Melting in a side heated tall enclosure by a uniformly dissipating heat source

Melting of an organic phase change material (PCM) n-triacontane (C30H62) in a side heated tall enclosure of aspect ratio 10, by a uniformly dissipatin g heat source has been studied computationally and experimentally. While he at transfer data for melting in enclosures under isothermal wall boundary c ondition are available in the literature, other boundary conditions, such a s constant heat flux often arise in applications of PCM for transient therm al management of electronics. An implicit enthalpy-porosity approach was ut ilized for computational modeling of the melting process. Experimental visu alization of melt front locations was performed. Comparisons between experi mental and computational heat transfer data and melt interface locations we re good. Fluid flow and heat transfer characteristics during melting sugges ted that natural convection plays a dominant role during initial stages of melting. At later times, the strength of natural convection diminishes as m elting is completed. Correlations of heat transfer rate and melt fraction w ith time were obtained. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.