The effects of geometric parameters on the thermal performance of a rectangular natural circulation loop containing PCM suspensions

Abstract

A numerical study that uses the finite difference method to model the fluid flow and heat transfer of a rectangular natural circulation loop that contains phase change material (PCM) suspensions is presented to investigate how geometric parameters affect the thermal performance. Parametric simulations were performed using different geometrical parameters in the following ranges: the dimensionless length of the heated section = 0.4–1; the relative elevation of the cooled section compared with the heated section = 0.5–2; and the aspect ratio of the loop = 0.25–1. The results determine the important geometric parameters that affect the heat transfer performance of the loop with the PCM suspension. In several of the geometric configurations, the heat transfer performance of the loop is significantly affected by the latent heat contribution associated with the melting/freezing of the PCM particles.