Étude théorique et numérique de deux problèmes couples Stefan- transport; application au stockage thermique. (Theoretical and numerical study of two coupled transport Stefan problems; application to thermal storage) (Q1074031)

The authors treat the problem of thermal energy storage by solid-liquid phase change. The local problem is the evolution of the temperature and free boundary of the energy storing material within some cylindrical container, the global problem is the overall evolution of temperature in a structure of regularly spaced containers surrounded by a moving (heating resp. cooling) fluid. The authors describe it mathematically by variational inequalities, give existence, uniqueness and regularity results, and perform computations using finite differences. The proofs are only sketched; the paper is a short version which combines the two thèses de 3e cycle of the authors.