AN EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF COLD STORAGE IN PACKED CAPSULES WITH SOLIDIFICATION

This article investigates the thermal performance of cold storage in packed capsules with solidification. First, an experimental apparatus utilizing water capsules as phase-change material was designed and constructed. The test section has been mathematically modeled for transient response with the lump theory. Experimental data of temperature profiles for various porosities, flow rates, and different inlet coolant temperatures confirm the validity of this theory. A closed-form solution of the required time for latent heat storage has been established on the basis of the quasi-steady-state assumption of the coolant. By incorporating the experimental results and theory predictions, a correlation of internal heat transfer coefficients for cold storage in packed capsules with solidification has also been developed.