Investigation of heat source location on solid-liquid phase change using lattice Boltzmann method

The solid-liquid phase change phenomenon has wide applications in material manufacturing, thermal energy storage, green building, etc. In this paper, a novel solid-liquid phase change model with lattice Boltzmann method has been developed and the effects of heat source location on phase change heat transfer process are investigated. Heat transfer and fluid flow in a cavity with different heat source location along upper wall is explored including middle, left and right. The results show that the trend and direction of vortex for natural convection with heat source applied on the left region of upper wall is different from that of heat source used on the right region of upper wall. Fluid flow with heat transfer is more intense and uniform near the solid-liquid interface with heat source in the middle of upper wall. The melting rate in case of middle heat source in upper wall is faster than other two cases and shape of solid-liquid front changes from curve into horizontal line gradually. When Fourier number Fo equals 80, the melted area is 4800 1u2 larger than that of two other cases. (C) 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.