Modeling of Area-Constrained Ice Storage Tanks

This paper describes the development and validation of a model based on physical parameters that can predict the thermal performance of area constrained ice-storage tanks. The model, which builds on the work of Jekel et al. (1993), was used to study the effect of assumptions and operating conditions on tank performance during charging and discharging. In particular, it was found that the contents of the tank can be treated as a lumped system with the heat-transfer rate modeled using the product of an overall conductance and log-mean temperature difference. Consistent with the results of Jekel, heat-transfer effectiveness was found to be highly coupled to flow rate and insensitive to the inlet temperature of the fluid used to charge and discharge the tank. Results of the model were compared with experimental data obtained from a well-instrumented thermal storage system at Purdue University. The average difference between the predicted and experimental heat-transfer rates during charging was about 6%, while...