Abstract
Thermal energy storage (TES) is an enabling system that provides
uninterrupted energy from concentrated solar power (CSP) plants.
Packed-bed TES systems have great opportunity to significantly enhance
the cost-effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability of CSP plants by
employing an affordable and sustainable packing material. The objective
of this study is to design a packed bed TES system with a maximum
storage capacity of 40 kWh, specifically tailored to store heat within
the temperature range of 290 – 565 °C, thereby making it suitable for
integration into CSP plants. Performance and thermal behavior of
demolition waste-based packed-bed TES system was assessed through
numerical analysis. The results demonstrate that a high discharging
efficiency of 96.7% was achieved when the HTF flow rate was set at 300
kgh -1. However, it is important to note that at lower
HTF flow rates, heat loss increases, leading to a decrease in
discharging efficiency to 93.7%. The experiment also revealed a uniform
thermal gradient within the packed-bed TES system, up to a fluid flow
rate of 300 kgh -1. It is worth mentioning that lower
flow rates can further improve the stratification effect; however, they
may also result in increased heat loss and reduced storage capacity.
Based on these findings, an optimal flow rate range of 100-200 kgh
-1 is recommended to achieve the best performance for
the packed-bed TES system.