Study on the effect of partial filling of foam metal on the solidification performance of ice storage spheres

Ice storage sphere systems are favored in the field of energy storage, however, the poor thermal conductivity of phase change materials (PCM) seriously weakens their wide application. Metal foam has been shown to enhance its heat transfer. In this paper, we investigate the impact of varying the filling radius ratio of foam metal to further improve energy storage performance and reduce costs in ice storage spheres. Computational fluid dynamics are employed to analyze the heat transfer and solidification processes. The enthalpy-porosity method is used to describe PCM solidification, while the local equilibrium thermal (LET) model characterizes heat transfer between the PCM and foam metal. The study explores temperature field variations, solid phase fraction changes, solidification times, and cold storage volumes, accounting for natural convection. By comparing solidification rates and other relevant parameters, the effect of foam metal filling on the solidification process is explored. Moreover, a new evaluation index is proposed, which can assess the overall performance of ice storage systems in real-time, considering market prices. The results show that natural convection is the primary heat transfer mode in pure PCM-ffild ice storage spheres, whereas smaller foam metal filling radii significantly inhibit natural convection, resulting in heat conduction as the dominant mode. Without specific requirements, an optimal fill radius ratio of 9/13 is determined. This paper offers a comprehensive understanding of cold storage employing various foam metal filling radios, contributing to advancements in efficient thermal energy storage systems.