Short and long-term sensitivity of lab-scale thermocline based thermal storage to flow disturbances

Abstract

Molten-salt thermocline-based systems are a low-cost option for single-tank thermal energy storage in concentrated solar power plants. Due to the high variability in solar energy availability, these energy storage devices are subject to transient heat loads during charging that can affect the storage

Impact of buoyant jet entrainment on the thermocline behavior in a single-medium thermal energy storage tank

“…The thermo-hydrodynamic behaviors of the thermal jet and the induced buoyant plumes in confined SMT storage tanks have raised much attention of the researchers [19][20][21]. These studies distinguish themselves by the presence of analytical, numerical or experimental results, by the use of simple conventional or structured inlet flow distributors, and by the use of different measurement techniques.…”