Enhancement of energy charge discharge rates in composite slabs of different phase change materials

A one-dimensional finite element phase change heat conduction model has been developed for cyclic melting-freezing in composite phase change material (PCM) slabs. Computations have been carried out to investigate the influence of different arrangements of PCMs with different melting points, thermophysical properties and different boundary conditions on the transient heat transfer process when energy is charged from one side of a slab and discharged from the other. Numerical experiments indicate that the instantaneous heat flux can be greatly enhanced using slabs consisting of multiple composite PCMs. Potential for application of composite PCMs in thermal energy storage is discussed.