of the heat pipe embedded LTES system that maximizes energy transferred, energy transfer rate and effectiveness.