Application of liquid metals for solar energy systems

Hering, W.; Stieglitz, Robert; Wetzel, Th.

doi:10.1051/epjconf/20123303003

Cited by 26 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…The two cases described were designed so as to parallel future experiments currently under construction at KIT, Karlsruhe, in the KASOLA facility [8]. The present expansion ratio ER ¼ 1:5 was chosen to allow validation with the data of [9].…”

Section: Configurationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Buoyancy-affected backward-facing step flow with heat transfer at low Prandtl number

Niemann

Fröhlich

2016

International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer

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Section: Configurationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Buoyancy-affected backward-facing step flow with heat transfer at low Prandtl number

Niemann

Fröhlich

2016

International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer

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“…There have also been proposals to use molten alkali metals for storage within the 800-1000 K temperature range in combination with concentrated solar power [7].Metals would be advantageous as the primary storage materials for UHTS because they:…”

Section: Energy Storagementioning

confidence: 99%

Ultra-high temperature thermal energy storage. part 1: concepts

Robinson

2017

Journal of Energy Storage

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Renewable energy sourced from the sun, wind, waves or tides is clean and secure. Unfortunately, the energy that can be extracted from renewables and the demand for it varies both temporally and spatially. Therefore, energy storage is required to match generation with use. To date grid-scale energy storage has been limited by low energy densities, long-term performance degradation, low round-trip efficiencies or limited deployment locations. Although thermal storage has found uses these have been restricted to lower temperatures by thermal losses resulting in low energy densities and uneconomical electricity generation efficiency. In this paper an ultra-high temperature (1800K) storage system is proposed where heat losses are minimised and recovered to make a higher storage temperature attractive, thus unlocking greater energy densities and efficiencies. Radiation dominates heat losses at ultra-high temperatures but can be minimised through the design of the storage medium container. However, even after energy is lost from storage, heat pumps in the store and charge cycles in addition to preheating during the extraction cycle can be used to recover a significant amount of heat. Collectively loss reduction and recovery techniques can lead to a storage system with a performance and utility that exceeds other energy storage methods. Here the feasibility of the novel storage technique is demonstrated through thermodynamic and thermal analysis in each of the three key states of operation: charge, store and generation. KeywordsThermal grid energy storage electric heat pump co-generation IntroductionCommon renewable generation methods rely on the sun, wind or waves, which vary temporally or spatially and do not follow demand. Grid-scale energy storage will be necessary to fully enable the operation of electricity networks with high penetrations of distributed renewable energy generation and realise targets for CO2 reduction. However, existing energy storage technologies are limited in their uptake and usefulness by low energy densities, long term performance degradation, low round-trip efficiencies or limited deployment locations [1].Thermal storage is a fully reversible process that does not have any of the by-products and degradation over multiple cycles seen in electrochemical storage approaches [2,3]. Until now thermal energy storage has been limited to a temperature of around 800 K [4], making it uncompetitive in terms of energy density and round-trip efficiency from heat to electricity. Consequently, thermal energy storage has only seen widespread deployment to collect heat for later re-use. By storing energy as heat at ultra-high temperatures (>1100K), it is possible to raise energy density and round-trip efficiency to the point where grid-scale thermal storage becomes technically and economically feasible.

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“…Its flexibility regarding the heat source makes it a promising energy conversion system. An essential interest arises in the field of renewable energy when coupled to a concentrating solar power (CSP) plant by connecting AMTEC to a solar receiver on its hot side and to a heat storage tank on its cold side; a detailed description of the system is given in [1]. As a concentration cell, the electrolyte called ß''-alumina solid electrolyte (BASE) separates the device in two regions (see Fig.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%