ABSTRACT
The charging process of Phase Change Material (PCM) packaged in a cylindrical container that melts by absorbing the heat with the Heat Pipe (HP) is simulated in the paper. A two-dimensional physical model is built to couple with the problem that the heat transmission of HP with PCM. An enthalpy model and VOF method is separately introduced to couple with the melting of PCM, the evaporation and the condensation in HP. The numerical simulation reveals that the temperature of the evaporation section rises faster than the condensation section at the beginning and the gap decreases as the continuum flow is established in the entire HP. The PCM temperature distribution is closely related to the flow in the HP. The melting time of the PCM meets the demands of the Solar Dynamic Space Power System (SDPSS). The work in this paper lays a good foundation for further research on the character of the heat transfer of the HP receiver integrated with High-Temperature Latent Thermal Energy Storage (HTLHTES).
