A numerical study on the influence of fin numbers and material embedded with heat pipe for thermal charging in a trapezoidal container

This study delves into the thermal charging of a PCM accommodating thermal energy storage system within a trapezoidal enclosure, incorporating variable-length fins and heat pipes, through numerical analysis. The investigation employs multiple variable-length fins, and Steel, Aluminum (Al), and Copper (Cu) are considered potential fin materials. The study utilizes six key benchmarks—completes melting duration, enhancement ratio, total accumulated energy, average PCM temperature, mean power, and cost per mean power to comprehensively assess the impact of varying fin numbers and materials. The findings reveal that while an increased number of Al fins results in a higher enhancement ratio, this effect diminishes with a further increase in the number of fins. The scenario featuring 12-Steel-fins demonstrates the most uniform temperature distribution. Furthermore, an augmentation in the number of fins and their thermal conductivity corresponds to an improvement in mean power. Notably, the cases of 12-Cu-fins and 12-Al-fins exhibit equal and the lowest cost per mean power among all scenarios.