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Thermal Analysis of Phase Change Materials Storage in Solar Concenter

Sulaiman Al-Hashmi, Mingjie Chen

Renewable energy sources have become increasingly important to scientists because of the rapid depletion of conventional energy sources and the ever increasing demand for energy. In recent years, research on thermal energy storage has advanced to where it has the potential to have a substantial impact on modern technology. In the current work, water is used to fill the void between two different wax paraffin and stearic acid spheres, which are classified as PCMs (Phase Change Materials). ANSYS software created a simplified two dimensional model of the PCM contained within the spheres. Thermal analysis simulations are used to study the transition from solid to liquid state. Simulated charging process modes have been compared to theoretical results. Comparing the outcomes of paraffin and stearic acid is done by using spheres of various sizes and a fin put into the spheres. A sphere’s size affects the amount of time it takes for a sphere’s phase change to complete, with paraffin taking a shorter time than stearic acid to complete the transition. Inserting a rectangular fin, that made from copper into the ball, reduces the cycle time and increases output.