Entropy generation during a phase-change process in a parallel plate channel

This study addresses the entropy generation in heat conduction, accompanied by melting/solidification. The energy and entropy equations for one-dimensional transient thermal analysis with associated boundary and initial conditions are solved numerically using a fixed grid numerical model with the finite control volume approach following the Thomas algorithm. On the other hand, the dimensionless thermal conductivity, K, is calculated by harmonic mean method at the control surface. The numerical results are then verified by testing the resulting predictions for independence of the grid size, time-step and other parameters. Proper trends and a good agreement between the results of theoretical modeling and physical reality for the solidification/melting process are obtained. A parametric study with various associated parameters is performed and results are illustrated.