Abstract
The response characteristics of a sensible heat storage exchanger which alternately receives heat from a hot fluid and supplies heat to a cold fluid are presented. The storage unit consists of a series of flow channels formed by parallel planes and separated by solid storage material. The inlet fluid temperature is subjected to periodic step changes and the thermal response of outlet fluid temperature determined. Periodic changes of inlet fluid temperature are continued until heat transfer per period and outlet fluid temperature at the end of a period reach steady state values. Steady state fluid outlet temperatures and heat exchange rates are presented as functions of the nondimensional parameters which characterize the system. Steady state results for periodically reversing exchange are compared to values obtained for systems experiencing a single step change in inlet temperature.