Performance comparison of metal foam and fin phase-change energy storage system based on LBM

doi:10.19799/j.cnki.2095-4239.2023.0570

Abstract

Abstract:

To investigate the influence of fins and copper metal foam on the performance of phase-change energy storage systems, composite phase-change material (PCM) models with 20 and 30 pore per inch (PPI) were constructed using the quartet structure generation set. Additionally, a finned PCM model with an equal copper mass was constructed. Subsequently, numerical simulation based on the lattice Boltzmann method was employed to simulate the heat storage/release process of PCM. The effects of adding fins and foam metal structures on the heat transfer performance of PCM were compared and analyzed based on Nusselt number, liquid fraction, PCM flow rate, and PCM melting/solidification time. The results showed that the presence of foam metal during the heat storage process hindered the development of convective heat transfer during the melting process. The Nusselt number of the double fin structure was higher than that of the foam metal structure, resulting in a shorter melting time for double fin structure. Compared to the 20 PPI and 30 PPI foam copper composite PCMs, the melting time was reduced by 28.55% and 17.5%, respectively. During the heat release process, the presence of foam metal increased the heat conduction area. The solidification speed of the foam metal structure was higher than that of the fin structure, and the solidification time of the 30 PPI foam metal structure was reduced by 65.80% and 20.24% compared to the fin and 20 PPI foam copper composite PCMs, respectively. Considering the heat storage and release processes, the total heat storage/release time of the 30 PPI foam metal structure was the shortest, with reductions of 27.81% and 15.32% compared to the fin and 20 PPI foam copper composite PCMs, respectively. Under the condition of consuming the same amount of metal material, adopting the foam structure is a more effective means to improve energy storage efficiency.

Key words: lattice Boltzmann method, quartet structure generation set, fin, foam metal, phase change energy storage system

CLC Number:

TK 11

Jinya ZHANG, Wenbo ZHOU, Ziyiyi CHENG. Performance comparison of metal foam and fin phase-change energy storage system based on LBM[J]. Energy Storage Science and Technology, 2024, 13(2): 598-607.

Figures/Tables 15

Fig. 1

Table 1

Fig. 2

Fig. 3

Fig. 4

Fig. 5

Fig. 6

Fig. 7

Fig. 8

Fig. 9

Fig. 10

Fig. 11

Fig. 12

Fig. 13

Fig. 14

References 22

1	LI X Y, NIU C, LI X X, et al. Pore-scale investigation on effects of void cavity distribution on melting of composite phase change materials[J]. Applied Energy, 2020, 275: 115302.
2	刘伟, 李振明, 刘铭扬, 等. 高温相变储热材料制备与应用研究进展[J]. 储能科学与技术, 2023, 12(2): 398-430.
	LIU W, LI Z M, LIU M Y, et al. Review of high-temperature phase change heat storage material preparation and applications[J]. Energy Storage Science and Technology, 2023, 12(2): 398-430.
3	李椿, 王志华, 王建春, 等. 壳管式相变储能换热器性能研究与场协同效应分析[J]. 太阳能学报, 2020, 41(3): 226-233.
	LI C, WANG Z H, WANG J C, et al. Performance study and field synergy analysis of shell and tube phase change energy storage heat exchanger[J]. Acta Energiae Solaris Sinica, 2020, 41(3): 226-233.
4	肖俊兵, 邹博, 庄依杰, 等. 泡沫金属复合相变体系导热性能研究及应用[J]. 中南大学学报(自然科学版), 2022, 53(12): 4687-4699.
	XIAO J B, ZOU B, ZHUANG Y J, et al. Research and application on thermal conduction performance of metal foam composite phase change system[J]. Journal of Central South University (Science and Technology), 2022, 53(12): 4687-4699.
5	陈红兵, 高雪宁, 刘涛, 等. 应用石蜡/GO复合相变材料的太阳能PV/T系统性能[J]. 储能科学与技术, 2023, 12(3): 661-668.
	CHEN H B, GAO X N, LIU T, et al. Performance of a solar PV/T system applying a paraffin/graphene oxide composite phase change material[J]. Energy Storage Science and Technology, 2023, 12(3): 661-668.
6	田伟, 梁晓光, 党硕, 等. 金属泡沫-翅片复合结构强化相变蓄热的实验研究[J]. 西安交通大学学报, 2021, 55(11): 17-24.
	TIAN W, LIANG X G, DANG S, et al. Visualized experimental study on the phase change heat storage enhanced with metal foam[J]. Journal of Xi'an Jiaotong University, 2021, 55(11): 17-24.
7	REN Q L, XU H T, LUO Z Q. PCM charging process accelerated with combination of optimized triangle fins and nanoparticles[J]. International Journal of Thermal Sciences, 2019, 140: 466-479.
8	ZHU F, ZHANG C, GONG X L. Numerical analysis and comparison of the thermal performance enhancement methods for metal foam/phase change material composite[J]. Applied Thermal Engineering, 2016, 109: 373-383.
9	TIAN L L, LIU X, CHEN S, et al. Effect of fin material on PCM melting in a rectangular enclosure[J]. Applied Thermal Engineering, 2020, 167: 114764.
10	张永学, 王梓熙, 鲁博辉, 等. 雪花型翅片提高相变储热单元储/放热性能[J]. 储能科学与技术, 2022, 11(2): 521-530.
	ZHANG Y X, WANG Z X, LU B H, et al. Enhancement of charging and discharging performance of a latent-heat thermal-energy storage unit using snowflake-shaped fins[J]. Energy Storage Science and Technology, 2022, 11(2): 521-530.
11	刘立君, 宁雅倩, 李晓庆, 等. 偏心分形翅片管相变储热单元性能强化模拟[J]. 储能科学与技术, 2022, 11(11): 3681-3687.
	LIU L J, NING Y Q, LI X Q, et al. Performance enhancement simulation of eccentric fractal-fin tube phase change heat storage unit[J]. Energy Storage Science and Technology, 2022, 11(11): 3681-3687.
12	MANCIN S, DIANI A, DORETTI L, et al. Experimental analysis of phase change phenomenon of paraffin waxes embedded in copper foams[J]. International Journal of Thermal Sciences, 2015, 90: 79-89.
13	DING C, ZHANG C, MA L, et al. Numerical investigation on melting behaviour of phase change materials/metal foam composites under hypergravity conditions[J]. Applied Thermal Engineering, 2022, 207: 118153.
14	崔婷婷, 王燕. 基于LBM的多孔介质无机复合相变材料储能特性[J]. 储能科学与技术, 2023, 12(1): 61-68.
	CUI T T, WANG Y. Energy storage characteristics of porous inorganic composite phase-change materials based on the Lattice Boltzmann Method[J]. Energy Storage Science and Technology, 2023, 12(1): 61-68.
15	WANG M R, WANG J K, PAN N, et al. Mesoscopic predictions of the effective thermal conductivity for microscale random porous media[J]. Physical Review E, Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics, 2007, 75(3 Pt 2): 036702.
16	DSILVA WINFRED RUFUSS D, SUGANTHI L, INIYAN S, et al. Effects of nanoparticle-enhanced phase change material (NPCM) on solar still productivity[J]. Journal of Cleaner Production, 2018, 192: 9-29.
17	JESUMATHY S, UDAYAKUMAR M, SURESH S. Experimental study of enhanced heat transfer by addition of CuO nanoparticle[J]. Heat and Mass Transfer, 2012, 48(6): 965-978.
18	陈俊旗, 曹世豪. 自然对流对方腔内相变石蜡熔化蓄热的影响[J]. 科学技术与工程, 2022, 22(24): 10586-10593.
	CHEN J Q, CAO S H. Effect of natural convection on melting heat storage of phase change paraffin in a square cavity[J]. Science Technology and Engineering, 2022, 22(24): 10586-10593.
19	CHATTERJEE D, CHAKRABORTY S. An enthalpy-based lattice Boltzmann model for diffusion dominated solid-liquid phase transformation[J]. Physics Letters A, 2005, 341(1/2/3/4): 320-330.
20	HUANG R Z, WU H Y, CHENG P. A new lattice Boltzmann model for solid-liquid phase change[J]. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 2013, 59: 295-301.
21	NOBLE D R, TORCZYNSKI J R. A lattice-Boltzmann method for partially saturated computational cells[J]. International Journal of Modern Physics C, 1998, 9(8): 1189-1201.
22	JIN H Q, FAN L W, LIU M J, et al. A pore-scale visualized study of melting heat transfer of a paraffin wax saturated in a copper foam: Effects of the pore size[J]. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 2017, 112: 39-44.

参数	氧化铜	石蜡
密度/(g/cm³)	6.31	0.94
热导率/[W/(m∙K)]	401	0.305(固态) 0.150(液态)
动力黏度/(Pa∙s)	—	0.00200
热膨胀率/K^-1	—	7.8×10^-4
比热容/[kJ/(kg∙K)]	390	2300
潜热/(kJ/kg)	—	230.850

[1]	Ke PENG, Zhicheng ZHANG, Youzhang HU, Xuhui ZHANG, Jiahui ZHOU, Bin LI. Finite element-based motion analysis and optimization of sagger in thermo-mechanical coupling field [J]. Energy Storage Science and Technology, 2024, 13(2): 634-642.
[2]	Yibin LUO, Wenchao DUAN, Jinghao YAN, Jie LI, Xiaoqin SUN, Shuguang LIAO. Experimental study on heat storage performance of a double-fin rectangular phase change energy storage unit [J]. Energy Storage Science and Technology, 2024, 13(2): 405-415.
[3]	Feng LI, Yuanwei LU, Yanquan WANG, Yancheng MA, Yuting WU. Effect of airfoil structure on flow and heat transfer characteristics of printed circuit heat exchanger [J]. Energy Storage Science and Technology, 2024, 13(2): 416-424.
[4]	Yu JIAN, Baoming CHEN, Pengzhen ZHU, Kun LI. Study on phase change heat transfer characteristics of paraffin square cavity with gradient pore density skeleton [J]. Energy Storage Science and Technology, 2023, 12(6): 1968-1980.
[5]	Xiaoqing LI, Yuze FAN, Xiaoyan LIU. Investigation of the effect of skeleton structure on the thermal energy storage performance of solid-liquid phase change using LBM [J]. Energy Storage Science and Technology, 2023, 12(6): 1774-1783.
[6]	Zezheng WANG, Wenhao QU, Yajun WANG, Run QIN, Yibing LIU. Simulation and stress analysis of large capacity composite flywheel rotor [J]. Energy Storage Science and Technology, 2023, 12(3): 669-675.
[7]	Xueqing SHEN, Wei CHEN. Thermal management performance of batteries with embedded tree-like fins for phase transition layers [J]. Energy Storage Science and Technology, 2023, 12(2): 459-467.
[8]	Yang CAI, Zeyu ZHOU, Xiaoyan HUANG, Jiehong DENG, Fuyun ZHAO. Performance analysis of an environmental temperature-difference energy harvest device based on fin structure optimization [J]. Energy Storage Science and Technology, 2023, 12(12): 3780-3788.
[9]	Haodong ZHAO, Furen ZHANG, Bolin DU, Xue LI, Zhikai HUANG, Shizheng SUN. Strengthening the heat dissipation performance of liquid cooling plate by adding a diversion hole and a finned channel wall [J]. Energy Storage Science and Technology, 2023, 12(10): 3108-3119.
[10]	Tingting CUI, Yan WANG. Energy storage characteristics of porous inorganic composite phase-change materials based on the Lattice Boltzmann Method [J]. Energy Storage Science and Technology, 2023, 12(1): 61-68.
[11]	Qianjun MAO, Yuanyuan ZHU. Study on heat storage performance of novel bifurcated fins to strengthen shell-and-tube energy storage tanks [J]. Energy Storage Science and Technology, 2023, 12(1): 69-78.
[12]	WU Xiaoling, ZHOU Tao, LIU Yuzhao, DU Yanping, CHEN Huiping, LI Shun. Numerical study on cooling enhancement of micro devices by designing turbulence based hollow micro pin-fin arrays with lateral holes [J]. Energy Storage Science and Technology, 2022, 11(6): 1980-1987.
[13]	ZHANG Hong, ZHANG Yang, ZHAO Yao, WANG Jiulin. Research progress of sulfur cathode in solid-solid conversion reaction [J]. Energy Storage Science and Technology, 2022, 11(6): 1919-1933.
[14]	Yezhou HU, Shuang WANG, Tao SHEN, Ye ZHU, Deli WANG. Recent progress in confined noble-metal electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction [J]. Energy Storage Science and Technology, 2022, 11(4): 1264-1277.
[15]	Yongxue ZHANG, Zixi WANG, Bohui LU, Shengqi YANG, Hongyu ZHAO. Enhancement of charging and discharging performance of a latent-heat thermal-energy storage unit using snowflake-shaped fins [J]. Energy Storage Science and Technology, 2022, 11(2): 521-530.