ABSTRACT
Farid initiated his work on thermal energy storage in the early 1980s to establish a comprehensive mathematical analysis of the moving interface associated with the use of phase change materials (PCMs). Studying the effect of natural convection on the process of melting and solidification of paraffin PCM, contained in a cylindrical cell, was established in his early work. The theoretical model, developed in the work, was used for the prediction of both melting and solidification experiments, considering the effect of initial sub-cooling or superheating that might occur during the process. The mathematical model developed in this work was based on solving the heat conduction equation in both melt and solid phases in cylindrical coordinates, considering the radial temperature distribution in both phases. The study showed a significant improvement in the rate of heat transfer during heat charge and discharge when PCMs with different melting temperatures were used.
