Thermal behaviour study of phase change material of a latent heat storage system

An Experimental study on latent heat storage system (LHS) using Erythritol as a phase change material (PCM) has been carried out to analyze the thermal characteristics. The study is part of testing aimed at observation of PCM to store solar energy to melt paraffin wax for candle making. The trial inspected the effect of inlet temperatures (T-h) of heat transfer fluid (HTF) on the thermal behaviour of the LHS system. The outcome revealed that the suitable inlet temperature (T-h) for charging the system is 143 degrees C. The trial plan also examined the temperature gradient in the axial directions during charging to help predict heat transfer in the system during phase change of Erythritol. Time bound temperature curves were used to analyse the results. An LHS was fabricated of shell and tube (bundle) type heat exchanger for this study. Thermocouples connected to a data logger were used to measure the temperature of the PCM along the direction of flow.(C) 2015Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.