The impact of using kite-shaped anisotropic metal foam layer (AMFL) on melting heat transfer of a channel shape latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) unit was investigated to optimize heat transfer and conserve energy efficiently. The system employs water channels to transfer heat into a paraffin wax phase change material (PCM) via copper conduits, strategically capturing and storing surplus thermal energy. Housed within a closed 15 cm × 15 cm compartment with selective heating on one side and adiabatic boundaries elsewhere, the LHTES system integrates uniform metal foam alongside AMFL configurations varying from 25 % to 75 % of the unit’s volume. The Darcy-Brinkman-Forchheimer model further elucidates fluid flow through porous media, to take into account the liquid PCM flow. Mathematical modeling utilizes finite element method solutions to simulate PCM phase change and fluid dynamics within the metal foam structure, governed by partial differential equations encompassing mass, momentum, and energy conservation principles. The optimal energy storage rate is achieved by placing the thick base of the kite-shaped AMFL at the bottom, near the hot wall. Covering 25 % and 75 % of the enclosure with an AMFL resulted in a 2.2 % and 5.6 % change in the melting rate, respectively.
