Timely melting - Solidification cycles for optimizing the PCM efficiency in space

Identifier:  imarina:9499443

Handle: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11797/imarina9499443

Authors:  Badfar, Homayoun; Dubert, Diana C; Massons, Jaume; Bou-Ali, Mounir M; Ruiz, Xavier; Shevtsova, Valentina

Abstract:
The present study deals with a multifaceted approach to heat transfer in phase-change materials (PCM), focusing on melting - solidification full cycle of n-Eicosane, and applying a varying range of thermal conditions relevant to space applications. Special attention is given to the thermocapillary effect, or Marangoni convection, as it plays a critical role in the heat transfer process of PCMs under microgravity conditions. The domain proposed for the present paper is modeled having the upper surface exposed to air and the range of varying boundary conditions are imposed on the end walls. This numerical study on n-Eicosane complements our previous work [7], which focused on gallium. The most efficient scenario involves reversing the temperature between the cold and hot walls at key timesteps, prior to full melting or thermal equilibrium is achieved. The results show that by using a sufficient number of boundary condition switches at short time interval between them can significantly enhance the heat transfer rate, which is crucial for spacecraft applications.