Numerical study of thermal performance of phase change material-based heat sinks with three-dimensional transient cooling

A three-dimensional numerical model is constructed to examine the thermal performance of a phase change material (PCM)-based heat sink. The PCM is stored in a rectangular heat sink and a uniform heat flux is applied at the bottom of the heat sink. The PCM used in this model is paraffin wax and the heat sink is made of aluminum. Numerical transient simulations are conducted with different power levels (15, 20, and 25 W). As the power level increases, the melting rate increases and the melting time decreases. The convection of liquid PCM is observed by monitoring the temperature and velocity vector inside the PCM. During the melting process, the convection effect is enhanced by increasing the amount of molten PCM.