High Temperature Thermochemical Heat Storage for Concentrated Solar Power Using Gas–Solid Reactions

2011 ◽  
Vol 133 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Franziska Schaube ◽  
Antje Wörner ◽  
Rainer Tamme

High temperature thermal storage technologies that can be easily integrated into future concentrated solar power plants are a key factor for increasing the market potential of solar power production. Storing thermal energy by reversible gas–solid reactions has the potential of achieving high storage densities while being adjustable to various plant configurations. In this paper the Ca(OH)2/CaO reaction system is investigated theoretically. It can achieve storage densities above 300 kWh/m3 while operating in a temperature range between 400 and 600°C. Reactor concepts with indirect and direct heat transfer are being evaluated. The low thermal conductivity of the fixed bed of solid reactants turned out to considerably limit the performance of a storage tank with indirect heat input through the reactor walls. A one-dimensional model for the storage reactor is established and solved with the Finite Element Method. The reactor concept with direct heat transfer by flowing the gaseous reactant plus additional inert gas through the solid reactants did not show any limitation due to heat transfer. If reaction kinetics are fast enough, the reactor performance in case of the Ca(OH)2/CaO reaction system is limited by the thermal capacity of the gaseous stream to take-up heat of reaction. However, to limit pressure drop and the according losses for compression of the gas stream, the size of the storage system is restricted in a fixed bed configuration.

Author(s):  
Cs. Singer ◽  
R. Buck ◽  
R. Pitz-Paal ◽  
H. Mu¨ller-Steinhagen

In commercial power plant technology, the market introduction of ultra supercritical (USC) steam cycle power plants with steam parameters around 350bar and 720°C is the next development step. USC steam cycles are also proposed to decrease the levelized electricity costs of future solar power towers due to their highly efficient energy conversion. A 55% thermal efficiency with decreased specific investment costs is within the potential of USC steam cycles. The required process parameters can be achieved using nickel based alloys in the solar receiver, the tubing and other plant components. For solar tower applications, appropriate high temperature heat transfer media (HTM), high temperature heat exchangers and storage options are additionally required. Using the current development for molten salt power towers (Solar Tres) as a reference, several tower concepts with USC power plants were compared. The ECOSTAR methodology provided by [1] was applied for predicting the cost reduction potential and the annual performance of these power tower concepts applying tubular receivers with various HTM. The considered HTM include alkali nitrate salts, alkali chloride salts and liquid metals such as a Bi-Pb eutectic, tin or sodium. For the assessment, an analytical model of the heat transfer in a parametric 360° cylindrical, tubular central receiver was developed to examine the receiver characteristics for different geometries. The sensitivity of the specific cost assumptions for the levelized electricity costs (LEC) was evaluated for each concept variation. No detailed evaluation was done for the thermal storage, but comparable costs were assumed for all cases. The results indicate a significant cost reduction potential for the liquid metal HTM processes.


Solar Energy ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 164 ◽  
pp. 47-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yunshu Zhang ◽  
Ye Cai ◽  
SungHwan Hwang ◽  
Gregory Wilk ◽  
Freddy DeAngelis ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Xiaoxin Wang ◽  
Jusus Rincon ◽  
Peiwen Li ◽  
Youyang Zhao ◽  
Judith Vidal

Abstract A new eutectic chloride molten salt, MgCl2-KCl-NaCl (wt.% 45.98-38.91-15.11), has been recognized as one of the most promising high-temperature heat-transfer fluids (HTF) for both heat transfer and thermal storage for the 3rd Generation concentrated solar thermal power (CSP) systems. For the first time, some essential thermophysical properties of this eutectic chloride molten salt needed for basic heat transfer and energy storage analysis in the application of concentrating solar power systems have been experimentally tested and provided as functions of temperature in the range from 450 °C to 700 °C. The studied properties include heat capacity, melting point, heat of fusion, viscosity, vapor pressure, density, and thermal conductivity. The property equations provide essential database for engineers to use to calculate convective heat transfer in concentrated solar receivers, heat exchangers, and thermal storage for concentrated solar power plants.


Energies ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 2358 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriel Zsembinszki ◽  
Aran Solé ◽  
Camila Barreneche ◽  
Cristina Prieto ◽  
A. Fernández ◽  
...  

The aim of this study is to perform a review of the state-of-the-art of the reactors available in the literature, which are used for solid–gas reactions or thermal decomposition processes around 1000 °C that could be further implemented for thermochemical energy storage in CSP (concentrated solar power) plants, specifically for SPT (solar power tower) technology. Both direct and indirect systems can be implemented, with direct and closed systems being the most studied ones. Among direct and closed systems, the most used configuration is the stacked bed reactor, with the fixed bed reactor being the most frequent option. Out of all of the reactors studied, almost 70% are used for solid–gas chemical reactions. Few data are available regarding solar efficiency in most of the processes, and the available information indicates relatively low values. Chemical reaction efficiencies show better values, especially in the case of a fluidized bed reactor for solid–gas chemical reactions, and fixed bed and rotary reactors for thermal decompositions.


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