Title: Optimisation of a hybrid latent heat storage unit based on phase change time and exergy efficiency

Authors: Gopi Krishna Amudhalapalli; Jaya Krishna Devanuri

Addresses: Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Warangal, India ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Warangal, India

Abstract: The effect of geometric parameters on the exergy efficiency of a hybrid PCM shell and tube (ST) HX during melting and solidification is analysed. Copper foam and GNPs are used with PCM. The performance of HX is analysed by varying metal foam porosity, volume fraction of GNP nanoparticles, HX length, HTF inlet temperature, length-to-diameter ratio (l/d) of shell, and Reynolds number of HTF. Grey relational analysis is employed for multi-criteria optimisation of the HX. The exergy efficiency is noted to significantly depend on HTF inlet temperature during melting, and during solidification, it depends on the Reynolds number and l/d ratio.

Keywords: phase change time; melting and solidification; porous media; exergy; parametric analysis; grey relational analysis; GRA.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEX.2024.136940

International Journal of Exergy, 2024 Vol.43 No.2, pp.147 - 162

Received: 22 Jul 2023
Accepted: 20 Dec 2023
Published online: 29 Feb 2024 *

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