Experimental Investigation of Phase Change Materials for Enhancing Solar Air Vortex Engine Performance

ABSTRACT Solar air vortex engines are promising technologies for converting solar energy into clean thermal and kinetic energy. However, fluctuations in solar radiation significantly affect their performance, and their ability to operate continuously during periods of low radiation intensity is limited. This study aims to experimentally evaluate the performance of a solar air vortex engine (SAVE) integrated with a phase‐change material (PCM) to improve thermal stability and extend operating life. Asphalt was used as the phase‐change material and stored in aluminum containers placed inside the solar collector. The experiments were conducted in Kirkuk, Iraq (35.47°N, 44.39°E), under real‐world operating conditions, and the system's performance was compared with and without the phase‐change material. The results showed that incorporating the phase‐change material reduced the maximum air temperature from 72.7°C to 68.1°C and the maximum air velocity from 2.7 to 2.5 m/s during peak conditions, due to thermal energy absorption and storage. Kinetic power and usable thermal energy decreased by 18.3% and 20.8%, respectively, during peak hours. Conversely, the phase‐change material improved system performance during periods of low solar irradiance. Air temperature at the end of operation increased by 17.4%, kinetic power rose from 0.58 to 7.86 mW, and thermal efficiency improved by 54.7% by 8:00 p.m. These results confirm that incorporating phase‐change materials into a Solar Air Vortex Engine (SAVE) effectively enhances thermal stability and improves solar energy utilization, making the technology suitable for power‐generation applications.