Experimental discharge analysis of a high-temperature thermal energy storage system made of alumina blocks Articles uri icon

publication date

  • May 2025

start page

  • 125653-1

end page

  • 125653-11

volume

  • 267

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 1359-4311

Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)

  • 1873-5606

abstract

  • Thermal energy storage (TES) systems working at very high temperatures play a crucial role in the development of more efficient solar thermal power plants. Sensible heat storage in solids is the most mature TES technology. This work presents a novel lab-scale TES system made of stacked alumina blocks, which resist high temperature
    and thermal shock. The alumina blocks are perforated by hexagonal channels arranged as a honeycomb. With
    initial temperatures as high as 800 ◦C, discharge tests are conducted for different flow rates of compressed air.
    Discharge times range from 2 h 1 min (at 480 L/min) to 5 h 9 min (at 120 L/min). Experimental data show
    the temperature segregation throughout the storage media. The system pressure drops are very low, with the
    highest measured being 224 Pa, at 1200 L/min. Measurements are compared with results from a 1D transient model, which tends to slightly underestimate the air temperature. The lab-scale experiments demonstrate the feasibility of the alumina TES system for integration into dispatchable high-temperature Concentrated Solar Power plants.

subjects

  • Mechanical Engineering

keywords

  • sensible heat storage; tes system; solid blocks; alumina; air heat transfer fluid