Numerical simulations of thermal energy storage systems with phase cahnge materials

Abstract

This paper deals with the numerical simulation of thermal energy storage systems with PCM. Numerical simulations are a powerful tool for predicting the thermal behaviour of thermal systems, as well as for optimizing their design. The system under study is a cylindrical container, filled with spheres containing paraffin wax (PCM) and water occupying the space left between the spheres. Two different processes are studied: charging and discharging. In charging mode, hot water coming from the solar field passes through the container, delivering energy to the PCM spheres. In the discharging mode, cold water from supply comes through, extracting the energy previously stored in the PCM and leaving the tank at a higher temperature.