Numerical study of the melting of Nano-PCM in a rectangular storage unit heated by upward heat transfer fluid

nanoparticles in a rectangular latent heat storage unit (LHSU). The storage unit consists of a number of identical plates of Nano-PCM separated by rectangular channels in which water flows as a heat transfer fluid (HTF). A mathematical model based on the conservation equations of mass, momentum and energy has been developed and validated by experimental and numerical data available in literature. The phase change problem was formulated using the enthalpy porosity technique and the resulting equations were discretized according to the finite volume approach. Numerical investigations were conducted to evaluate the effect of the nanoparticles volume fraction on the heat transfer features and thermal performance of the storage unit.