NUMERICAL-SIMULATION OF SOLID LIQUID-PHASE CHANGE PHENOMENA

A two-dimensional numerical simulation of the thermal behaviour of a solid-liquid phase change material (PCM), confined in a rectangular domain, has been carried out. A numerical coupling between the PCM enclosure and two heat exchangers forming a thermal storage device has been made. The natural convection in the fluid and the conduction in the solid are both considered. The enthalpy-porosity approach proposed by Voller et al. has been applied to formulate the governing equations. A fixed grid and the semi-implicit method for pressure-linked equations consistent (SIMPLEC) are used to obtain the numerical solution of the governing equations. Numerical results corresponding to three different PCMs under different work conditions are presented. The numerical predictions have been compared with experimental data found in the literature.