Enhancement of PCM melting in enclosures with horizontally-finned internal surfaces

A numerical model for simulating the melting of a phase change material (PCM) housed within an internally-finned metal enclosure is developed. A finite volume approach, utilizing the temperature-transforming model for phase change, is used to predict the conjugate heat transfer in the cavity walls and fins, as well as within the molten PCM. The influence of the number of fins, the fin length and thickness, and the hot wall temperature on the melting process is reported. With horizontal fins, rapid melting occurs during the early stages of the phase change, followed by a second, slow melting regime. Analytical correlations are developed that can be used to quickly estimate melting rates during both melting regimes, and it is shown that the predictions of the correlations are in good agreement with those of the detailed model.