Solar energy paper index
Thermal performance optimization of a macro-encapsulated PCM packed bed thermal energy storage system during charging and discharging processes: A validated CFD numerical study
One-line summary
A solar energy research paper on Thermal performance optimization of a macro-encapsulated PCM packed bed thermal energy storage system during charging and discharging processes: A validated CFD numerical study.
Engineering notes
Engineering notes will be added by the Power for Solar editorial team.
Chinese explanation / 中文解读
中文解读待补充：本站会优先为光伏效率、钙钛矿太阳能电池、储能技术、太阳能热利用、BIPV、并网技术等高价值论文补充中文说明。
Original abstract
This study investigates the transient thermal performance of a latent packed bed heat storage system using spherical capsules of fully refined Paraffin Wax (PW60) during charging and discharging processes. A full-scale computational fluid dynamics model was developed using the Local Thermal Non-Equilibrium approach and the enthalpy-porosity method to capture the solid-liquid phase change dynamics within the phase change material. The model’s stability was verified through a rigorous mesh-independent study using 3 different meshes. The results were compared with the experimental data and showed good agreement with an average relative error of 3.22, assuring the validity and reliability of the present model. A multi-objective parametric study was conducted to study the effect of inlet temperatures and mass flow rates on thermal dynamics during the heat charging process. The results showed that increasing the temperature (Tin) from 75 to 90 °C accelerated the heat charging time by 37% and increased total heat stored E st and system efficiency by 18.18% and 13.65%, respectively. Similarly, increasing the inlet mass flow rate from 15 kg/h to 60 kg/h yielded a massive 68.78% reduction in charging time with an accumulated 9.7% efficiency drop. An optimal configuration of Tin = 85 °C and Qin = 30 kg/h was established, achieving a maximum storage capacity of 13 MJ. Finally, dynamic simulation of the full cycle of this optimized case showed a 25% acceleration in discharge compared to the charging phase. This confirms the system's powerful ability to recover energy quickly and efficiently in sustainable renewable thermal energy networks.
Links and sources
Need this topic turned into a technical roadmap?
Power for Solar can prepare a custom solar energy literature review, simulation code map, dataset map, and B2B photovoltaic technology assessment.
Request B2B research
Comments