Thermal Performance and Melting Behavior of Partially Funnel-Shaped Anisotropic Copper Foam/Paraffin PCM Within an LHTES

Improving the thermal properties of phase change materials is essential for enhancing thermal energy storage systems. This paper seeks to enhance the thermal efficiency of latent heat thermal energy storage by the integration of anisotropic metal foams (AMFs). The thermal efficiency and melting behavior of partly AMF designs, with systematic variations in placement, covering, and orientation, are computationally modeled and studied to maximize heat absorption and distribution within the system. A total of 12 distinct examples were examined based on the form and proportions of a funnel-shaped anisotropic metal foam layer (AMFL) that covers between 36% and 60% of the unit. The finite element method is utilized to solve the governing equations of the system. The numerical results indicated that the geometric orientation and dimensions of the AMFL influenced the thermal performance of the system. It was observed that positioning the big AMFL nearer to the hot wall increased the melting rate by 4.9%, 5.1%, and 3.9% when the AMFL fills 36%, 44%, and 52% of the cavity, respectively. Increasing the AMFL size from 36% to 60% of the unit size for the same design led to a 3.1% enhancement in the melting rate.