Effects of wavy wall and Y-shaped fins on solidification of PCM with dispersion of Al2O3 nanoparticle

In current modeling, solidification process within a three-dimensional triplex tube was numerically studied. In two sides, the cold water flow is used while the middle tube contains RT82. The purpose of the current article is investigating the impacts of using nanoparticles, fin, and the combination of both of them on thermal characteristics during solidification in an energy storage unit. Also, the amount of stored energy has been investigated over time, and the influences of temperature and water velocity were scrutinized. The results revealed some substantial improvements in the solidification rate by adding fins or nanoparticles. It was indicated that using a combination of these two heat transfer enhancement methods presents a better enhancement compared to when either of these two methods is employed alone.