ISSN Online: 2379-1748
ISBN Flash Drive: 978-1-56700-431-1
ISBN Online: 978-1-56700-430-4
First Thermal and Fluids Engineering Summer Conference
ANALYSIS OF A HEAT PIPE-ASSISTED HIGH TEMPERATURE LATENT HEAT ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM USING A THREE-DIMENSIONAL MODEL
Abstract
In the present study, the startup process of a high temperature latent heat thermal energy storage system
assisted by finned heat pipes was investigated numerically. Enthalpy-porosity technique along with a
transient three-dimensional finite volume based model was employed to simulate the charging process of a
thermal energy storage unit. The effects of heat pipe diameter, configuration and quantity of heat pipes as
well as the role of natural convection on the performance of the thermal energy storage system were studied.
The results demonstrate that the inclusion of natural convection in the startup process of the system leads to
considerably higher melting rate and lower container base wall temperature. It is also shown that heat pipe
configurations and quantities have a crucial role on the thermal response of the storage unit.