Thermodynamic analysis and optimization of multistage latent heat storage unit under unsteady inlet temperature based on entransy theory

An optimization model for a multistage latent heat storage (LHS) unit with unsteady heat transfer fluid (HTF) inlet temperature was proposed. Thermodynamic analysis and optimization were performed based on the entransy theory. The expressions of the optimum phase change material (PCM) melting temperatures (Tm,opt) were derived. The effects of geometric parameters and unsteady HTF inlet temperature on the optimum phase change temperatures were investigated. The results indicate that with the increase of stage number (n), Tm1,opt increases and Tmn,opt decreases, which is beneficial to extend the selection range of PCM. For fixed entransy dissipation condition, increasing n will not change the fluctuation of the HTF outlet temperature; however a nearly uniform HTF outlet temperature can be obtained by increasing unit length (L). The unsteady HTF inlet temperature has great effects on the optimum phase change temperature. For a 3-stage LHS unit, the optimum phase change temperature of each stage increases by 14.9 K, 26.4 K and 38.0 K respectively with respect to the values obtained by steady method, which causes the heat storage capacity decreases by 6.1% and entransy dissipation decreases by 10.6%. The present work can provide guidance for the design of the multistage LHS unit with unsteady HTF inlet temperature.