Investigation of Complex Melting Dynamics of Phase Change Material in Inclined Enclosures with Asymmetrical Fins

This study investigates the complex flow characteristics related to melting of phase change material (PCM) with asymmetrical fins using computational fluid dynamics. The analysis is conducted using novel dual nonuniform asymmetrical fins (L‐shaped) within a closed enclosure to enhance melting performance of PCM. Firstly, numerical analyzes are performed based on the dual‐fin's orientation and are compared with the no‐fin enclosure. Then, the practical application has also been assessed by examining the effect of inclination angles , , , , and on the melting of PCM within a closed enclosure using twenty‐five distinct configurations designed. Results show that fin orientation has less impact than inclination angles on the melting process. For finned enclosures, melting time generally increases by 31%–37% with a 0 to 90° inclination change. Reducing PCM mass by 4% in finned enclosures results in only a 2.2%–2.4% reduction in stored energy, while enhancing melting time by up to 44% compared to no‐fin enclosures at 0° inclination. At 60° and 90° tilt angles, finned cases store more energy than the no‐fin case, despite a 4% PCM mass reduction, due to significant sensible heat gains of ≈15.4%–16.7% at 60° and 25.7%–26.1% at 90°, respectively.