Study on thermal storage and release characteristics of TPMS-based high density thermal storage device

doi:10.11949/0438-1157.20241437

Abstract

Abstract:

The flow channel design based on the triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) structure has complex geometric configurations and a large heat transfer area, which can significantly enhance flow field disturbances and improve heat transfer performance. Aiming at extreme application requirements such as high heat storage power, a three-channel high-efficiency phase change heat storage heat exchanger design based on TPMS structure is proposed. Numerical simulation methods were used to compare and analyze the heat transfer, flow resistance, and heat storage characteristics of different configurations based on evaluation criteria such as heat transfer coefficient, Nusselt number, unit length pressure drop, friction coefficient, normalized heat transfer evaluation parameter j factor, and normalized comprehensive performance evaluation parameter η factor. The results showed that both heat transfer and flow resistance performance improved with the increase of porosity. Under the same porosity, the heat transfer coefficient of Diamond type structure was higher, while the Nusselt number of Schwarz type structure was higher; the thermal storage density decreases with the increase of porosity, but the thermal storage power density increased with the increase of porosity. The thermal storage power density of Schwarz type 85% porosity structure was as high as 185.6 MW·m^-3. This study has important guiding significance for designing new and efficient latent heat storage systems.

Key words: computational fluid dynamics, convection, heat transfer, TPMS, phase change thermal storage

摘要：

基于三周期极小曲面（TPMS）结构的流道设计具有复杂的几何构型和较大的换热面积，能显著强化流场扰动以提升换热性能。针对高储热功率等极端应用需求提出了基于TPMS结构的三通道高效相变储热换热器设计方案，并采用数值模拟方法，以传热系数、Nusselt数、单位长度压降、摩擦系数、归一化换热评估参数j因子以及归一化综合性能评估参数η因子等为评估标准，对比分析不同构型的换热、流阻以及储热特性。结果表明：换热与流阻性能均随着孔隙度的增大而提升，同一孔隙度下Diamond型结构的传热系数更高，而Schwarz型结构的Nusselt数更高；储热密度随孔隙度的增大而下降，但储热功率密度随孔隙度的增大而提升，Schwarz型85%孔隙度结构的储热功率密度高达185.6 MW·m^-3。研究结果可为设计新型高效潜热储热系统提供参考。

关键词: 计算流体力学, 对流, 传热, 三周期极小曲面, 相变储热

CLC Number:

TK 124

Tianwei XIA, Anci WANG, Zihan JU, Xiaoxia SUN, Dinghua HU. Study on thermal storage and release characteristics of TPMS-based high density thermal storage device[J]. CIESC Journal, 2025, 76(7): 3605-3614.

夏天炜, 王谙词, 句子涵, 孙晓霞, 胡定华. 基于三周期极小曲面结构的高密度储热器蓄放热特性研究[J]. 化工学报, 2025, 76(7): 3605-3614.

Figures/Tables 16

Table 1 TPMS unit cell configuration classification

构型名称	晶胞单元图	结构表达式
Schwarz型		$c o s x + c o s y + c o s z = 0$
Diamond型		$s i n x s i n y s i n z + s i n x c o s y c o s z + c o s x s i n y c o s z + c o s x c o s y s i n z = 0$

Table 1 TPMS unit cell configuration classification

构型名称	晶胞单元图	结构表达式
Schwarz型		$c o s x + c o s y + c o s z = 0$
Diamond型		$s i n x s i n y s i n z + s i n x c o s y c o s z + c o s x s i n y c o s z + c o s x c o s y s i n z = 0$

Fig.1 Constructing three channel skeleton using Boolean operations

Fig.2 TPMS skeletons with different cell configurations and porosities

Table 2 TPMS model structural parameters

晶胞构型	孔隙度/%	骨架厚度/ mm	热流域体积/ mm³	冷流域体积/ mm³	PCM体积/ mm³
Schwarz型	85	1.0	6544.3	6946.1	1108.4
	75	1.5	5882.2	6028.7	1914.0
	65	2.1	5080.4	5226.8	2951.7
Diamond型	85	2.5	6453.7	7200.4	1141.4
	75	4.3	5339.0	6639.4	2116.7
	65	6.0	4908.9	5485.1	3723.6

Fig.3 Calculation domain of TPMS structural heat exchange unit

Table 3 Physical property parameters of simulation materials

物性参数	铝合金	水	八水合氢氧化钡
密度/(kg·m^-3)	2600	998	2125
比热容/(J·kg^-1·K^-1)	880	4200	1810
热导率/(W·m^-1·K^-1)	140	0.6	15
熔点/℃	—	—	78
相变潜热/(J·kg^-1)	—	—	243800

Table 4 Calculation results of grid independence assessment

网格数/个	Nu	单位长度压降/(kPa·m^-1)
54万	201.04	29.818
122万	208.46	31.704
262万	209.05	32.443
386万	208.13	31.069

Fig.4 Verification of numerical simulation methods

Fig.5 Comparison of heat transfer performance between different structures

Fig.6 Comparison of j factor between different structures

Fig.7 Comparison of flow resistance performance between different structures

Fig.8 Comparison of η factors between different structures

Fig.9 Time dependent melting rate curves of PCM with different structures

Fig.10 Schwarz type radial cross-sectional PCM liquid phase distribution

Table 5 Comparison of thermal storage performance between different structures

晶胞构型	孔隙度/%	PCM填充量/mm³	总储热量/J	储热密度/（MJ·m^-3）	功率密度/（MW·m^-3）
Schwarz型	85	1108.4	658.2	41.1	185.6
	75	1914.0	1142.9	71.4	108.6
	65	2951.7	1774.0	110.9	54.1
Diamond型	85	1141.4	701.8	43.9	146.4
	75	2116.7	1300.4	81.3	109.7
	65	3723.6	2288.2	143.0	49.2

Fig.11 PCM power density and thermal storage density with different structures

References 33

[1]	Schoen B A H. Infinite Periodic Minimal Surfaces without Self-intersections[M]. Washington D C: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 1970.
[2]	Al-Ketan O, Ali M H, Khalil M, et al. Forced convection computational fluid dynamics analysis of architected and three-dimensional printable heat sinks based on triply periodic minimal surfaces[J]. Journal of Thermal Science and Engineering Applications, 2021, 13(2): 021010.
[3]	Cheng Z L, Xu R N, Jiang P X. Morphology, flow and heat transfer in triply periodic minimal surface based porous structures[J]. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 2021, 170: 120902.
[4]	Liang D, Shi C W, Li W H, et al. Design, flow characteristics and performance evaluation of bioinspired heat exchangers based on triply periodic minimal surfaces[J]. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 2023, 201: 123620.
[5]	Yan K X, Deng H W, Xiao Y W, et al. Thermo-hydraulic performance evaluation through experiment and simulation of additive manufactured Gyroid-structured heat exchanger[J]. Applied Thermal Engineering, 2024, 241: 122402.
[6]	Wang J H, Chen K, Zeng M, et al. Investigation on flow and heat transfer in various channels based on triply periodic minimal surfaces (TPMS)[J]. Energy Conversion and Management, 2023, 283: 116955.
[7]	Min R, Wang Z H, Yang H N, et al. Heat transfer characterization of waste heat recovery heat exchanger based on flexible hybrid triply periodic minimal surfaces (TPMS)[J]. International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer, 2024, 157: 107760.
[8]	Deng X, Liu F, Zhang Z, et al. The effect of periodic porous Al on the heat transfer performance of paraffin[J]. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 2021, 680(1): 012069.
[9]	Fan Z H, Gao R J, Liu S T. Thermal conductivity enhancement and thermal saturation elimination designs of battery thermal management system for phase change materials based on triply periodic minimal surface[J]. Energy, 2022, 259: 125091.
[10]	杨喆, 刘飞, 张涛, 等. TPMS多孔铝-石蜡复合相变材料蓄热过程数值模拟及实验[J].化工进展, 2022, 41(9): 4918-4927.
	Yang Z, Liu F, Zhang T, et al. Numerical simulation and experiment of heat storage process of TPMS porous aluminum-paraffin composite phase change material[J]. Chemical Industry and Engineering Progress, 2022, 41(9): 4918-4927.
[11]	周祥, 周静, 宗晓同, 等. 基于TPMS结构的高效换热技术研究综述[C]//第七届空天动力联合会议暨中国航天第三专业信息网第四十三届技术交流会论文集(第三册).北京: 北京动力机械研究所, 2023: 10.
	Zhou X, Zhou J, Zong X T, et al. A review of efficient heat transfer technology based on TPMS structure[C]//Proceedings of the 7th Aerospace Propulsion Joint Conference and the 43rd Technical Exchange Conference of China Aerospace Third Professional Information Network (Vol 3). Beijing: Beijing Institute of Power Machinery, 2023:10.
[12]	Vlahinos M, O'Hara R. Unlocking advanced heat exchanger design and simulation with nTop platform and ANSYS CFX[R]. nTopology Inc, 2020.
[13]	杨晓军, 张雪丽, 李国良. 基于TPMS的空气-燃油换热器流动和传热特性研究[J]. 热能动力工程, 2024, 39(5): 123-133, 174.
	Yang X J, Zhang X L, Li G L. Study on flow and heat transfer characteristics of air-fuel heat exchanger based on TPMS[J]. Journal of Engineering for Thermal Energy and Power, 2024, 39(5): 123-133, 174.
[14]	Kim J, Yoo D J. 3D printed compact heat exchangers with mathematically defined core structures[J]. Journal of Computational Design and Engineering, 2020, 7(4): 527-550.
[15]	Li W H, Yu G P, Yu Z B. Bioinspired heat exchangers based on triply periodic minimal surfaces for supercritical CO₂ cycles[J]. Applied Thermal Engineering, 2020, 179: 115686.
[16]	Femmer T, Kuehne A J C, Wessling M. Estimation of the structure dependent performance of 3-D rapid prototyped membranes[J]. Chemical Engineering Journal, 2015, 273: 438-445.
[17]	Maskery I, Aremu A O, Parry L, et al. Effective design and simulation of surface-based lattice structures featuring volume fraction and cell type grading[J]. Materials & Design, 2018, 155: 220-232.
[18]	Thomas N, Sreedhar N, Al-Ketan O, et al. 3D printed triply periodic minimal surfaces as spacers for enhanced heat and mass transfer in membrane distillation[J]. Desalination, 2018, 443: 256-271.
[19]	Sreedhar N, Thomas N, Al-Ketan O, et al. 3D printed feed spacers based on triply periodic minimal surfaces for flux enhancement and biofouling mitigation in RO and UF[J]. Desalination, 2018, 425: 12-21.
[20]	Iyer J, Moore T, Nguyen D, et al. Heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics of heat exchangers based on triply periodic minimal and periodic nodal surfaces[J]. Applied Thermal Engineering, 2022, 209: 118192.
[21]	Dixit T, Al-Hajri E, Paul M C, et al. High performance, microarchitected, compact heat exchanger enabled by 3D printing[J]. Applied Thermal Engineering, 2022, 210: 118339.
[22]	Alteneiji M, Ali M I H, Khan K A, et al. Heat transfer effectiveness characteristics maps for additively manufactured TPMS compact heat exchangers[J]. Energy Storage and Saving, 2022, 1(3): 153-161.
[23]	Qureshi Z, Al-Omari S, Elnajjar E, et al. Using triply periodic minimal surfaces (TPMS)-based metal foams structures as skeleton for metal-foam-PCM composites for thermal energy storage and energy management applications[J]. International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer, 2021, 124: 105265.
[24]	Zhang T, Liu F, Deng X, et al. Experimental study on the thermal storage performance of phase change materials embedded with additively manufactured triply periodic minimal surface architected lattices[J]. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 2022, 199: 123452.
[25]	Wang J B, Pu W H, Zhao H S, et al. Experimental and numerical investigations on the intermittent heat transfer performance of phase change material (PCM)-based heat sink with triply periodic minimal surfaces (TPMS)[J]. Applied Thermal Engineering, 2024, 254: 123864.
[26]	Wang J, Pu W, Zhao H, et al. Investigations on the heat transfer performance of phase change material (PCM)-based heat sink with triply periodic minimal surfaces (TPMS)[J]. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 2024, 234: 126078.
[27]	Rao Z H, Wang Q C, Huang C L. Investigation of the thermal performance of phase change material/mini-channel coupled battery thermal management system[J]. Applied Energy, 2016, 164: 659-669.
[28]	Mehrabi-Kermani M, Houshfar E, Ashjaee M. A novel hybrid thermal management for Li-ion batteries using phase change materials embedded in copper foams combined with forced-air convection[J]. International Journal of Thermal Sciences, 2019, 141: 47-61.
[29]	Li C M, Sun X X, Gao H Y, et al. Pre-research on enhanced heat transfer method for special vehicles at high altitude based on machine learning[J]. Chinese Journal of Mechanical Engineering, 2023, 36(1): 48.
[30]	Zhao K, Sun X X, Xia Y Q, et al. Cold plate performance enhancement based on parametric modeling of multiple structures[J]. Frontiers in Energy Research, 2023, 10: 1087682.
[31]	Voller V R, Prakash C. A fixed grid numerical modelling methodology for convection-diffusion mushy region phase-change problems[J]. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 1987, 30(8): 1709-1719.
[32]	Tian R, Meng S, Zheng S Y, et al. Thermo-hydraulic performance evaluation of lattice structures with triply periodic minimal surfaces for latent heat storage devices[J]. Journal of Energy Storage, 2024, 102: 114234.
[33]	Samson S, Tran P, Marzocca P. Design and modelling of porous gyroid heatsinks: influences of cell size, porosity and material variation[J]. Applied Thermal Engineering, 2023, 235: 121296.