Numerical Study of the Effect of Fins on the Natural Convection Driven Melting of Phase Change Material

C. Liu, and D. Groulx
Mechanical Engineering
Dalhousie University
Halifax, NS
Canada
Published in 2011

Natural convection has to be accounted and simulated for in order to properly describe the physics encounter in the phase change process.

A simplified two-dimensional model was created in COMSOL 4.1. Natural convection was accounted for by adding a volume force and using the Boussinesq approach. The heat transfer and laminar flow physics were used. Results showed that natural convection played a noticeable role in determining position and behavior of the solid-liquid interface.

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