Analytical and Numerical Comparison of the Two-Dimensional One-and Two-Phase Energy Storage Phenomenon in Phase Change Materials

Abstract This work investigated the thermal behavior of phase change material during the melting process in a two-dimensional (2D) plate intended for thermal energy storage. The analytical and numerical analyses were conducted for both one phase and two-phase systems. The numerical analysis was conducted using the Mathematica program, while the COMSOL Multiphysics program, which employs the finite element approach, was employed. To validate the numerical analysis answers, the Stefan-Neumann equations were solved analytically using the EES (Engineering Equation Solver) program. The present study investigated the temporal variation of heat transfer flow during the melting process of paraffin material under a constant wall temperature. A 98.9% agreement is seen between the regression analysis findings of the one-phase numerical and analytical solutions for the melting distance of paraffin from the wall in different time periods (0.8–16 h). This study examined the numerical and analytical solutions for one- and two-phase systems and found that the thermal energy storage values converged to 99.2% for two phase systems and 99.6% for one phase systems.