Wirasak Khongkaew, Chayanon Serttikul, and Phadungsak Ratanadecho

DOI: 10.14456/sjst-psu.2018.70

pp. 623 - 632

Abstract

This research conducted an experimental and numerical study of the solidification process of a water saturated porous
medium. The experiments were conducted in a rectangular test cell cooled from the lateral walls to obtain quantitative
temperature distribution and solidification interface motion. Solid glass and steel particles were used as the porous medium and
distilled water was the phase-change material. A one-dimensional mathematical model considered heat conduction as the only
mode of heat transfer in both the frozen and unfrozen layer. A comparison of the experimental data with numerical predictions of
the interface position and temperature distribution showed good agreement and thus confirmed the proposed mathematical model
for a system of glass particles and water. For a system of steel particles and water, the computed results give the same trends as
the experimental data.