Volume 3: Innovative Solutions for Energy Transitions: Part II

Experimental Study and Dynamic Thermal Modeling of Solid Sensible Heat Storage System K. Vigneshwaran, Gurpreet Singh Sodhi, P. Muthukumar, Anurag Guha, S. Senthilmurugan

Abstract

In the present study, the thermal behavior of the high-temperature Concrete based Thermal Energy Storage (CTES) system is investigated using experimental study and simplified 1D dynamic modeling. The storage module is made up of shell and tube configuration. The shell side is filled with concrete as the energy storage material, and air is circulated in the tube (made of copper) side. The operating temperature range of the storage module is fixed in between 170 and 240 °C. The 1D dynamic modeling is developed using a set of equations, which helps to predict the heat transfer characteristics of the CTES module. In addition, the overall performance of the CTES module is investigated by integrating the developed model with real-time solar collector data and the seed dryer model. It is observed that, during the off-sun hours, the CTES module is capable of generating the hot air for the continuous drying of grape seed.

Keywords Sensible heat storage, Concrete, Experimental validation, Thermal modelling, Solar thermal application