🔋 PCM Latent Heat Thermal Storage

Size Phase Change Material (PCM) latent heat thermal batteries: total stored energy (kWh), average charging thermal power (kW), melt time, NTU effectiveness, and state of charge (SOC).

⚡ Fortran 90 Engine Double Precision (IEEE 754) ✓ ISO / ASME Validated

📊 Solver Telemetry ● ACTIVE

👁️ Consultations 35

⚡ Calculs faits 28

💾 Téléchargements 202 📦 Code Fortran 11.4 KB

📅 Mise en service Jun 2026

⏱️ Latence < 1 ms

🔋 Latent Heat PCM Storage Module & Melting Mushy Zone

Real-time visual simulation: Heat transfer fluid tubes charging the PCM matrix through progressive phase change

📝 Configuration & Presets

☀️ Solar Paraffin Wax (58°C) ❄️ HVAC Salt Hydrate (29.5°C) 🏭 Waste Steam Erythritol (118°C) 🌋 Solar Molten Salt (220°C)

🧪 Phase Change Material (PCM) Selection

PCM Material:

Total PCM Mass [kg]:

Initial Storage Temp T_init [°C]:

⚡ Heat Transfer Fluid (HTF) Charging Loop

HTF Charging Inlet Temp T_in [°C]: Must exceed T_m (29.5°C)

HTF Mass Flow ṁ [kg/s]:

Overall Heat Transfer UA [W/K]:

PCM Thermal Energy Storage Formulation:
• Total Stored Energy: E_tot = M_pcm [ c_ps(T_m−T_i) + L_f + c_pl(T_in−T_m) ] / 3600 [kWh]
• Charging Effectiveness: ε = 1 − e^−NTU, where NTU = UA / (ṁ · c_p,htf)
• Average Charging Power: Q̇_avg = ṁ · c_p,htf · (T_in − T_m) · ε [kW]
• Total Charging Time: t_charge = E_tot / Q̇_avg [hours]

📊 Storage Performance Results

📊 Output Summary
💾 Fortran Source

Total Stored Thermal Energy

80.95 kWh

Latent Portion: 63.33 kWh (78.2%) | Charging Power: 31.28 kW

t_charge = 155.3 min

Full Charging Duration 2.59 hours 155 minutes

Average Thermal Power 31.28 kW Charging rate

Heat Exchanger Effectiveness 16.1 % NTU = 0.175

PCM Melting Temperature 29.5 °C L_f = 190 kJ/kg

📈 State of Charge SOC (%) vs Charging Time (hours)

📉 Instantaneous Charging Power Q (kW) vs Time (hours)

=================================================================
 THERMOFLUIDCALC — PCM LATENT HEAT THERMAL STORAGE REPORT
=================================================================
Case Title                 : Building HVAC Peak-Shaving Salt Hydrate Storage
PCM Material Type          : Inorganic Salt Hydrate (CaCl2·6H2O)
Storage Sizing             : PCM Mass = 1200.0 kg, Melting Temp Tm = 29.5 C (Lf = 190.0 kJ/kg)
HTF Charging Loop          : Inlet Temp = 45.0 C, Mass Flow = 3.00 kg/s, UA = 2200.0 W/K (NTU = 0.175)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
TOTAL STORED THERMAL ENERGY: 80.95 kWh (291.4 MJ)
 - Latent Heat Portion (Lf): 63.33 kWh (78.2%)
 - Sensible Heat Portion   : 17.62 kWh (21.8%)
AVERAGE CHARGING POWER     : 31.28 kW
TOTAL CHARGING DURATION    : 2.59 hours (155.3 minutes)
=================================================================

📘 Calculation Methodology & Latent Storage Standards

High Energy Density at Constant Temperature

Latent storage absorbs or releases large amounts of thermal energy ($L_f \approx 150 - 350\,\text{kJ/kg}$) at nearly isothermal conditions, offering $3 - 5\times$ higher volumetric energy density than water tanks.

NTU-Effectiveness Charging Model

Computes the transient temperature evolution of the heat transfer fluid as it circulates through embedded finned tubes inside the solidifying or melting PCM core.

Key Engineering Assumptions

Enthalpy-based phase change model with well-defined melting point $T_m$.
Uniform PCM encapsulation without thermal degradation.
Applicable to solar domestic hot water, HVAC peak load shifting, and industrial heat recovery.

ThermoFluidCalc Engineering Report