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Numerical investigation of the effect of the mushy zone parameter and the thermal properties of paraffin-based PCMs on solidification modeling under T-history conditions.
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  • Milad Tajik Jamal-Abad,
  • Cristobal Cortes,
  • Arnold Martínez,
  • Mauricio Carmona
Milad Tajik Jamal-Abad
Universidad de Zaragoza - Campus Rio Ebro

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Cristobal Cortes
Universidad de Zaragoza - Campus Rio Ebro
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Arnold Martínez
Universidad del Norte
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Mauricio Carmona
Universidad del Norte
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Abstract

The impact of the mushy zone parameter ( A mushy ) and thermal properties during the solidification of a commercial paraffin-type PCM in a vertical cylinder under T-history conditions was examined numerically. First, the thermal properties of the paraffin-type PCM and its temperature profile during solidification under T-history conditions were experimentally obtained. The solidification process is simulated by using a numerical model and it was conducted via the commercial CFD code ANSYS FLUENT 2022. R2. The enthalpy‒porosity model was employed by the ANSYS FLUENT for solidification and melting. The accuracy of a simulation is highly sensitive to the software inputs and assumptions. Therefore, selecting the correct values for thermal properties and the mushy constant is essential for achieving precise simulation results. To determine the precise boundary conditions, radiative heat transfer between surfaces is considered. The results indicate that, between the four thermal properties, although increasing the thermal conductivity accelerates the solidification rate, the opposite effect is observed with increasing latent heat, density, and specific heat, as higher values of these properties lead to slower cooling. Moreover, the results highlight that choosing the correct mushy zone parameter is crucial for accurate solidification modeling. Although the impact of   A mush on solidification is generally less pronounced because conductive heat transfer dominates compared with the melting process, for paraffin-type PCMs, a higher   A mush value yields results that better align with experimental data, unlike other PCM materials. Furthermore, the shape and progression of the solidification is influenced by the mushy zone parameter and as A mushy increases, solidification in the bottom layers decreases, with the process becoming more concentrated in the layers closer to the cold wall.
22 Oct 2024Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
22 Oct 2024Submitted to Energy Storage
29 Oct 2024Submission Checks Completed
29 Oct 2024Assigned to Editor
03 Nov 2024Reviewer(s) Assigned
03 Nov 2024Reviewer(s) Assigned