Optimization of the thermal performance of a lobed triplex-tube solar thermal storage system equipped with a phase change material

The thermal performance of a PCM-based triple-tube lobed heat exchanger storage system is here simulated and optimized, including performance improvements via lobed surfaces, Y-shaped fins, dispersed multi-walled carbon nanotubes, and metal foams, to be used in combination, or singly. Such computations are done with the finite volume method under different operating conditions. The reason behind this study is to look for solutions to improve the poor thermal performance of phase change materials (PCMs) as thermal energy storage materials, that limits their compactness and instantaneous heat stored/released. This is the first time that a throughout analysis of this aspect is presented. The result showed that higher modified Stefan number allow to improve melting time of a 50.88 %. The inclusion of lobes and fins resulted in a reduction of roughly 30.54 % in time needed for melting completion, compared to straight tubes. This reduction increases to 74.26 % when lobes are combined with both nanoparticles and metal foam, and to 73.60 % with just foam. The best solution also provides a 228.34 W mean heat rate. This study becomes an option to design tube-in-tube energy storage systems, where the best improvement is achieved by considering a lobed surface together with nano/PCM and foam, whereas the highest enhancement comes from using a metal foam.