Experiments were carried out to observe the solidification sequence and void distribution for experimental liquids enclosed in Pyrex tubes under a wide range of cooling rates. A physical model based on liquid thermal shrinkage and nucleation considerations has been developed to predict the number of voids formed in terms of the heat transfer rate and thermophysical properties of the phase-change material. Agreement of the results with our experimental data is encouraging. Understanding such aspects of the solidification process is vital to development of better thermal energy storage systems for a variety of applications.
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