Modified Magnesium Hydride and Calcium Borohydride for High-Capacity Thermal Energy Storage

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Placidus B. Amama ◽  
Jonathan E. Spowart ◽  
Andrey A. Voevodin ◽  
Timothy S. Fisher
Keyword(s):  
Energy Storage ◽  
Thermal Energy ◽  
Thermal Energy Storage ◽  
High Capacity ◽  
Weight Ratio ◽  
Decomposition Reaction ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Decomposition Temperature ◽  
Slow Kinetics ◽  
Calcium Borohydride

MgH2 and Ca(BH4)2 are potential thermal energy storage (TES) materials that possess extraordinarily high inherent thermal energy densities of up to 2 MJ/kg. However, the high desorption temperatures at atmospheric pressure [>300°C for Ca(BH4)2, >400°C for MgH2] coupled with slow kinetics represent significant challenges for their use in TES. In order to address these challenges, the present work focuses on the development of new modification approaches based on nanostructuring via high-energy vibratory ball milling and catalytic enhancement using pure Ni and Ni alloys. Our work reveals that high-energy vibrating-mill technique with ball-to-powder weight ratio as low as 13:1can produce MgH2 powders with nanocrystallites after 2h of milling. MgH2 milled with Ni (5 wt%) and Ni5Zr2 (5 wt%) catalysts for 2 h showed apparent activation energies, EA of 81 and 79 kJ/mol, respectively, corresponding to ∼50% decrease in EA and ∼100°C decrease in the decomposition temperature (Tdec). On the other hand, the decomposition reaction of Ca(BH4)2 does not seem to be catalyzed by the Ni-based catalysts tested.

Numerical Analysis of Latent Thermal Energy Storage System With Embedded Thermosyphons

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karthik Nithyanandam ◽  
Ranga Pitchumani
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Energy Storage ◽  
Thermal Energy ◽  
Thermal Energy Storage ◽  
Solar Power ◽  
Storage System ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Concentrating Solar Power ◽  
Discharge Performance ◽  
Low Thermal Conductivity

Latent thermal energy storage (LTES) system offers high energy storage density and nearly isothermal operation for concentrating solar power generation. However, the low thermal conductivity possessed by the phase change material (PCM) used in LTES system limits the heat transfer rates. Utilizing thermosyphons to charge or discharge a LTES system offers a promising engineering solution to compensate for the low thermal conductivity of the PCM. The present work numerically investigates the enhancement in the thermal performance of charging and discharging process of LTES system by embedding thermosyphons. A transient, computational analysis of the LTES system with embedded thermosyphons is performed for both charging and discharging cycles. The influence of the design configuration of the system and the arrangement of the thermosyphons on the charge and discharge performance of the LTES installed in a concentrating solar power plant (CSP) is analyzed to identify configurations that lead to improved effectiveness.

Ca(NO3)2—NaNO3—KNO3 Molten Salt Mixtures for Direct Thermal Energy Storage Systems in Parabolic Trough Plants

2013 ◽  
Vol 135 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Judith C. Gomez ◽  
Nicolas Calvet ◽  
Anne K. Starace ◽  
Greg C. Glatzmaier
Keyword(s):  
Energy Storage ◽  
Molten Salt ◽  
Thermal Energy ◽  
Thermal Energy Storage ◽  
Invariant Reaction ◽  
Rankine Cycle ◽  
High Viscosity ◽  
Decomposition Temperature ◽  
Scanning Calorimetry ◽  
High Tendency

Molten salts are currently the only thermal energy storage media operating with multiple hours of energy capacity in commercial concentrated solar power (CSP) plants. Thermal energy is stored by sensible heat in the liquid phase. A lower melting point in the range of 60–120 °C and a decomposition temperature above 500 °C are desired because such a fluid would enhance the overall efficiency of the plants by utilizing less energy to keep the salt in the liquid state and by producing superheated steam at higher temperatures in the Rankine cycle. One promising candidate is a multicomponent NaNO3—KNO3—Ca(NO3)2 molten salt. Different compositions have been reported in literature as the best formulation for CSP plants based on melting temperature. In this paper, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) presents the handling, preparation, thermal properties, and characterization of different compositions for this ternary nitrate salt, and comparisons are drawn accordingly. This system has a high tendency to form supercooled liquids with high viscosity that undergo glass formation during cooling. When the proportion of Ca(NO3)2 decreases, the formulations become more thermally stable, the viscosity goes down, and the system increases its degree of crystalline solidification. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) tests showed the presence of a ternary eutectoid solid–solid invariant reaction at around 100 °C. The eutectic invariant reaction was resolved between 120 and 133 °C as reported in the literature. Based on DSC and viscosity results, the best composition would seem to be 36 wt. % Ca(NO3)2—16 wt. % NaNO3—48 wt. % KNO3, which showed a low solidification point.

scholarly journals Nucleation Triggering of Highly Undercooled Xylitol Using an Air Lift Reactor for Seasonal Thermal Energy Storage

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie DUQUESNE ◽  
Elena PALOMO DEL BARRIO ◽  
Alexandre GODIN
Keyword(s):  
Energy Storage ◽  
Thermal Energy ◽  
Thermal Energy Storage ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
High Energy Density ◽  
Bubble Generation ◽  
Spontaneous Nucleation ◽  
Air Lift Reactor ◽  
Air Lift

Xylitol is an organic, non-toxic, biosourced phase change material with high potential for seasonal thermal energy storage material. It has a high energy density, a high and stable undercooling allowing storing solar energy at ambient temperature thus, reducing thermal losses and the risk of spontaneous nucleation (i.e., the risk of losing the stored energy). When the energy is needed, the discharge triggering of the storage system (i.e., Nucleation triggering of highly viscous undercooled Xylitol) is very difficult as well as reaching a sufficient power delivery (i.e., the control of the subsequent crystal growth rates). Both are the mains locks for the use of Xylitol in seasonal energy storage. Different techniques to crystallize highly undercooled Xylitol have hence been considered. It has been proven that nucleation triggering of highly undercooled Xylitol using an air lift reactor would allow reaching performances matching with building applications (i.e., at medium temperatures, below 100 °C). The advantages of this technique compared to other existing techniques to activate the crystallization are discussed. The mechanisms triggering the nucleation are investigated. The air bubble generation, transportation of nucleation sites and subsequent crystallization are discussed to improve the air injection operating conditions.

Thermal Analysis of Elemental Sulfur in a Shell-and-Tube Configuration for Thermal Energy Storage Applications

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mitchell Shinn ◽  
Karthik Nithyanandam ◽  
Amey Barde ◽  
Richard Wirz
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
High Temperature ◽  
Energy Storage ◽  
Numerical Model ◽  
Thermal Energy ◽  
Thermal Energy Storage ◽  
Elemental Sulfur ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Shell And Tube

Currently, concentrated solar power (CSP) plants utilize thermal energy storage (TES) in order to store excess energy so that it can later be dispatched during periods of intermittency or during times of high energy demand. Elemental sulfur is a promising candidate storage fluid for high temperature TES systems due to its high thermal mass, moderate vapor pressure, high thermal stability, and low cost. The objective of this paper is to investigate the behavior of encapsulated sulfur in a shell and tube configuration. An experimentally validated, transient, two-dimensional numerical model of the shell and tube TES system is presented. Initial results from both experimental and numerical analysis show high heat transfer performance of sulfur. The numerical model is then used to analyze the dynamic response of the elemental sulfur based TES system for multiple charging and discharging cycles. A sensitivity analysis is performed to analyze the effect of geometry (system length), cutoff temperature, and heat transfer fluid on the overall utilization of energy stored within this system. Overall, this paper demonstrates a systematic parametric study of a novel low cost, high performance TES system based on elemental sulfur as the storage fluid that can be utilized for different high temperature applications.

scholarly journals FP-TES: A Fluidisation-Based Particle Thermal Energy Storage, Part I: Numerical Investigations and Bulk Heat Conductivity

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (17) ◽  
pp. 4298
Author(s):  
David Wünsch ◽  
Verena Sulzgruber ◽  
Markus Haider ◽  
Heimo Walter
Keyword(s):  
Energy Storage ◽  
Thermal Insulation ◽  
Thermal Energy ◽  
Thermal Energy Storage ◽  
Heat Conductivity ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Fluidised Bed ◽  
Regenerative Heat ◽  
Numerical Investigations

Renewables should become more continuously available, reliable and cost-efficient to manage the challenges caused by the energy transition. Thus, analytic and numerical investigations for the layout of a pilot plant of a concept called Fluidisation-Based Particle Thermal Energy Storage (FP-TES)—a highly flexible, short- to long-term fluidised bed regenerative heat storage utilising a pressure gradient for hot powder transport, and thus enabling minimal losses, high energy densities, compact construction and countercurrent heat exchange—are presented in this article. Such devices in decentralised set-up—being included in energy- and especially heat-intensive industries, storing latent or sensible heat or power-to-heat to minimise losses and compensate fluctuations—can help to achieve the above-stated goals. Part I of this article is focused on geometrical and fluidic design via numerical investigations utilising Computational Particle Fluid Dynamics (CPFD). In the process a controlled transient simulation method called co-simulation of FP-TES is developed forming the basis for test bench design and execution of further co-simulation. Within this process an advanced design of rotational symmetric hoppers with additional baffles in the heat exchanger (HEX) and internal pipes to stabilise the particle mass flow is developed. Moreover, a contribution bulk heat conductivity is presented to demonstrate low thermal losses and limited needs for thermal insulation by taking into account the thermal insulation of the outer layer of the hopper.

Design and Analysis of Metal Foam Enhanced Latent Thermal Energy Storage With Embedded Heat Pipes for Concentrating Solar Power Plants

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Nithyanandam ◽  
R. Pitchumani
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Energy Storage ◽  
Thermal Energy ◽  
Thermal Energy Storage ◽  
Solar Power ◽  
Metal Foam ◽  
Heat Pipes ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Metal Foams ◽  
Concentrating Solar Power

Thermal energy Storage is a critical component of Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) plant, enabling uninterrupted operation of plant during periods of cloudy or intermittent solar weather. Investigations of Latent Thermal Energy Storage (LTES) which utilizes Phase Change Material (PCM) as a heat storage medium is considered due to its high energy storage density and low capital cost. However, the low thermal conductivity of the PCM restricts the solidification rate of the PCM leading to inefficient heat transfer between the PCM and the HTF which carries thermal energy to the power block. To address this, LTES embedded with heat pipes and PCM’s stored within the framework of porous metal foams possessing one to two orders of magnitude higher thermal conductivity than the PCM are considered in the present study. A transient, computational analysis of the metal foam (MF) enhanced LTES system with embedded heat pipes is performed to investigate the enhancement in the thermal performance of the system for different arrangement of heat pipes and design parameter of metal foams, during both charging and discharging operation.

Towards High Energy Density, High Conductivity Thermal Energy Storage Composites

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick J. Shamberger ◽  
Daniel E. Forero
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Energy Storage ◽  
Energy Density ◽  
Thermal Energy ◽  
Thermal Energy Storage ◽  
High Energy ◽  
High Energy Density ◽  
Lithium Nitrate ◽  
Nitrate Trihydrate ◽  
Graphitic Foam

Thermal energy storage (TES) materials absorb transient pulses of heat, allowing for rapid storage of low-quality thermal energy for later use, and effective temperature regulation as part of a thermal management system. This paper describes recent development of salt hydrate-based TES composites at the Air Force Research Laboratory. Salt hydrates are known to be susceptible to undercooling and chemical segregation, and their bulk thermal conductivities remain too low for rapid heat transfer. Here, we discuss recent progress towards solving these challenges in the composite system lithium nitrate trihydrate/graphitic foam. This system takes advantage of both the high volumetric thermal energy storage density of lithium nitrate trihydrate and the high thermal conductivity of graphitic foams. We demonstrate a new stable nucleation agent specific to lithium nitrate trihydrate which decreases undercooling by up to ∼70% relative to previously described nucleation agents. Furthermore, we demonstrate the compatibility of lithium nitrate trihydrate and graphitic foam with the addition of a commercial nonionic silicone polyether surfactant. Finally, we show that thermal conductivity across water-graphite interfaces is optimized by tuning the surfactant concentration. These advances demonstrate a promising route to synthesizing high energy density, high thermal conductivity TES composites.

scholarly journals Thermal Energy Storage in Solar Power Plants: A Review of the Materials, Associated Limitations, and Proposed Solutions

Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (21) ◽  
pp. 4164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fadi Alnaimat ◽  
Yasir Rashid
Keyword(s):  
Energy Storage ◽  
Thermal Energy ◽  
Thermal Energy Storage ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Solar Power ◽  
Energy Conversion Efficiency ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Electricity Production ◽  
Thermal Fluids

Solar energy is the most viable and abundant renewable energy source. Its intermittent nature and mismatch between source availability and energy demand, however, are critical issues in its deployment and market penetrability. This problem can be addressed by storing surplus energy during peak sun hours to be used during nighttime for continuous electricity production in concentrated solar power (CSP) plants. This article reviews the thermal energy storage (TES) for CSPs and focuses on detailing the latest advancement in materials for TES systems and advanced thermal fluids for high energy conversion efficiency. Problems of TES systems, such as high temperature corrosion with their proposed solutions, as well as successful implementations are reported. The article also reviews the economic analysis on CSP plants with TES systems and life-cycle assessment to quantify the environmental impacts of different TES systems.

scholarly journals Nucleation Triggering of Highly Undercooled Xylitol Using an Air Lift Reactor for Seasonal Thermal Energy Storage

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 267 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie Duquesne ◽  
Elena Palomo Del Barrio ◽  
Alexandre Godin
Keyword(s):  
Energy Storage ◽  
Thermal Energy ◽  
Thermal Energy Storage ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
High Energy Density ◽  
Bubble Generation ◽  
Spontaneous Nucleation ◽  
Air Lift Reactor ◽  
Air Lift

Bio-based glass-forming materials are now considered for thermal energy storage in building applications. Among them, Xylitol appears as a biosourced seasonal thermal energy storage material with high potential. It has a high energy density and a high and stable undercooling, thus allowing storing solar energy at ambient temperature and reducing thermal losses and the risk of spontaneous nucleation (i.e., the risk of losing the stored energy). Generally when the energy is needed, the discharge triggering of the storage system is very difficult as well as reaching a sufficient power delivery. Both are indeed the main obstacles for the use of pure Xylitol in seasonal energy storage. Different techniques have been hence considered to crystallize highly undercooled Xylitol. Nucleation triggering of highly undercooled pure Xylitol by using an air lift reactor has been proven here. This method should allow reaching performances matching with building applications (i.e., at medium temperatures, below 100 °C). The advantages of this technique compared to other existing techniques to activate the crystallization are discussed. The mechanisms triggering the nucleation are investigated. The air bubble generation, transportation of nucleation sites and subsequent crystallization are discussed to improve the air injection operating conditions.

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