Melting of nanoparticles-enhanced phase change material (NEPCM) in vertical semicircle enclosure: numerical study

摘要

Convection melting of ice as a Phase change material (PCM) dispersed with Cu nanoparticles, which is encapsulated in a semicircle enclosure is studied numerically. The enthalpy-based Lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) combined with a Double distribution function (DDF) model is used to solve the convection-diffusion equation. The increase in solid concentration of nanoparticles results in the enhancement of thermal conductivity of PCM and the decrease in the latent heat of fusion. By enhancing solid concentration of nanoparticles, the viscosity of nanofluid increases and convective heat transfer dwindles. For all Rayleigh numbers investigated in this study, the insertion of nanoparticles in PCM has no effect on the average Nusselt number.