Experimental and numerical study of a PCM-based finned tube heat exchanger for thermal energy storage

This research investigates the thermal performance of a fin-and-tube Latent Thermal Energy Storage (LTES) system through a combined experimental and numerical approach. The study addresses the challenges of low thermal conductivity by implementing an aluminum finned geometry to enhance heat transfer and using RT42 paraffin wax as the phase change material. The experimental phase was conducted under laminar flow conditions with a constant mass flow rate of 0.0055 kg/s. Three distinct inlet temperatures were analyzed to evaluate their impact on the duration of phase transition, specifically focusing on the kinetic trade-offs between the melting (charging) and solidification (discharging) processes. The numerical study, developed using CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics), was utilized to simulate the dynamic behavior of the heat exchanger. Both charging and discharging cycles were successfully compromised and validated through a direct comparison with experimental data obtained from thermocouples positioned within the PCM volume. This validation confirms the model’s accuracy in predicting temperature distribution and phase-front progression. The results demonstrate that the integrated finned structure significantly enhances heat transfer, providing a robust framework for designing efficient PCM-based thermal management systems for energy storage applications.