An investigation of the electroconvection flow and solid extraction during melting of phase-change materials

Abstract

This paper presents numerical and experimental investigations of electrohydrodynamic (EHD) flow and solid extraction during melting of phase-change materials (PCMs) in a rectangular cavity under constant temperature boundary conditions. It was found that EHD generated electroconvection cells in the liquid PCM between each pair of electrodes. The fluid velocity increased with applied voltage and decreased under higher temperature gradients across the liquid region due to buoyancy suppression. In the experimental study, the high-speed imaging at the solid-liquid interface showed that dendrites were extracted from the mushy zone during EHD melting and moved upwards into the liquid bulk under the action of the interfacial EHD forces.