Thermal Energy Storage For Solar Applications

The ability of thermal energy storage (TES) systems to facilitate energy savings, renewable energy use and reduce environmental impact has led to a recent resurgence in their interest. The second edition of this book offers up-to-date coverage of recent energy efficient and sustainable technological methods and solutions, covering analysis, design and performance improvement as well as life-cycle costing and assessment. As well as having significantly revised the book for use as a graduate text, the authors address real-life technical and operational problems, enabling the reader to gain an understanding of the fundamental principles and practical applications of thermal energy storage technology. Beginning with a general summary of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics and heat transfer, this book goes on to discuss practical applications with chapters that include TES systems, environmental impact, energy savings, energy and exergy analyses, numerical modeling and simulation, case studies and new techniques and performance assessment methods.

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.

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.

During the last two decades many research and development activities related to energy have concentrated on efficient energy use and energy savings and conservation. In this regard, Thermal Energy Storage (TES) systems can play an important role, as they provide great potential for facilitating energy savings and reducing environmental impact. Thermal storage has received increasing interest in recent years in terms of its applications, and the enormous potential it offers both for more effective use of thermal equipment and for economic, large-scale energy substitutions. Indeed, TES appears to provide one of the most advantageous solutions for correcting the mismatch that often occurs between the supply and demand of energy. Despite this increase in attention, no book is currently available which comprehensively covers TES. Presenting contributions from prominent researchers and scientists, this book is primarily concerned with TES systems and their applications. It begins with a brief summary of general aspects of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics and heat transfer, and then goes on to discuss energy storage technologies, environmental aspects of TES, energy and exergy analyses, and practical applications. Furthermore, this book provides coverage of the theoretical, experimental and numerical techniques employed in the field of thermal storage. Numerous case studies and illustrative examples are included throughout. Some of the unique features of this book include: * State-of-the art descriptions of many facets of TES systems and applications * In-depth coverage of exergy analysis and thermodynamic optimization of TES systems * Extensive new material on TES technologies, including advances due to innovations in sensible- and latent-energy storage * Key chapters on environmental issues, sustainable development and energy savings * Extensive coverage of practical aspects of the design, evaluation, selection and implementation of TES systems * Wide coverage of TES-system modelling, ranging in level from elementary to advanced * Abundant design examples, case studies and references In short, this book forms a valuable reference resource for practicing engineers and researchers, and a research-oriented text book for advanced undergraduate and graduate students of various engineering disciplines. Instructors will find that its breadth and structure make it an ideal core text for TES and related courses.

Several hundred technically acceptable PCMs were identified in Volume I of this set, and some of their thermodynamic and physical properties were present. Out of these, practical considerations have reduced the list to a few commercial PCMs for solar energy thermal storage heating and cooling applications. In Volume II these PCMs and their technology and discussed.

Several hundred technically acceptable PCMs were identified in Volume I of this set, and some of their thermodynamic and physical properties were present. Out of these, practical considerations have reduced the list to a few commercial PCMs for solar energy thermal storage heating and cooling applications. In Volume II these PCMs and their technology and discussed.