Heat transfer characteristics in low-temperature latent heat storage systems using salt-hydrates at heat recovery stage

The heat transfer characteristics of a low temperature latent heat storage system have been determined for circular finned and unfinned tubes using sodium acetate trihydrate as a phase change material (PCM). In the heat recovery stage, supercooling of PCM in the finned-tube system is larger than that in the unfinned-tube system. The heat-transfer coefficient between the PCM and the heat-transfer tube surface can be predicted from the steady-state heat conduction equation except the beginning of freezing with some degree of supercooling. The heat transfer is significantly reduced by the void cavities upon shrinkage of PCM in the finned-tube system. The enhancement of heat transfer by thin finned-tube over the unfinned-tube is found to be negligible. The heat-transfer coefficient in the thick finned-tube system is approximately two times higher than that in the unfinned-tube system. The heat transfer coefficients for the unfinned-tube and thick finned-tube systems are found to be 45 similar to 150 W/m(2)-K and 90 similar to 250 W/m(2)-K, respectively. The thermal performance for three different tube systems is found to be strongly affected by the inlet temperature but not by the flow rate of the heat transfer fluid. The amount of heat recovered has been correlated in terms of the Fourier, Stefan, and Reynolds numbers.