Parametric Study of Phase Change Suspension Flow in Microchannels Available to Purchase

A continuum model is applied to the numerical simulation of the laminar hydrodynamic and heat-transfer characteristics of suspension with phase change material (PCM) particles in a microchannel. The analytical/numerical formulation based on CFD modeling technique, and the computer code is developed. Local wall-to-suspension heat transfer coefficients are calculated by the simultaneous solution of the conservation of mass, momentum and thermal energy equations. By providing detailed information on the local behavior of the wall-to-suspension heat transfer coefficients, preliminary calculations expose that there exists a particle-depleted layer next to the wall under the laminar flow condition. It plays an important role on the heat transfer between the suspension and the wall under the laminar flow condition. The heat transfer coefficient increases and reaches a peak value in the melting region. The benefits on the enhancement of heat transfer and the reduction of wall temperature and mean temperature by employing the MCPCM particle are mainly in the melting region. The preliminary results agree very well with the experimental observations and measurement on the flow and heat transfer of microencapsulated PCM slurry in circular duct. It interprets the observation in the literature where heat transfer between the suspension and the wall is weaker in non-melting region and melted region than that between the pure fluid and the wall for laminar flow conditions.