Abstract
In the present investigation, experiments on the melting of a phase change material were performed to research heat transfer phenomena generated by means of conduction and natural convection in the vertical tube at inward melting. The phase change material used in the experiments is 99 percent pure n-Docosane paraffin which is measured melting temperature of $42.5^{\circ}C$, latent heat of 37.5 cal/g, heat conductivity of $0.1505W/m^{\circ}C$. Experiments were performed both in the no-subcooling which is initiating it at melting temperature of phase change material, and in the subcooling which means to initiate it under melting temperature of phase change material, in order to compare and investigate the horizontal temperature history, vertical temperature history, ratio of melting and melted mass, figure of the melting front in the vertical tube. In the experimental results, heat transfer from tube wall to phase change material were due to conduction at early stage and due to natural convection with the passage of time, and then occurred melting downward from surface by volumetric expansion. Natural convection affects temperature distribution in the tube, ratio of melting and melted mass, figure of the melting front and then progress rapidly in case of nosubcooling compared to subcooling.
