Influence of supergravity and tilted condition on melting behavior in a thermal storage tank

Phase change device plays a vital role in maintaining a stable temperature control system in spacecraft. To address the challenges posed by supergravity and installation inclination angle, urgent solutions are required for the development and implementation of this system. Currently, numerical models have been developed to explore the performance of phase change heat storage units under various inclinations and gravity conditions. Experimental verification has been conducted to analyze various factors including melting rate, heat storage, phase interface, temperature, and velocity distribution. Furthermore, the effects of different inclinations and supergravity states on phase change heat storage units have been thoroughly examined. Findings suggest that gravity significantly enhances the contribution of natural convection in the charging procedure of phase change materials. For instance, under 10g gravity at 0° inclination, the complete melting time for paraffin is reduced by 45.32 % compared to 1g gravity. Moreover, decreasing the inclination angle results in an elevated melting rate, leading to a 60.77 % reduction in temperature at a 0° inclination as compared to a 90° inclination under 10g gravity. Finally, the uniformity of the latent energy storage unit is investigated, revealing that the temperature distribution is most optimal under 1g gravity.