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We present numerical investigations on a thermal energy storage system with phase change materials (PCMs) vertically heated from one side of a rectangular enclosure. A transient numerical model is developed to study the heat transfer and melting behaviors, and the natural convection is accounted. To suppress the non-uniform heat transfer for the PCM melting enhancement, fins with the inclined angle of 0°,+ 15°,+ 30°,-15° and-30° are proposed. The melt fraction contours with the natural convection driven flow are performed and compared, as well as the temperature distributions. Results show that the fins in a downward angle of-15° accelerate the PCM melting faster than the others, as the part of heat is well transferred to the bottom of container along the fins and the original non-uniform melting caused by natural convection is reduced. Contrarily, the upward fins in+ 15° and+ 30° deepen the non-uniform heat …