Evaluation of the Melting Performance in a Conical Latent Heat Thermal Unit Having Variable Length Fins

A conical shell-tube design with non-uniform fins was addressed for phase change latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES). The shell filled nano-enhanced material (NePCM). cone aspect ratio of the and were adopted as geometrical parameters. type volume fraction nanoparticles other investigated alumina, graphite oxide, silver, copper. finite element method employed to solve natural convection flow equations in LHTES unit. Taguchi optimization utilized maximize melting rate Two cases ascending descending shells investigated. outcomes showed that shell-aspect fin most important parameters, followed by concentration nanoparticles. Both designs could lead same at their optimum design. improve up 18.5%. (descending) a plain tube (a 1.17) 4.5% alumina-Bio-PCM (1.5% copper-Bio-PCM).