An energy storage system is proposed to absorb thermal energy collected during
the day with a solar collector and release thermal energy at night to heat a
building. The key component of the system is a shelland-tube heat exchanger
with the shell side filled with \(n\)-octadecane (see Problem 8.47).
(a) Warm water from the solar collector is delivered to the heat exchanger at
\(T_{h, i}=40^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\) and \(\dot{m}=2 \mathrm{~kg} / \mathrm{s}\)
through the tube bundle consisting of 50 tubes, two tube passes, and a tube
length per pass of \(L_{l}=2 \mathrm{~m}\). The thin-walled, metal tubes are of
diameter \(D=25 \mathrm{~mm}\). Free convection exists within the molten
\(n\)-octadecane, providing an average heat transfer coefficient of \(h_{o}=25
\mathrm{~W} / \mathrm{m}^{2} \cdot \mathrm{K}\) on the outside of each tube.
Determine the volume of \(n\) octadecane that is melted over a 12 -h period. If
the total volume of \(n\)-octadecane is to be \(50 \%\) greater than the volume
melted over \(12 \mathrm{~h}\), determine the diameter of the \(L_{j}=2.2\)-m-long
shell.
(b) At night, water at \(T_{c, i}=15^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\) is supplied to the
heat exchanger, increasing the water temperature and solidifying the
\(n\)-octadecane. Do you expect the heat transfer rate to be the same, greater
than, or less than the heat transfer rate in part (a)? Explain your reasoning.