Optimizing finned charging tubes for thermal energy storage in cold storage vehicles

LI Boran; TONG Shanhu; WANG Da; REN Xiaofen; ZHAO Xuemin

doi:10.19799/j.cnki.2095-4239.2025.0767

您当前的位置：

首页 >

文章列表页 >

Optimizing finned charging tubes for thermal energy storage in cold storage vehicles

Energy Storage System and Engineering | 更新时间：2026-05-28

- Optimizing finned charging tubes for thermal energy storage in cold storage vehicles
- Energy Storage Science and Technology Vol. 15, Issue 2, Pages: 555-566(2026)
- 作者机构：
  
  1.石家庄铁道大学机械工程学院低温储能研究中心，河北石家庄 050043
  2.石家庄铁道大学河北省新型储能国际联合研究中心，河北石家庄 050043
  3.中车石家庄车辆有限公司，河北石家庄 051430
  4.中华全国供销合作总社济南果品研究所，山东济南 250101
  5.河北省轨道交通制冷与空调绿色数智技术重点实验室，河北石家庄 051430
- 作者简介：
- 基金信息：
- DOI：10.19799/j.cnki.2095-4239.2025.0767
  CLC： TB 657.5
- Received：26 August 2025，
  
  Revised：2025-09-15，
  
  Published：28 February 2026
- 稿件说明：
移动端阅览
李博然, 童山虎, 王达, 等. 基于拓扑优化的冷藏车蓄冷板高效充冷翅片设计[J]. 储能科学与技术, 2026, 15(2): 555-566.

LI Boran, TONG Shanhu, WANG Da, et al. Optimizing finned charging tubes for thermal energy storage in cold storage vehicles[J]. Energy Storage Science and Technology, 2026, 15(2): 555-566.
李博然, 童山虎, 王达, 等. 基于拓扑优化的冷藏车蓄冷板高效充冷翅片设计[J]. 储能科学与技术, 2026, 15(2): 555-566. DOI： 10.19799/j.cnki.2095-4239.2025.0767.

LI Boran, TONG Shanhu, WANG Da, et al. Optimizing finned charging tubes for thermal energy storage in cold storage vehicles[J]. Energy Storage Science and Technology, 2026, 15(2): 555-566. DOI： 10.19799/j.cnki.2095-4239.2025.0767.

摘要

随着冷链物流规模快速增长，蓄冷式冷藏车因其节能环保特性备受关注，但蓄冷梁中相变材料的充冷速度缓慢、温度分布不均成为研究瓶颈。为此，本研究创新性地提出基于拓扑优化的蓄冷板高效充冷翅片设计方法，首先利用COMSOL多物理场数值模拟，对翅片结构进行拓扑优化，然后通过参数化简化重构，兼顾高效传热与工程可制造性。研究表明，拓扑优化翅片在相同体积比(尤其5.8%)下较传统直肋型翅片传热效率提升了71.4%，简化后结构热性能偏差小于0.2℃，同时成本和加工难度大幅降低。进一步分析不同管径对相变固相率的影响，发现80 mm较65 mm管径的综合性能提升了10%。本研究不仅为蓄冷式冷藏车翅片设计提供了系统化优化思路，还在提高充冷效率与维护蓄冷容量平衡方面取得了突破，为低碳环保冷链运输技术的发展注入新动能。

Abstract

With the rapid growth of cold chain logistics

cold storage refrigeration vehicles have garnered increasing attention for their energy-saving and environmentally friendly characteristics. However

slow charging rates and nonuniform temperature distribution of phase change materials (PCMs) in cold storage plates remain performance bottlenecks. This study proposes an efficient charging-fin design method for cold storage plates based on topology optimization. First

a multiphysics numerical simulation was conducted using COMSOL

and the fin structure was optimized via the density method. Then

parametric simplification and structural reconstruction were applied to achieve a balance between high heat transfer efficiency and engineering manufacturability. The results indicate that

under the same volume ratio

topology-optimized fins achieve a 71.4% higher heat transfer efficiency than conventional straight-rib fins

with only a 5.8% increase in material volume. The thermal performance deviation between the optimized and simplified structures is <0.2℃

and cost and processing difficulty are significantly reduced. Further analysis of pipe diameter effects on the solid fraction of the PCM reveals that an 80 mm diameter yields the best overall performance. This study offers a systematic optimization approach for fin design in cold storage refrigeration vehicles

achieving improved charging efficiency while maintaining balanced cold storage capacity

thereby advancing low-carbon and environmentally friendly cold chain transportation technologies.

关键词

Keywords

references

VRAT P, GUPTA R, BHATNAGAR A, et al. Literature review analytics (LRA) on sustainable cold-chain for perishable food products: Research trends and future directions[J]. Opsearch, 2018, 55(3): 601-627. DOI: 10.1007/s12597-018-0338-9.

KAYFECI M, KEÇEBAŞ A, GEDIK E. Determination of optimum insulation thickness of external walls with two different methods in cooling applications[J]. Applied Thermal Engineering, 2013, 50(1): 217-224. DOI: 10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2012.06.031.

JAMES S J, JAMES C. The food cold-chain and climate change[J]. Food Research International, 2010, 43(7): 1944-1956. DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2010.02.001.

TAN H B, LI Y Z, TUO H F, et al. Experimental study on liquid/solid phase change for cold energy storage of liquefied natural gas (LNG) refrigerated vehicle[J]. Energy, 2010, 35(5): 1927-1935. DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2010.01.006.

FIORETTI R, PRINCIPI P, COPERTARO B. A refrigerated container envelope with a PCM (phase change material) layer: Experimental and theoretical investigation in a representative town in central Italy[J]. Energy Conversion and Management, 2016, 122: 131-141. DOI: 10.1016/j.enconman.2016.05.071.

BEN TAHER M A, KOUSKSOU T, ZERAOULI Y, et al. Thermal performance investigation of door opening and closing processes in a refrigerated truck equipped with different phase change materials[J]. Journal of Energy Storage, 2021, 42: 103097. DOI: 10.1016/j.est.2021.103097.

COPERTARO B, PRINCIPI P, FIORETTI R. Thermal performance analysis of PCM in refrigerated container envelopes in the Italian context-Numerical modeling and validation[J]. Applied Thermal Engineering, 2016, 102: 873-881. DOI: 10.1016/j.applthermaleng. 2016.04.050.

李晓燕, 张晓雅, 邱雪君, 等. 相变蓄冷技术在食品冷链运输中的研究进展[J]. 包装工程, 2019, 40(15): 150-157.

LI X Y, ZHANG X Y, QIU X J, et al. Research progress of phase change cold storage technology in food cold chain transportation[J]. Packaging Engineering, 2019, 40(15): 150-157.

田津津, 张哲, 王怀文, 等. 蓄冷板释冷过程的数值模拟和实验研究[J]. 制冷学报, 2016, 37(3): 29-34. DOI:10.3969/j.issn.0253-4339.2016.03.029.

TIAN J J, ZHANG Z, WANG H W, et al. Numerical simulation and experiment research on cold plate melting process[J]. Journal of Refrigeration, 2016, 37(3): 29-34. DOI:10.3969/j.issn.0253-4339.2016.03.029.

蒋玉龙, 张素军, 李菊香. 泡沫材料冰蓄冷板融化过程的研究[J]. 制冷学报, 2015, 36(5): 65-73. DOI:10.3969/j.issn.0253-4339.2015.05.065.

JIANG Y L, ZHANG S J, LI J X. Investigation on melting process of ice cold-plate with porous material[J]. Journal of Refrigeration, 2015, 36(5): 65-73. DOI:10.3969/j.issn.0253-4339.2015.05.065.

范中阳, 刘升, 武卫东, 等. 蓄冷板摆放方式对冷链宅配过程的影响[J]. 制冷技术, 2017, 37(6): 51-54. DOI:10.3969/j.issn.2095-4468.2017.06.203.

FAN Z Y, LIU S, WU W D, et al. Effect of laying modes of cold plates on cold chain delivery process[J]. Chinese Journal of Refrigeration Technology, 2017, 37(6): 51-54. DOI:10.3969/j.issn.2095-4468.2017.06.203.

ZIVKOVIC B, FUJII I. An analysis of isothermal phase change of phase change material within rectangular and cylindrical containers[J]. Solar Energy, 2001, 70(1): 51-61. DOI:10.1016/S0038-092X(00)00112-2.

MOUSAZADE A, RAFEE R, VALIPOUR M S. Thermal performance of cold panels with phase change materials in a refrigerated truck[J]. International Journal of Refrigeration, 2020, 120: 119-126. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrefrig.2020.09.003.

ALZUWAID F A, GE Y T, TASSOU S A, et al. The novel use of phase change materials in an open type refrigerated display cabinet: A theoretical investigation[J]. Applied Energy, 2016, 180: 76-85. DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2016.07.088.

田绅, 马翠玲, 陈雨虹, 等. 嵌入热管强化相变蓄冷板释冷性能的研究及优化[J]. 制冷学报, 2021, 42(6): 114-120, 153. DOI:10.3969/j.issn.0253-4339.2021.06.114.

TIAN S, MA C L, CHEN Y H, et al. Investigation and optimization of discharging performance enhancement of phase change cold storage panel using embedded heat pipes[J]. Journal of Refrigeration, 2021, 42(6): 114-120, 153. DOI:10.3969/j.issn.0253-4339.2021.06.114.

童山虎, 聂彬剑, 李子潇, 等. 基于相变蓄冷技术的冷链集装箱性能研究[J]. 储能科学与技术, 2020, 9(1): 211-216. DOI:10.19799/j.cnki.2095-4239.2019-0242.

TONG S H, NIE B J, LI Z X, et al. Investigation of the cold thermal energy storage reefer container for cold chain application[J]. Energy Storage Science and Technology, 2020, 9(1): 211-216. DOI:10.19799/j.cnki.2095-4239.2019-0242.

张榜, 崔小敏, 廖芳, 等. 蓄冷板中相变材料蓄冷过程影响因素研究[J]. 制冷与空调, 2024, 24(12): 96-99, 105. DOI:10.3969/j.issn.1009-8402.2024.12.018.

ZHANG B, CUI X M, LIAO F, et al. Influencing factors of cold storage process of phase change material in cold storage plate[J]. Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning, 2024, 24(12): 96-99, 105. DOI:10.3969/j.issn.1009-8402.2024.12.018.

TASSOU S A, DE-LILLE G, GE Y T. Food transport refrigeration–Approaches to reduce energy consumption and environmental impacts of road transport[J]. Applied Thermal Engineering, 2009, 29(8/9): 1467-1477. DOI: 10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2008.06.027.

杨凤, 刘清江, 宋瑞亭, 等. 顶置蓄冷板对冷库融霜时库温波动的影响[J]. 食品与机械, 2020, 36(12): 85-89. DOI:10.13652/ji.ssn.1003-5788.2020.12.018.

YANG F, LIU Q J, SONG R T, et al. Effect of overhead cool storage plate on the storage temperature fluctuation in the cold storage during defrosting[J]. Food & Machinery, 2020, 36(12): 85-89. DOI:10.13652/ji.ssn.1003-5788.2020.12.018.

邓静, 陈永东, 王严冬, 等. 肋片布置对相变蓄冷用冷藏车蓄冷板充冷过程的影响[J]. 流体机械, 2023, 51(8): 73-79. DOI:10.3969/j.issn.1005-0329.2023.08.011.

DENG J, CHEN Y D, WANG Y D, et al. The effect of fins arrangement on the charging process of cold panel with phase change material in a refrigerated truck[J]. Fluid Machinery, 2023, 51(8): 73-79. DOI:10.3969/j.issn.1005-0329.2023.08.011.

EL HABIB AMAGOUR M, BENNAJAH M, RACHEK A. Numerical investigation and experimental validation of the thermal performance enhancement of a compact finned-tube heat exchanger for efficient latent heat thermal energy storage[J]. Journal of Cleaner Production, 2021, 280: 124238. DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.124238.

HAN P, WANG H R, FAN J H, et al. The local non-equilibrium heat transfer in phase change materials embedded in porous skeleton for thermal energy storage[J]. Journal of Energy Storage, 2024, 82: 110450. DOI: 10.1016/j.est.2024.110450.

HAN P, WANG J Y, ZHAO X M, et al. Performance study of fin structure in air-cooled thermal management system for column power battery[J]. Journal of Energy Storage, 2024, 104: 114697. DOI: 10.1016/j.est.2024.114697.

YU C, WU S C, HUANG Y P, et al. Charging performance optimization of a latent heat storage unit with fractal tree-like fins[J]. Journal of Energy Storage, 2020, 30: 101498. DOI: 10.1016/j.est.2020.101498.

ZHANG Y, YANG X G, ZOU S L, et al. Enhancing the phase change material based shell-tube thermal energy storage units with unique hybrid fins[J]. International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer, 2024, 157: 107763. DOI: 10.1016/j.icheatmasstransfer.2024.107763.

AO C, YAN S Y, ZHAO X Y, et al. Design optimization of a novel annular fin on a latent heat storage device for building heating[J]. Journal of Energy Storage, 2023, 64: 107124. DOI: 10.1016/j.est.2023.107124.

AL-MUDHAFAR A H N, NOWAKOWSKI A F, NICOLLEAU F C G A. Enhancing the thermal performance of PCM in a shell and tube latent heat energy storage system by utilizing innovative fins[J]. Energy Reports, 2021, 7: 120-126. DOI: 10.1016/j.egyr.2021. 02.034.

CHOUDHARI V G, DHOBLE A S, PANCHAL S. Numerical analysis of different fin structures in phase change material module for battery thermal management system and its optimization[J]. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 2020, 163: 120434. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2020.120434.

KALAPALA L, DEVANURI J K. Influence of operational and design parameters on the performance of a PCM based heat exchanger for thermal energy storage-A review[J]. Journal of Energy Storage, 2018, 20: 497-519. DOI: 10.1016/j.est.2018.10.024.

LI C, LI Q, GE R H. Assessment on the melting performance of a phase change material based shell and tube thermal energy storage device containing leaf-shaped longitudinal fins[J]. Journal of Energy Storage, 2023, 60: 106574. DOI: 10.1016/j.est.2022.106574.

REN F, DU J, CAI Y F, et al. Study on thermal performance of a new optimized snowflake longitudinal fin in vertical latent heat storage[J]. Journal of Energy Storage, 2022, 50: 104165. DOI: 10.1016/j.est.2022.104165.

SHAHSAVAR A, GOODARZI A, MOHAMMED H I, et al. Thermal performance evaluation of non-uniform fin array in a finned double-pipe latent heat storage system[J]. Energy, 2020, 193: 116800. DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2019.116800.

PANDEY V, LEE P S. Maximizing liquid-cooled heat sink efficiency with advanced topology-optimized fin designs[J]. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 2024, 229: 125746. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2024.125746.

YANG X H, NIU Z Y, BAI Q S, et al. Experimental study on the solidification process of fluid saturated in fin-foam composites for cold storage[J]. Applied Thermal Engineering, 2019, 161: 114163. DOI: 10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2019.114163.

PETROVIC M, FUKUI K, KOMINAMI K. Numerical and experimental performance investigation of a heat exchanger designed using topologically optimized fins[J]. Applied Thermal Engineering, 2023, 218: 119232. DOI: 10.1016/j.applthermaleng. 2022.119232.

ZHAO Y, MOU X Z, CHEN Z Q, et al. Topology optimization and bionic analysis of heat sink fin configuration based on additive manufacturing technology[J]. International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer, 2024, 155: 107544. DOI: 10.1016/j.icheatmasstransfer.2024.107544.

LOHAN D J, DEDE E M, ALLISON J T. A study on practical objectives and constraints for heat conduction topology optimization[J]. Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization, 2020, 61(2): 475-489. DOI: 10.1007/s00158-019-02369-6.

Views

下载量

CSCD

Alert me when the article has been cited

提交

Tools

Publicity Resources

Enhancement mechanism of three-dimensional-printed metal fins for the melting and heat-storage performance of phase-change materials

Research on low-cost flexible dual-mode PCM for thermal management of outdoor lithium-ion batteries

Integrated design and experimental study of photovoltaic/thermal system based on microchannels and phase change materials

Preparation and surface tension regulation of a hydrated salt gel based on sodium sulfate decahydrate

Experimental investigation and numerical on twin-tube series-connected tubular SOFC

Related Author

Li Boran

Tong Shanhu

Wang Da

Ren Xiaofen

Zhao Xuemin

QIAN Chunzhi

CHEN Yu

ZHAO Xijia

Related Institution

石家庄铁道大学河北省新型储能国际联合研究中心

International Joint Research Center for New Energy Storage, Shijiazhuang Tiedao University

CRRC Shijiazhuang Vehicle Co., Ltd.

China National Supply and Marketing Cooperative Federation Fruit Research Institute, Jinan

Hebei Province Key Laboratory of Green Digitalization Technologies for Rail Transit Refrigeration and Air Conditioning

⁰