Thermal performance evaluation of latent heat storage systems with plate fin-metal foam hybrid structure

The thermal performance of phase change materials (PCM) embedded with fins and metal foam is investigated. Plate fins are attached to the enclosure, and metal foam is embedded between adjacent fins to enhance heat transfer. To predict the melting behavior, a numerical model is established based on the enthalpy-porosity method, considering natural convection, flow resistance induced by metal foam, and non-equilibrium heat transfer. Nine cases considering various geometric parameters, heat transfer enhancement designs, and heated wall temperature are studied. Furthermore, a dimensionless theoretical model is derived to conclude the effect of combined parameters. It shows that the melting time reduces by 24.8 % as the fin height decreases from 80 mm to 50 mm, and the melting time becomes shorter with the decrease of fin thickness. However, the heat flux gets higher for higher fin height and thinner fin thickness. Moreover, the melting rate and heat flux become higher for higher fin volume fraction, lower metal foam porosity, and higher heated wall temperature. Furthermore, the theoretical model reveals that as Stefan number, fin efficiency, and the ratio of thermal diffusivity to the squared fin height become larger, the melting rate becomes higher.