Work

Enhanced thermal management with NE-PCM–water in a fan-shaped sinusoidal enclosure under linear side-wall heating

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Improving thermal management through suspensions of Nano-Encapsulated Phase Change Materials (NE-PCM) in conventional fluids is essential for optimizing thermal system performance, as it influences flow behavior and thermal distributions in complex-shaped enclosures, which are crucial for enhancing system efficiency. In this context, the present article investigates the flow and thermal behavior of NE-PCM–H 2 O inside a closed enclosure, where all walls are sinusoidally designed to resemble a fan-like structure. The enclosure features varying undulation configurations, with the bottom wall heated, the top wall cooled, and the side walls exhibiting a linearly varying temperature. The NE-PCM consists of an n-nonadecane core encapsulated in a polyurethane shell, suspended in water. Experimental-based correlations for effective viscosity and thermal conductivity, as functions of suspension volume fraction, are employed to model the governing equations, which are then non-dimensionalized and solved using the Galerkin Finite Element Method. The impact of the Rayleigh number ( 10 3 ≤ R a * ≤ 5 × 10 4 ) and the non-dimensional fusion temperature ( 0.1 ≤ θ f * ≤ 0.9 ) on heat transfer is explored in the enclosure with varying undulations ( 0.3 ≤ A * ≤ 0.4 ), focusing on streamlines, isotherms, heat capacity ratio, and Nusselt numbers. Increasing the Rayleigh number from 10 3 to 5 × 10 4 enhances the Nusselt number by 34.35%, 17.54%, and 5.98% for A* = 0.3, 0.35, and 0.4, respectively. Additionally, increasing A* from 0.3 to 0.4 raises the Nusselt number by 37.45%, 37.06%, and 8.43% for Ra* = 10 3 , 10 4 , and 5 × 10 4 , highlighting the significant influence of both parameters on heat transfer. A sensitivity analysis of the fusion temperature parameter further reveals that the highest average Nusselt number is attained at θ f * =0.6 , with enhanced heat-transfer performance occurring within the range 0.5≤ θ f * ≤0.7 for enclosures with higher undulation.

Source: Results in Engineering

DOI: 10.1016/j.rineng.2026.108989

Authors: N. Vishnu Ganesh, G. Hirankumar, Qasem M. Al-Mdallal, Ali J. Chamkha

Institutions: Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda College, United Arab Emirates University, Kuwait College of Science and Technology

Language: English

Topic: Phase Change Materials Research

Subfield: Mechanical Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Affordable and clean energy

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,940