Simulation of Thermal Management of Phase Change Materials Nano Composites Using CFD Technic

The energy crisis in recent years has to lead us to think about new sources of energy. Phase change materials are one of these efficient sources. They can be used as thermal insulators besides their heat storage applications. Also, implementing these materials has erased our need for immunization of energy consumption systems. Despite all the benefits, phase change materials have some limitations such as leaking problems and low thermal conductivity coefficient. Nanoparticles are therefore can improve their properties. In this study, the melting process of paraffin wax comprising nanoparticles of Al2O3, Fe2O3, SiO2 and ZnO (with weight fraction percentage 2% and 8%) in a rectangular container is simulated by Comsol software. Influence of nanoparticles with different weight fractions on temperature, velocity distribution, density, thermal conductivity coefficient and liquefy process are subsequently investigated. The results presented a 12.5% increase in the thermal conductivity coefficient by adding 8wt% nanoparticles. The rate of melting process in 8wt% nanoparticles is bigger than that of 2wt% nanoparticles and pure paraffin with similar initial and boundary conditions for all states, which indicates that adding nanoparticles to paraffin for increasing the melting rate can be useful in various thermal management purposes such as storing energy.