Comparative CFD Analysis of Heat Transfer Enhancement in Phase Change Thermal Energy Storage with and without Fins for Solar Energy Storage

Solar energy storage faces challenges due to its intermittent nature. Phase Change Thermal Energy Storage (PC-TES) offers a promising solution, utilizing materials that store energy by changing their phase. This study presents a comprehensive Comparative Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Analysis aimed at evaluating the heat transfer enhancement in phase change thermal energy storage configurations with and without fins. The numerical simulations, conducted using ANSYS (fluent), investigate the dynamic interactions within the system during the charging phase. We developed detailed CFD models representing PC-TES systems with and without fins, investigating their thermal performance during melting under controlled conditions. The analysis focused on quantifying the impact of fins on key metrics like melting time and temperature distribution. Our results demonstrate the significant benefits of fin integration. Fins enhanced heat transfer area, leading to 33.33% faster melting compared to finless configurations. They created uniform temperature distribution by minimizing the thermal gradient within PCM. This thermal enhancement is due to combined effect of using Nanofluid as heat transfer fluid and use of fins. Overall, this study concludes that incorporating fins in PC-TES systems offers a potent strategy for significantly improved heat transfer and faster energy storage, highlighting their potential for efficient and cost-effective solar energy capture and utilization.