Numerical study on the thermal performance of a single U-tube borehole heat exchanger using nano-enhanced phase change materials

Abstract

To investigate the impacts of using nano-enhanced phase change materials on the thermal performance of a borehole heat exchanger in the summer season, a three-dimensional numerical model of a borehole heat exchanger is created in the present work. Seven nanoparticles including Cu, CuO, Al2O3, TiO2, SiO2, multi-wall carbon nanotube, and graphene are added to the Paraffin. Considering the highest melting rate and lowest outlet temperature, the selected nano-enhanced phase change material is evaluated in terms of volume fraction (0.05, 0.10, 0.15, 0.20) and then the shape (sphere, brick, cylinder, platelet, blade) of its nanoparticles. Based on the results, the Paraffin containing Cu and SiO2 nanoparticles are found to be the best and worst ones in thermal performance improvement, respectively. Moreover, it is indicated that the increase in the volume fraction of Cu nanoparticles could enhance markedly the melting rate, being 0.20 the most favorable value which increased up to 55% the thermal conductivity of the nano-enhanced phase change material compared to the pure phase change material. Furthermore, the blade shape is by far the most appropriate shape of the Cu nanoparticles by considering about 85% melting of the nano-enhanced phase change material.