scholarly journals Thermal energy storage with integrated heat exchangers using stratified molten salt system for 1 MWe CSP

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valeria Russo ◽  
Domenico Mazzei ◽  
Raffaele Liberatore
Keyword(s):  
Energy Storage ◽  
Molten Salt ◽  
Thermal Energy ◽  
Thermal Energy Storage ◽  
Heat Exchangers ◽  
Salt System ◽  
Molten Salt System

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.

Effect of High Temperatures and Heating Rates on High Strength Concrete for Use as Thermal Energy Storage

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emerson E. John ◽  
W. Micah Hale ◽  
R. Panneer Selvam
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Energy Storage ◽  
Molten Salt ◽  
High Temperatures ◽  
Thermal Energy ◽  
Thermal Energy Storage ◽  
Heat Transfer Fluid ◽  
Heating Rates ◽  
Storage Media ◽  
Concrete Mixtures

In recent years due to rising energy costs as well as an increased interest in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, there is great interest in developing alternative sources of energy. One of the most viable alternative energy resources is solar energy. Concentrating solar power (CSP) technologies have been identified as an option for meeting utility needs in the U.S. Southwest. Areas where CSP technologies can be improved are improved heat transfer fluid (HTF) and improved methods of thermal energy storage (TES). One viable option for TES storage media is concrete. The material costs of concrete can be very inexpensive and the costs/ kWhthermal, which is based on the operating temperature, are reported to be approximately $1. Researchers using concrete as a TES storage media have achieved maximum operating temperatures of 400°C. However, there are concerns for using concrete as the TES medium, and these concerns center on the effects and the limitations that the high temperatures may have on the concrete. As the concrete temperature increases, decomposition of the calcium hydroxide (CH) occurs at 500°C, and there is significant strength loss due to degeneration of the calcium silicate hydrates (C-S-H). Additionally concrete exposed to high temperatures has a propensity to spall explosively. This proposed paper examines the effect of heating rates on high performance concrete mixtures. Concrete mixtures with water to cementitious material ratios (w/cm) of 0.15 to 0.30 and compressive strengths of up to 180 MPa (26 ksi) were cast and subjected to heating rates of 3, 5, 7, and 9° C/min. These concrete mixtures are to be used in tests modules where molten salt is used as the heat transfer fluid. Molten salt becomes liquid at temperatures exceeding 220°C and therefore the concrete will be exposed to high initial temperatures and subsequently at controlled heating rates up to desired operating temperatures. Preliminary results consistently show that concrete mixtures without polypropylene fibres (PP) cannot resist temperatures beyond 500° C, regardless of the heating rate employed. These mixtures spall at higher temperatures when heated at a faster rate (7° C/min). Additionally, mixtures which incorporate PP fibres can withstand temperatures up to 600° C without spalling irrespective of the heating rate.

scholarly journals Comparative Analysis of Single- and Dual-Media Thermocline Tanks for Thermal Energy Storage in Concentrating Solar Power Plants

2015 ◽  
Vol 137 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolina Mira-Hernández ◽  
Scott M. Flueckiger ◽  
Suresh V. Garimella
Keyword(s):  
Energy Storage ◽  
Molten Salt ◽  
Thermal Energy ◽  
Thermal Energy Storage ◽  
Solar Power ◽  
Filler Material ◽  
Tank Wall ◽  
Concentrating Solar Power ◽  
Wall Boundary Conditions ◽  
Thermal Ratcheting

A molten-salt thermocline tank is a low-cost option for thermal energy storage (TES) in concentrating solar power (CSP) plants. Typical dual-media thermocline (DMT) tanks contain molten salt and a filler material that provides sensible heat capacity at reduced cost. However, conventional quartzite rock filler introduces the potential for thermomechanical failure by successive thermal ratcheting of the tank wall under cyclical operation. To avoid this potential mode of failure, the tank may be operated as a single-medium thermocline (SMT) tank containing solely molten salt. However, in the absence of filler material to dampen tank-scale convection eddies, internal mixing can reduce the quality of the stored thermal energy. To assess the relative merits of these two approaches, the operation of DMT and SMT tanks is simulated under different periodic charge/discharge cycles and tank wall boundary conditions to compare the performance with and without a filler material. For all conditions assessed, both thermocline tank designs have excellent thermal storage performance, although marginally higher first- and second-law efficiencies are predicted for the SMT tank. While heat loss through the tank wall to the ambient induces internal flow nonuniformities in the SMT design over the scale of the entire tank, strong stratification maintains separation of the hot and cold regions by a narrow thermocline; thermocline growth is limited by the low thermal diffusivity of the molten salt. Heat transport and flow phenomena inside the DMT tank, on the other hand, are governed to a great extent by thermal diffusion, which causes elongation of the thermocline. Both tanks are highly resistant to performance loss over periods of static operation, and the deleterious effects of dwell time are limited in both tank designs.

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