Solar Thermal Energy Storage

Energy Storage not only plays an important role in conservinq the energy but also improves the performance and reliability of a wide range of energy systems. Energy storagp. leads to saving of premium fuels and makes the system morA cost effective by reducing the wastage of energy. In most systems there is a mismatch between the energy supply and energy demand. The energy storage can even out this imbalance and thereby help in savings of capital costs. Enerqy storage is all the more important where the enerqy source is intermittent such as Solar Energy. The use of jntermittent energy sources is likely to grow. If more and more solar energy is to be used for domestic and industrial applications then energy storage is very crucial. If no storage is used in solar energy systems then the major part of the energy demand will be met by the back-up or auxiliary energy and therefore the so called annual solar load fract]on will be very low. In case of solar energy, both short term and long term energy storage systems can be used whjch can adjust the phase difference between solar energy supply and energy demand and can match seasonal demands to the solar availability respectively. Thermal energy storage can lead to capital cost savings, fuel savjngs, and fuel substitution in many application areas. Developing an optimum thermal storaqe system is as important an area of research as developinq an alternative source of energy.

Energy Storage not only plays an important role in conservinq the energy but also improves the performance and reliability of a wide range of energy systems. Energy storagp. leads to saving of premium fuels and makes the system morA cost effective by reducing the wastage of energy. In most systems there is a mismatch between the energy supply and energy demand. The energy storage can even out this imbalance and thereby help in savings of capital costs. Enerqy storage is all the more important where the enerqy source is intermittent such as Solar Energy. The use of jntermittent energy sources is likely to grow. If more and more solar energy is to be used for domestic and industrial applications then energy storage is very crucial. If no storage is used in solar energy systems then the major part of the energy demand will be met by the back-up or auxiliary energy and therefore the so called annual solar load fract]on will be very low. In case of solar energy, both short term and long term energy storage systems can be used whjch can adjust the phase difference between solar energy supply and energy demand and can match seasonal demands to the solar availability respectively. Thermal energy storage can lead to capital cost savings, fuel savjngs, and fuel substitution in many application areas. Developing an optimum thermal storaqe system is as important an area of research as developinq an alternative source of energy.

Solar Collectors, Energy Storage, and Materials covers the materials and basic components needed for solar thermal energy systems. Using thermal performance and durability as the major criteria, the twenty six chapters emphasize the modeling and assessment of devices rather than their application or cost. Each part begins with an overview and concludes with an assessment of current issues and opportunities. The contributors have been careful to document failures as well as successes in materials research. This is the fifth volume in a series that distills the results of the intensive research on and development of solar thermal energy conversion technologies from 1975 to 1986. Francis de Winter is President of the Altas Corporation, Santa Cruz, California and a member of the Santa Cruz Energy Advisory Committee. Contents: Solar Collectors. Collector Concepts and Designs. Optical Theory and Modeling of Solar Collectors. Thermal Theory and Modeling of Solar Collectors. Testing and Evaluation of Stationary Collectors. Testing and Evaluation of Tracking Collectors. Optical Research and Development. Collector Thermal Research and Development. Collector Engineering Research and Development. Solar Pond Research and Development. Reliability and Durability of Solar Collectors. Environmental Degradation of Low-Cost Solar Collectors. Energy Storage for Solar Systems. Storage Concepts and Design. Analytical and Numerical Modeling of Thermal Conversion Systems. Testing and Evaluation of Thermal Energy Storage Systems. Storage Research and Development. Materials for Solar Technologies. Materials for Solar Collector Concepts and Designs. Theory and Modeling of Solar Materials. Testing and Evaluation of Solar Materials. Exposure Testing and Evaluation of Performance Degradation. Solar Materials Research and Development.

Until very recently, energy supply of the world has been treated as being nearly inexhaustible. Nowadays about 90 percent of the energy used is obtained from non-renewable resources: oil, natural gas, coal and uranium. These resources are being used up at an alarming rate. To meet our demands we are now searching for new sources of energy. One of these new sources of energy is solar energy which will assume increasing importance. It is free but means must be developed to use it economically. Research is actively under way to reduce the storage cost of this low intensity energy and for the design of economical systems. The purpose of this Institute is to provide an international forum for the dissemination of information on solar energy utilization: fundamentals and applications in industry. This meeting is primarily a high level teaching activity. The subject is treated in considerable depth by lecturers eminent in their field. The other participants include scientists, engineers, and senior graduate students who themselves are involved in a similar research and who wish to learn more about current developments, as well as scientists from other areas who are planning to research on solar energy. The lectures are supplemented by informal discussions designed to encourage the free and critical exchange of ideas. A limited number of contributions are also included. This volume contains both basic and applied information contributed during the Institute. The editors appreciate the cooperation of Martinus Nijhoff Publishezsin making the proceedings widely available.

While solar is the fastest-growing energy source in the world, key concerns around solar power’s inherent variability threaten to de-rail that scale-up . Currently, integration of intermittent solar resources into the grid creates added complication to load management, leading some utilities to reject it altogether, while other operators may penalize the producers via rate increases or force solar developers to include storage devices on-site to smooth out power delivery at the point of production. However these efforts at mitigation unfold, it is increasingly clear to parties on all sides that energy storage will be pivotally important in the drive to boost the integration of variable renewable sources into power infrastructures across the globe. Thoughtfully implemented storage technologies can reduce peak demand, improve day-to-day reliability, provide emergency power in case of interrupted generation, reduce consumer and utility costs by easing load balance challenges, decrease emissions, and increase the amount of distributed and renewable energy that makes it into the grid. While energy storage has long been an area of concern for scientists and engineers, there has been no comprehensive single text covering the storage methods available to solar power producers, which leaves a lamentable gap in the literature core to this important field. Solar Energy Storage aims to become the authoritative work on the topic, incorporating contributions from an internationally recognized group of top authors from both industry and academia, focused on providing information from underlying scientific fundamentals to practical applications, and emphasizing the latest technological developments driving this discipline forward. Expert contributing authors explain current and emergent storage technologies for solar, thermal, and photovoltaic applications. Sheds light on the economic status of solar storage facilities, including case studies of the particular challenges that solar energy systems present to remote locations. Includes information on: chemical storage mechanisms, mechanical storage tactics, pumped hydro, thermal storage, and storage strategies for systems of all sizes—from centralized utilities to distributed generation.

Thermal energy storage technologies are gaining attention nowadays for uninterrupted supply of solar power in off-sunshine hours. An indigenized solar phase change material (PCM) system was developed and performance evaluated in the current study to efficiently store solar thermal power using a latent heat storage approach, which can be utilized in any subsequent decentralized food processing application. A 2.5 m2 laying Scheffler reflector is used to precisely focus the incoming direct normal irradiance (DNI) on a casted aluminum heat receiver (220 mm diameter) from where this concentrated heat energy is absorbed and conducted to the PCM unit by the flow of thermal oil (Fragoltherm-32 thermo-oil). During the circulation around PCM pipes inside the PCM unit, thermal oil discharges heat energy to the PCM, which undergoes change of phase from solid to liquid. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis of the PCM unit were also performed according to the actual boundary conditions, which gave satisfactory results in terms of temperature and velocity distribution. With an average DNI of 781 W/m2, the highest temperature of the receiver surface during the trials was observed at about 155 C that produces thermal oil at 110°C inside the receiver and around 48°C of PCM in the PCM unit. The heat energy losses per unit time (W) due to the lack of reflectivity from the Scheffler reflector, out-of-focus radiations at the targeted area, absorptivity of heat receiver, piping system losses, and cylinder losses (in the form of conduction, convection, and radiations using 50 mm insulation thickness) were found to be 110 W (10 %), 99 W (9 %), 89 W (8 %), 128 W (12 %), 161 W (15 %), and 89 W (8 %), respectively. These findings of CFD analysis and mathematical modeling were also consistent with real-time data, which was logged through an online Control and Monitoring Interface portal. The final energy available to the PCM was 414W with an overall system efficiency of 38 %, which can be improved by decreasing thermal losses of the system and using other PCM materials.

The consumption of any kind of energy has a significant role in protecting energy in the economic development of any country. Today, request in the sector has led to beautiful and large buildings around the world. It is noteworthy that buildings will spend about 30% of the worldwide energy produced. An energy storage system should have certain features that include proper energy storage material with a specific melting temperature at the optimum range, decent heat transfer well, and a pleasant enclosure compatible with the most important energy storage methods. Some features of nano-enhanced phase change materials are presented in this book.