๐ 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).
โก Fortran 90 Engine
Double Precision (IEEE 754)
โ ISO / ASME Validated
Thermodynamics
๐ Solver Telemetry
โ ACTIVE
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๐ฆ Fortran Code
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Released
Jun 2026
โฑ๏ธ Latency
< 1 ms
๐ Latent Heat PCM Storage Module & Melting Mushy Zone
Real-time visual simulation: Heat transfer fluid tubes charging the PCM matrix through progressive phase change๐ Configuration & Presets
โ๏ธ Solar Paraffin Wax (58ยฐC)
โ๏ธ HVAC Salt Hydrate (29.5ยฐC)
๐ญ Waste Steam Erythritol (118ยฐC)
๐ Solar Molten Salt (220ยฐC)
PCM Thermal Energy Storage Formulation:
โข Total Stored Energy: Etot = Mpcm [ cps(TmโTi) + Lf + cpl(TinโTm) ] / 3600 [kWh]
โข Charging Effectiveness: ฮต = 1 โ eโNTU, where NTU = UA / (แน ยท cp,htf)
โข Average Charging Power: Qฬavg = แน ยท cp,htf ยท (Tin โ Tm) ยท ฮต [kW]
โข Total Charging Time: tcharge = Etot / Qฬavg [hours]
โข Total Stored Energy: Etot = Mpcm [ cps(TmโTi) + Lf + cpl(TinโTm) ] / 3600 [kWh]
โข Charging Effectiveness: ฮต = 1 โ eโNTU, where NTU = UA / (แน ยท cp,htf)
โข Average Charging Power: Qฬavg = แน ยท cp,htf ยท (Tin โ Tm) ยท ฮต [kW]
โข Total Charging Time: tcharge = Etot / Qฬavg [hours]
๐ Storage Performance Results
๐ Output Summary
Total Stored Thermal Energy
80.95 kWh
Latent Portion: 63.33 kWh (78.2%) | Charging Power: 31.28 kW
tcharge = 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 ยฐC
Lf = 190 kJ/kg
๐ State of Charge SOC (%) vs Charging Time (hours)
๐ Instantaneous Charging Power Q (kW) vs Time (hours)
================================================================= THERMOFLUIDCALC โ PCM LATENT HEAT THERMAL STORAGE REPORT ================================================================= Case Title : Building HVAC Peak-Shaving Salt Hydrate Storage PCM Material Type : Inorganic Salt Hydrate (CaCl2ยท6H2O) 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) =================================================================
๐ 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.