Heat transfer processes during an unfixed solid phase change material melting outside a horizontal tube

The melting of an unrestrained phase change material (PCM) around a horizon tal tube arises in many applications such as ice storage for HVAC (Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning) systems. The instantaneous heat transfer rate during the melting process must be known for optimal system design an d operation of the application. A theoretical model was developed to analyz e the heat transfer during the melting process. A series of experiments on internal melting of unrestrained ice around a fixed horizontal tube were re ported. The temporal geometric shape, melting rates under various experimen tal conditions were determined using a photograph technique. The experiment al results were used to validate the theoretical model. The validation resu lts show that the model accurately predicts the solid PCM melting rate. (C) 2001 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS.