Effects of particle size on discharge characteristics of latent heat storage columns packed with cross-linked polymer particles

摘要

Experimental and numerical analyses were carried out to investigate the effects of particle size on discharge characteristics of fixed-bed thermal energy storage columns, using form-stable cross-linked polymer particles of two different sizes as phase change materials and water as heat transfer fluid. Firstly, particle-to-fluid heat transfer coefficients in the fixed-beds were evaluated experimentally, and two empirical formulas for estimating the heat transfer coefficients for each fixed-bed were presented. Secondly, by using these formulas, the transient response of the outlet temperature of the heat transfer fluid was estimated with a numerical method, which agreed with experimental results under various operating conditions. The transient temperature distribution in the fixed-beds, necessary to design thermal energy storage columns, was also obtained with the numerical method.