Design Innovations for Improved Heat Transfer in Latent Heat Thermal Energy Storage

This study presents a numerical investigation of latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) systems employing phase change materials (PCMs) to enhance heat transfer performance. Two storage configurations are analysed using COMSOL Multiphysics: a conventional unit with a simple heat exchanger tube and an optimized design featuring a modified tube geometry aimed at improving thermal conductivity and heat exchange efficiency. A transient two-dimensional finite element model is developed to simulate temperature evolution, phase transition behaviour, and melting dynamics during the charging and discharging processes. The results demonstrate that the optimized heat exchanger design significantly accelerates heat transfer and reduces thermal response time compared to the basic configuration. The findings highlight the importance of geometric optimization in improving the performance of latent heat thermal energy storage systems and provide practical guidance for the design of efficient thermal energy storage solutions in energy engineering applications.