Development of freezing process of phase change materials in cylindrical thermal energy storage tanks with various fin configurations

Abstract One of the most effective methods for thermal energy storage relies on the latent heat property of phase change materials (PCMs). Fins are widely employed as an efficient technique to enhance heat transfer. However, precise modeling of the freezing process remains challenging due to the dyn...

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Main Authors: Seyyed Amirreza Abdollahi, Saman Faramarzi, Behnam Azizi Gheshlaghchaei, Sana Sahaf Amin, Mohammad Hossein Heidarshenas, Hamid Majidi, Faramarz Talati
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-05-01
Series:Scientific Reports
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-02262-x
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author Seyyed Amirreza Abdollahi
Saman Faramarzi
Behnam Azizi Gheshlaghchaei
Sana Sahaf Amin
Mohammad Hossein Heidarshenas
Hamid Majidi
Faramarz Talati
author_facet Seyyed Amirreza Abdollahi
Saman Faramarzi
Behnam Azizi Gheshlaghchaei
Sana Sahaf Amin
Mohammad Hossein Heidarshenas
Hamid Majidi
Faramarz Talati
author_sort Seyyed Amirreza Abdollahi
collection DOAJ
description Abstract One of the most effective methods for thermal energy storage relies on the latent heat property of phase change materials (PCMs). Fins are widely employed as an efficient technique to enhance heat transfer. However, precise modeling of the freezing process remains challenging due to the dynamic nature of the phase change boundary. This study introduces a novel semi-analytical approach based on Green’s function to investigate the impact of radial and longitudinal fins on the freezing process within cylindrical thermal energy storage tanks under time-dependent first and third type boundary conditions. Unlike previous studies that primarily focused on steady-state conditions or simplified geometries, this research provides a more realistic and comprehensive analysis of transient thermal behavior. The findings reveal that while fins initially accelerate freezing, their effectiveness diminishes over time due to thermal resistance effects. Radial fins consistently outperform longitudinal fins, reducing total freezing time by up to 75.31% and demonstrating a 19.68% efficiency improvement. These results offer new insights for optimizing the design of thermal energy storage systems, particularly in applications requiring efficient cold energy storage under varying boundary conditions.
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institution Kabale University
issn 2045-2322
language English
publishDate 2025-05-01
publisher Nature Portfolio
record_format Article
series Scientific Reports
spelling doaj-art-9fd30cbccad94eceb64f053954fa136e2025-08-20T03:48:15ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-05-0115112610.1038/s41598-025-02262-xDevelopment of freezing process of phase change materials in cylindrical thermal energy storage tanks with various fin configurationsSeyyed Amirreza Abdollahi0Saman Faramarzi1Behnam Azizi Gheshlaghchaei2Sana Sahaf Amin3Mohammad Hossein Heidarshenas4Hamid Majidi5Faramarz Talati6Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of TabrizDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, West Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad UniversityFaculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of TabrizFaculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of TabrizDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, Shahid Chamran University of AhvazDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, Ilam Branch, Islamic Azad UniversityFaculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of TabrizAbstract One of the most effective methods for thermal energy storage relies on the latent heat property of phase change materials (PCMs). Fins are widely employed as an efficient technique to enhance heat transfer. However, precise modeling of the freezing process remains challenging due to the dynamic nature of the phase change boundary. This study introduces a novel semi-analytical approach based on Green’s function to investigate the impact of radial and longitudinal fins on the freezing process within cylindrical thermal energy storage tanks under time-dependent first and third type boundary conditions. Unlike previous studies that primarily focused on steady-state conditions or simplified geometries, this research provides a more realistic and comprehensive analysis of transient thermal behavior. The findings reveal that while fins initially accelerate freezing, their effectiveness diminishes over time due to thermal resistance effects. Radial fins consistently outperform longitudinal fins, reducing total freezing time by up to 75.31% and demonstrating a 19.68% efficiency improvement. These results offer new insights for optimizing the design of thermal energy storage systems, particularly in applications requiring efficient cold energy storage under varying boundary conditions.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-02262-xCold energy storagePhase change materialRadial and longitudinal finsFreezing Front advancement
spellingShingle Seyyed Amirreza Abdollahi
Saman Faramarzi
Behnam Azizi Gheshlaghchaei
Sana Sahaf Amin
Mohammad Hossein Heidarshenas
Hamid Majidi
Faramarz Talati
Development of freezing process of phase change materials in cylindrical thermal energy storage tanks with various fin configurations
Scientific Reports
Cold energy storage
Phase change material
Radial and longitudinal fins
Freezing Front advancement
title Development of freezing process of phase change materials in cylindrical thermal energy storage tanks with various fin configurations
title_full Development of freezing process of phase change materials in cylindrical thermal energy storage tanks with various fin configurations
title_fullStr Development of freezing process of phase change materials in cylindrical thermal energy storage tanks with various fin configurations
title_full_unstemmed Development of freezing process of phase change materials in cylindrical thermal energy storage tanks with various fin configurations
title_short Development of freezing process of phase change materials in cylindrical thermal energy storage tanks with various fin configurations
title_sort development of freezing process of phase change materials in cylindrical thermal energy storage tanks with various fin configurations
topic Cold energy storage
Phase change material
Radial and longitudinal fins
Freezing Front advancement
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-02262-x
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