Analysis of solid-liquid phase change heat transfer enhancement

Solid-liquid phase change processes have two important features: the process is an approximately isothermal process and the heat of fusion of phase change material tends to be much greater than its specific heat. Therefore, if any phase change material adjacent to a hot or cold surface undergoes phase change, the heat transfer rate on the surface will be noticeably enhanced. This paper presents a novel insight into the mechanisms of heat transfer enhancement induced by solid-liquid phase change based on the analogy analysis for heat conduction with an internal heat source and solid-liquid phase change heat transfer. Three degrees of surface heat transfer enhancement for different conditions are explored, and corresponding formulae are written to describe them. The factors influencing the degrees of heat transfer enhancement are clarified and their effects quantitatively analyzed. Both the novel insight and the analysis contribute to effective application of phase change heat transfer enhancement technique.