jailcd2020081: Comparative Analysis on Thermal Storage Performance and Heat Exchange Efficiency of Tanks Filled with Water and Phase Change Material (PCM)

Abstract

In the thermal engineering, the efficient and compact thermal storage can improve thermal behavior the thermal system significantly. Phase-change material (PCM) can be a better choice, it can store more thermal energy in smaller volume, and release it at a constant temperature. Based on this condition, experiment is carried on to analyze thermal storage performance and heat exchange efficiency of the PCM tank with a reference of water tank with the same scale. The temperature of water in inlet pipes maintain 75°C and 20°C, while the temperature of water in outlet pipes are tested dynamically. Moreover, twelve thermocouples are respectively placed in the tanks to measure the temperature distribution. The experimental results show the temperature of hot water in outlet pipes in the PCM tank are obviously lower than that in the water tank, which shows more thermal energy is stored. And the temperature of cold water in outlet pipes in the PCM tank are higher than that in the water tank, which depicts the high heat exchange efficiency of the PCM tank. And under the long operating time, the PCM tank has the lower temperature distribution. It shows high-effective thermal exchange performance of the PCM tank.