Volume 55

Evaluating design criteria of silica gel based open bed reactor to meet domestic heating demand Susmita Koley, Zhiwei Ma

Abstract

The present study conducts a thermal analysis of a silica gel-based open cycle reactor serving as a daily heat storage system. Heat and mass transfer in the reactor during heat discharge are simulated using a transient local thermal non-equilibrium model. The model is validated against experimental data obtained under two different operating conditions, indicating satisfactory agreement between the experimental and the simulated results. Additionally, the study explores the space heating demand on the coldest winter day in London. Design criteria, including the optimal amount of silica gel and the required air flow rate for this open bed reactor to meet this demand, are evaluated and analysed.

Keywords Thermal energy storage, adsorption, open-bed sorption system, silica gel, numerical study