Open Access

ARTICLE

Numerical Study of Melting Coupled Natural Convection Around Localized Heat Sources

by Mustapha Faraji¹, El Alami Mustapha, Najam Mostafa

1 Physics Department, LPMMAT Laboratory, Faculty of Sciences Ain Chock, Hassan II University,PO 5366- Maarif, Casablanca- Morocco. Corresponding author. Email: farajimustapha@yahoo.fr;Tel: +212 -631-756 -990

Fluid Dynamics & Materials Processing 2014, 10(2), 279-298. https://doi.org/10.3970/fdmp.2014.010.279

Abstract

A study is reported of heat transfer and melting in a fan-less thermal management system consisting of an insulated horizontal cavity filled with a phase change material (PCM) and heated from below by a conducting plate supporting three identical protruding heat sources. Such a PCM enclosure can be used as a heat sink for the cooling of electronic components. The advantage of this cooling strategy is that PCMs characterized by high energy storage density and small transition temperature interval, are able to store a high amount of heat (thereby providing efficient passive cooling). A two-dimensional simulation model is developed that accounts for heat transfer by conduction, convection in the molten region and phase change. In particular, numerical investigations are conducted using an enthalpy-porosity method in order to examine the impact of the considered geometry on the temperature distribution and evolution in the enclosure. A wide range of values of the enclosure aspect ratio is considered.

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Keywords

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