Investigation of the effect of geometric and operating parameters on thermal behavior of latent heat energy storage systems

Thermal energy storage systems (TESS) integrated into home refrigerators can reduce energy consumption and preserve perishable food products during power outages. This study investigates the optimal shape design and configuration of TESS incorporated into a refrigerator. Experiments were conducted on a household refrigerator using five liters of saltwater solutions of potassium chloride (KCl) and sodium chloride (NaCl) as phase-change materials (PCMs). The experimental results were validated with numerical simulations using ANSYS Fluent, with a focus on optimizing the geometry and positioning of the containers to achieve a uniform temperature distribution within the compartment. The phase of the KCl PCM changed at -11°C and the NaCl PCM at -21°C, both maintaining the compartment below 5 °C for 20 hours. Energy savings of 0.567 kWh were observed every third and sixth day for KCl and NaCl PCM, respectively. The study highlights the potential of PCM-based TESS in domestic refrigerators while emphasizing the need for further optimization to enhance energy savings.