Session: 12-06-04: Advanced Heat Sinks and Emerging Thermal Applications

Paper Number: 173629

Experimental Analysis of Melting Within a Thin Rectangular Cavity With Horizontal Fins 

Currently, an active approach is typically used for thermal regulation that consumes energy by heating and cooling. Passive thermal regulation can be achieved with phase change materials (PCM) by selecting a material with a melting temperature around which the temperature should be ideally maintained. When the temperature becomes high, the PCM melts and absorbs energy, and when the temperature becomes low, the PCM solidifies and releases the stored energy. One example of an application of passive thermal regulation using PCM, and therefore latent heat thermal energy storage, is the cooling of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels. While some of the solar irradiation absorbed by the PV panel is converted to usable electricity, most of the sunlight is converted to heat, increasing the temperature of the panel. There is an inverse relationship between the temperature of the PV cells and their conversion efficiency. In such case, active cooling is less efficient as it uses a portion of the generated electricity to power a cooling system. Passive cooling, on the other hand, is an efficient way to regulate the temperature of the PV panel. That is, as the temperature of the PV panel becomes too high, excess heat is absorbed by the PCM and reduces the temperature of the cells. The thermal storage discharges the heat at night when the ambient temperature typically drops. As this method of passive cooling does not require any energy from the electrical generation of the PV panel, it is preferable to active cooling methods.

The low thermal conductivity of the PCMs acts as a barrier, which makes charging and discharging inefficient. To design a practical passive thermal regulation system, improved understanding of the fundamental physics of phase change and associated heat transfer is essential. One potential configuration of a thermal storage unit for the thermal regulation of a PV panel is a rectangular cavity with a finned heat transfer surface. The present study builds upon the previously presented work on the subject, where transient velocity and temperature fields of melting were captured, and preliminary results were presented and discussed [1]. Further experiments are being conducted, including experimental measurements of the flow behavior to supplement the temperature data captured. Advanced analysis of the spatiotemporal thermofluid processes resulting from these detailed experimental measurements will be presented to provide deeper insight into the underlying fundamental processes.

[1] K. Teather, K. Siddiqui and A.G. Straatman, “An Experimental Study of Phase Change in a Finned Rectangular Cavity for Thermal Energy Storage”, presented at ASME FEDSM 2024, July 15-17, Anaheim, CA (presentation only).

Presenting Author: Kyle Teather Western University

Presenting Author Biography: Dr. Kyle Teather earned a Bachelor of Engineering Science in Mechanical Engineering from Western University in 2017, and completed a PhD in Mechanical Engineering at the same institution in 2023, specializing in experimental thermofluids and phase change phenomena. Dr. Teather is currently serving as a postdoctoral researcher at Western University studying latent heat thermal energy storage.

Authors:

Kyle Teather Western University
Kamran Siddiqui Western University
Anthony Straatman Western University