Experimental Investigation of Phase-Change Behavior in a Water-Ice Heat Accumulator Setup for Cryogenic Application

Kurzfassung

An analysis of the phase change behavior of both, the heat storage material and the heat transfer medium is of particular scientific interest in the low temperature heat accumulator (LTA) concept of work package 5 of the ISP-1 project. In the experiment shown in the current paper, liquid nitrogen (LN2) is injected to the inlet of the heat transfer tube. During its way through the heat transfer tube, LN2 vaporizes. The heat storage medium water starts freezing around the tube. The phase change behavior of both media is analyzed experimentally in a qualitative and a quantitative way. The obtained results are used for validation of theoretical phase-change models carried out by the ISP-1 partners from UPC.