In the present work, latent heat thermal storage devices that use an array of fins are studied experimentally and theoretically. The thermal storage charging/discharging process is driven by a hot/cold heat transfer fluid (HTF) flowing inside the tube from which heat is conducted to the fins that are in contact with the bulk of the PCM inside a cylindrical shell, causing the PCM to melt/solidify. The present study focuses on a case in which the envelope of the unit is exposed to a heated environment and close-contact melting takes place on the upper surface of the fins. It is demonstrated that close-contact melting affects noticeably the melting rate and shortens the melting time considerably.
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