In　this　paper,　the　enhancement　of　melting　behaviour　in　a　shell　and　tube　thermal　energy　storage　(TES)　device　containing　various　structured　fins　is　numerically　investigated.　Five　innovative　enhancement　structures　involving　topology　optimized　fin,　tree-shaped　fin,　snowflake　fin,　spiderweb　fin,　and　a　combined　conventional　fin　and　composite　phase　change　material　(CPCM)　are　quantitatively　compared　and　evaluated.　Two　groups　of　experiments　are　carried　out　to　validate　the　simulation　codes　for　the　devices　containing　topology　optimized　fin　and　CPCM,　while　the　numerical　models　for　the　devices　with　longitudinal　fin　and　pure　PCM　are　verified　by　two　sets　of　literature　data.　A　comprehensive　comparison　is　performed　for　these　five　enhanced　configurations　from　multiple　perspectives　with　the　emphasis　of　investigation　being　placed　on　assessment　of　the　economic　efficiency　of　these　structures　through　introducing　a　parameter　of　TES　rate　per　unit　cost.　The　results　show　that　the　use　of　enhanced　structures　achieves　remarkable　enhancement　on　the　melting　rate　in　a　shell　and　tube　device.　Compared　to　the　device　containing　no　enhancement　structure,　the　complete　melting　process　can　be　accelerated　respectively　by　97.2%,　93.6%,　93%,　88%　and　83.6%　for　the　devices　containing　tree-shaped　fin,　spiderweb　fin,　snowflake　fin,　topology　optimization　fin,　and　joint　longitudinal　fin　and　CPCM.　The　implementation　of　tree-shaped　fin　provides　the　optimal　economical　solution　to　acquire　the　best　utilization　efficiency　among　the　five　structures,　but　the　enhancement　degree　on　the　economic　efficiency　is　intimately　tied　to　the　cost　ratio　of　fin　to　PCM.　In　order　to　highlight　the　advantage　of　using　tree-shaped　fin　on　the　improvement　of　heat　transfer　rate　and　economic　efficiency,　the　cost　ratio　of　fin　to　PCM　in　such　enhanced　structure　is　suggested　to　be　controlled　to　less　than　6.5.　Moreover,　fin　material　also　presents　a　significant　influence　on　the　selection　of　performance　enhanced　structure　since　it　affects　not　only　the　melting　rate　but　also　the　material　utilization　efficiency　within　the　device.　Substituting　aluminium　alloy　with　cheaper　steel　as　the　fin　manufacturing　material　makes　the　economic　efficiency　a　whole　declined.　This　indicates　for　achieving　a　combined　improvement　of　melting　performance　and　economic　efficiency,　the　enhanced　structure　should　be　selected　to　have　a　high　thermal　conductivity　and　controllable　cost　that　easy　to　manufacture.