Thermal storage of sensible heat using concrete modules in solar power plants

Salomoni, Valentina; Majorana, C. E.; Giannuzzi, Giuseppe; Miliozzi, Adio; Maggio, R. Di; Girardi, Fabrizio; Mele, Domenico; Lucentini, Marco

doi:10.1016/j.solener.2014.02.022

Cited by 115 publications

(43 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…The thermal analysis of the SHTES module can be reduced to the study of heat transfer phenomena into a prismatic element with a cylindrical cavity in the center, representing the flow channel for the HTF flow, which is the storage element considered in this work. This differential element, differently from cylindrical elements considered in other works [17,45], depicts without geometric approximations the actual repeating differential storage element. In Figure 3, the 3D sketch of the differential storage element, assumed as the computational domain for unsteady heat transfer simulation, is shown with the grid employed for calculation.…”

Section: Design Criteria and Simulation Approach For Sensible Heat Thmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…According to Tamme et al [17] and Salomoni et al [45], the following conditions have been applied to the model: (a) the storage materials are considered homogeneous and isotropic; (b) for the length L, the variation of temperature in axial direction can be neglected; (c) the steel pipes, due to their very high thermal conductivity, have a negligible effect on heat transfer to the solid media; (d) the operating delta T for the element is 40 K (from 623 K to 663 K), so that thermal properties are assumed to be constant; (e) the HTF is considered as an infinite power tank during a complete thermal cycle; (f) for the operating storage cycle, the charging period lasts 3600 s, and the following break period lasts 3600 s.…”

Section: Design Criteria and Simulation Approach For Sensible Heat Thmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…(1) For a fixed value of the rectangular area, i.e., thermal conductivity, the constitutive equation for thermal properties describes a hyperbola, hence a high value of the thermal diffusivity corresponds to a low value of the volumetric heat capacity and vice versa; (2) Storage materials, with similar values of thermal conductivity, can behave very differently and the simple increase of the thermal conductivity value, as suggested in [17,45], could be insufficient to improve overall thermal performances; (3) A proper design of storage systems must be based on the selection of a high-thermal performance storage material so that an optimum balance between capacitive and heat transport behavior is required to the solid medium; (4) Both thermal diffusivity and volumetric heat capacity must increase and, for these characteristics, mix design and aggregate selection play the most important role.…”

Section: Storage Materials Selected From Literature Review On Sensiblmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Finite Element Method Modeling of Sensible Heat Thermal Energy Storage with Innovative Concretes and Comparative Analysis with Literature Benchmarks

et al. 2014

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Efficient systems for high performance buildings are required to improve the integration of renewable energy sources and to reduce primary energy consumption from fossil fuels. This paper is focused on sensible heat thermal energy storage (SHTES) systems using solid media and numerical simulation of their transient behavior using the finite element method (FEM). Unlike other papers in the literature, the numerical model and simulation approach has simultaneously taken into consideration various aspects: thermal properties at high temperature, the actual geometry of the repeated storage element and the actual storage cycle adopted. High-performance thermal storage materials from the literatures have been tested and used here as reference benchmarks. Other materials tested are lightweight concretes with recycled aggregates and a geopolymer concrete. Their thermal properties have been measured and used as inputs in the numerical model to preliminarily evaluate their application in thermal storage. The analysis carried out can also be used to optimize the storage system, in terms of thermal properties required to the storage material. OPEN ACCESSEnergies 2014, 7 5292The results showed a significant influence of the thermal properties on the performances of the storage elements. Simulation results have provided information for further scale-up from a single differential storage element to the entire module as a function of material thermal properties.

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Section: Design Criteria and Simulation Approach For Sensible Heat Thmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Design Criteria and Simulation Approach For Sensible Heat Thmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Storage Materials Selected From Literature Review On Sensiblmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Finite Element Method Modeling of Sensible Heat Thermal Energy Storage with Innovative Concretes and Comparative Analysis with Literature Benchmarks

et al. 2014

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“…Her group has carried out testing of a concrete energy storage system incorporating an array of embedded heat exchangers and thermal oil as heat transfer fluid, and the energy storage temperature has achieved up to 400 • C [4][5][6][7]. Salomoni et al [8] presented guidelines for designing a concrete storage module and for its integration into a solar plant, respecting constraints linked both to an adequate solar field operation and to the production system. Skinner et al [9] developed a high-performance concrete as a heat TES material and conducted high temperature tests in the range of 400-500 • C. In the tests, molten nitrate salt was used as the heat transfer fluid, which was circulated though stainless steel tubes embedded in concrete prisms, to charge the TES system.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Testing of High Thermal Cycling Stability of Low Strength Concrete as a Thermal Energy Storage Material

Pan

Zhong

et al. 2016

Applied Sciences

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Abstract:Concrete has the potential to become a solution for thermal energy storage (TES) integrated in concentrating solar power (CSP) systems due to its good thermal and mechanical properties and low cost of material. In this study, a low strength concrete (C20) is tested at high temperatures up to 600 • C. Specimens are thermally cycled at temperatures in the range of 400-300 • C, 500-300 • C, and 600-300 • C, which TES can reach in operation. For comparison, specimens also cycled at temperature in the range of 400-25 • C (room temperature), 500-25 • C, and 600-25 • C. It is found from the test results that cracks are not observed on the surfaces of concrete specimens until the temperature is elevated up to 500 • C. There is mechanical deterioration of concrete after exposure to high temperature, especially to high thermal cycles. The residual compressive strength of concrete after 10 thermal cycles between 600 • C and 300 • C is about 58.3%, but the specimens remain stable without spalling, indicating possible use of low strength concrete as a TES material.

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“…The material stability and storage performance have been verified in a 20-m 3 concrete module with more than 23 months of operation between 200 and 400 • C and more than 370 thermal cycles [4]. Salomoni et al [6] have presented guidelines for designing a concrete storage module and its integration into a solar plant. Skinner et al [7] have carried out experiments to study temperature parameters and physical properties of prismatic concrete with imbedded steel fin tubes between 400 and 500 • C. John et al [8] conducted thermal cycle tests of concrete and examined their residual compressive strengths which represent the structural stability of concrete.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experimental Study on Specific Heat of Concrete at High Temperatures and Its Influence on Thermal Energy Storage

2016

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Using concrete as a thermal energy storage (TES) material is a promising option for large-scale solar-thermal resource development and utilization. Specific heat is one of the most important characteristics for TES performance. In this paper, the half-open dynamic method based on the mixing principle is proposed and applied to measure concrete-specific heat at temperatures up to 600 • C. Measurement of the specific heat of corundum ceramic (99% Al 2 O 3 ) is first performed, and the test results illustrate the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed test method. Furthermore, concrete-specific heat tests are carried out at high temperatures. It found that the specific heat increases as the temperature rises, especially, linearly in the range of 300-600 • C, in which the concrete TES module is expected to be in operation. Finally, the effect of concrete-specific heat changes with temperature on its TES capacity is investigated, demonstrating that specific heat is of great significance for concrete TES design for concentrating solar power.

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Thermal storage of sensible heat using concrete modules in solar power plants

Cited by 115 publications

References 16 publications

Finite Element Method Modeling of Sensible Heat Thermal Energy Storage with Innovative Concretes and Comparative Analysis with Literature Benchmarks

Finite Element Method Modeling of Sensible Heat Thermal Energy Storage with Innovative Concretes and Comparative Analysis with Literature Benchmarks

Testing of High Thermal Cycling Stability of Low Strength Concrete as a Thermal Energy Storage Material

Experimental Study on Specific Heat of Concrete at High Temperatures and Its Influence on Thermal Energy Storage

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