Energy storage characteristics of a shell-and-tube phase change energy storage heat exchanger for data centers

doi:10.19799/j.cnki.2095-4239.2022.0741

Abstract

Abstract:

Addressing the issue of low energy storage/discharge rates in phase-change energy storage heat exchangers, this paper presents a shell-and-tube type phase-change energy storage heat exchanger using paraffin as the energy storage material and water as the heat transfer fluid (HTF). The aim is to investigate the influence of HTF on the heat exchanger's energy storage performance. An experimental platform for the shell-and-tube type phase-change energy storage heat exchanger is constructed, and a three-dimensional transient model is developed using FLUENT software. By changing the boundary conditions, a numerical simulation of energy storage is performed to examine the effect of different HTF temperatures and flow rates on the energy charge/discharge process. The results of the study show that the larger the temperature difference between the HTF and the paraffin, the faster the heat charge/discharge rate. When the temperature difference increases by 5 ℃, the maximum increase of the average energy storage rate is 91%, and the maximum increase of the average energy discharge rate is 124% but with the penalty of irreversible exergy loss. Due to the very small natural convection within the phase change material, the heat discharge rate is much lower than the heat charge rate in the solidification process. With a temperature difference of 5 ℃, the average energy discharge is 64% of the average energy storage rate. The temperature difference is the main factor influencing the heat transfer performance. As the HTF flow rate increases, the strengthening of the convective heat transfer accelerates the heat transfer and melt rate. However, the impact on the average energy storage rate of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger and the exergy loss is insignificant. With balancing the average energy storage/discharge rate and exergy loss, this study's optimal heat exchanger performance was achieved with an HTF temperature of 40 ℃ for heat charge, an HTF temperature of 10 ℃ for heat discharge, and a flow rate condition of 0.5 m/s. This study provides valuable insights into applying energy storage heat exchangers in data centers.

Key words: phase change energy storage, shell-and-tube heat exchanger, numerical simulation, energy storage efficiency, exergy loss

CLC Number:

TK 02

Zian PENG, Wenchao DUAN, Jie LI, Xiaoqin SUN, Mengjie SONG. Energy storage characteristics of a shell-and-tube phase change energy storage heat exchanger for data centers[J]. Energy Storage Science and Technology, 2023, 12(6): 1765-1773.

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熔点/℃	导热系数 /[W/(m·℃)]	黏度 /[kg/(m·s)]	比热容 /[J/(kg·℃)]	密度/(kg/m³)		相变潜热 /(kJ/kg)
熔点/℃	导热系数 /[W/(m·℃)]	黏度 /[kg/(m·s)]	比热容 /[J/(kg·℃)]	固相	液相	相变潜热 /(kJ/kg)
25	0.2	0.0027	2000	880	770	230

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