Hi, has anyone done modelling of heat sink with pcm(phase change material) inside.

I am doing a model of a rectangular shape enclosed heat sink heated from below with pcm inside.

Anyone has done something similar? so that i can compare the parameters.thanks!

On the following page, we have some solidification front validations. This may help jump start your efforts. I also have lecture notes on an PCM application study and can send some details of that if you are interested.

http://www.titanalgorithms.com/hyper...ons/index.html

The solidification validation is at the bottom of the page.

regards

DSS

hi,

thanks for the information. I would certainly be interested in your notes on PCM study.

Actually currently the problem i am currently facing is how do i account for the thermal expansion of the PCM?

Initially i have excluded the thermal expansion of PCM and filled my enclosure fully with PCM.

However, now as I intend to include the thermal expansion factor, I have to reduce the amount of PCM in my enclosure. So there will be an PCM/air interaction in my computational model. I was intending to use a VOF model but fluent doesnt allow for heat transfer modelling using VOF model.

Do you have any suggestions? Thanks in advance.

rgds, anthro

I have not studied or included void modeling. Certainly a difficult problem especially with migration. However, perhaps the location of the void can be defined a prior, e.g. top of the cylinder or container or off to one corner. Then, apply a simplified vapor-phase conduction in the void space. Heat will preferentially flow to the PCM regions. The PCM simulation I have is conduction only. It was a simulation of a microgravity melting of a pure substance.

regards

DSS

thanks alot. I shall try doing that!

Btw, would youu mind sharing with me the lecture notes on an PCM application study that you mentioned about previously?

You can send it to my email acount anthgomez@hotmail.com

Thank you so much!

rgds anthro

I will send a link after I can upload something

Your description of the problem looks like a heat pump application, there are a number of heat transfer analyzers that has been used to model that situation, you can try using Google Good luck