| Title |
Numerical Analysis of the Thermal Performance of a Sensible Heat Storage Tank According to Diffuser Shape |
| Authors |
Seongmin Choi ; Nayoung You ; Honghyun Cho |
| DOI |
https://doi.org/10.6110/KJACR.2026.38.7.357 |
| Keywords |
전산유체역학; 밀도 프라우드 수; 디퓨저; 축열조 Computational fluid dynamics; Densimetric Froude number; Diffuser; Thermal Energy Storage Tank |
| Abstract |
This study numerically investigates the thermal performance of a sensible thermal energy storage tank, focusing on the impact of diffuser geometry, using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). A rectangular, water-based storage tank was analyzed under a low-temperature charging condition, considering four diffuser configurations: Plate-type, H-type (hole), H-type (slot), and I-type. The results demonstrate that diffuser geometry significantly influences thermal stratification and charging performance. The Plate-type diffuser showed relatively stable stratification during the early and intermediate charging stages, but its performance declined in the late stage due to limited hot fluid discharge near the tank's upper corners. Conversely, the H-type (hole) diffuser achieved the fastest charging performance, reaching 99% SOC in 5573.5 seconds while maintaining stable stratification throughout the process. The I-type diffuser, however, led to excessive fluid mixing, resulting in degraded stratification and the slowest SOC increase. These findings indicate that, based on SOC performance, the H-type (hole) diffuser is the most effective configuration for enhancing charging performance in rectangular sensible thermal energy storage tanks. |