| dc.description.abstract | The present numerical study treats the impact of fin shape design on the thermal efficiency of
phase change material (PCM)-based thermal energy storage (TES) unit, focusing on the same surface
area occupied by fins. Comparing two different finned TES units equipped with rectangular and
triangular fin shapes, respectively, showed significant enhancements in PCM melting activity.
Comparative analysis demonstrated that triangular fin shape lowers PCM melting time by 12.64%
for equivalent fin numbers, and by 15.38% for equal fin lengths due to the enlargement of the heat
transfer area provided by the triangular shape. Further examination of fins with triangular shape in
terms of spacing and length, under fixed thickness and size parameters, revealed significant reduction
in melting time with increasing fins length. Notably, 50.75% decrease in melting time was achieved
by decreasing the number of fins to 20 while increasing fin length to 10 mm. Moreover, maintaining
a heat transfer fluid (HTF) temperature 20 K higher than the melting PCM temperature maximizes
TES thermal efficiency. These outcomes emphasize the importance of optimizing fin shape design
for enhancing heat transfer without affecting the energy storage capacity of TES systems, with
potential applications in building thermal management. | en_US |