Influence of the Copper Foam Fin (CFF) Shapes on Thermal Performance of Phase-Change Material (PCM) in An Enclosed Cavity

Abstract Phase-Change Material (PCM) attracted much attention due to its high thermal storage density under the small temperature variation, its poor thermal conductivity limited the thermal charging/discharging efficiency significantly. To overcome this deficit, fins were produced by copper foam to improve the thermal performance of PCM and seven Copper Foam Fin (CFF) shapes were considered with the same filling ratio of 50%. The numerical simulation was employed with the two-temperature non-equilibrium model. Results showed the solidifying process with the liquid fraction variation from 100% to 30% had the similar rules with the melting process with the liquid fraction variation from 0% to 70%, but the solidifying time with the liquid fraction variation from 30% to 0% was much higher than the melting time with the liquid fraction variation from 70% to 100%. The preferable CFF shape was gained with the longer left-side length, close to the hot and cold source. And there was the natural-convection heat transfer in solidifying and melting processes, but the natural convection intensity was too small to be considered in the solidifying process.