Investigation on heat transfer enhancement of PCM by tree-like fins

Abstract The limited thermal conductivity of PCM significantly hampers the potential applications of phase change heat storage. To enhance heat transfer efficiency, fins can be incorporated into the phase change unit. In this study, two tree-like fins were designed based on fractal principles, and a transient model for fin-lauric acid phase change was established. Through numerical simulations, we investigated and compared the variations in liquid fraction of units equipped with fractal fins, traditional rectangular fins, and without any fins. In order to explore the variation of the heat transfer process in the units, the solid-liquid interface and temperature distribution were analyzed. The results demonstrate that due to their superior enhancement effect on heat conduction outweighing any inhibitory effects from natural convection, fractal fins exhibit significant improvements in heat transfer performance by shortening the complete melting time by 33.72% and 29.17%, respectively, for each type of tree-like fin.