Design and Fabrication of Solar Thermal Energy Storage System Using Potash Alum as a PCM

Abstract

Renewable energy resources like solar energy, wind energy, hydro energy, photovoltaic etc. are gaining much importance due to the day by day depletion of conventional resources. Owing to the lower efficiencies of renewable energy resources, much attention has been paid to improving them. The concept of utilizing phase change materials (PCMs) has attracted wide attention in recent years. This is due to their ability to extract thermal energy when used in collaboration with photovoltaic (PV), thus improving the photoelectric conversion efficiency. In this paper, the objective is to design and fabricate a novel thermal energy storage system using phase change material. An investigation on the characteristics of Potash Alum as a phase change material due to its low cost, easy availability and its usage as an energy storage for the indoor purposes are taken into account. The use of a latent heat storage system using phase change materials (PCMs) is an effective way of storing thermal energy and has the advantage of high-energy storage density and the isothermal nature of the storage process. In the current study, potash alum was identified as a phase change material combined with renewable energy sources, that can be efficiently and effectively used in storing thermal energy at compartively lower temperatures that can later be used in daily life heating requirements.A parabolic dish which acts of a heat collector is used to track and reflects solar radiation at a single point on a receiver tank. Heat transfer from the solar collector to the storage tank is done by using a circulating heat transfer fluid with the help of a pump. The experimental results show that this system is capable of successfully storing and utilizing thermal energy on indoor scale such as cooking, heating and those applications where temperature is below 92 °C.

Emerging and Advanced Green Energy Technologies for Sustainable and Resilient Future Grid

“…Malik et al [3] designed and fabricated a novel thermal energy storage system using phase change material. The concept of utilizing phase change materials (PCMs) has attracted wide attention in recent years.…”

A review of parabolic solar cookers with thermal energy storage

“…Cooking experiments were carried out, and the results showed that the solar cooker was able to store heat at the PCM melting point of 220 C in 110 min, with 0.2 kg of potatoes being fried in 17 min at night. Malik et al [100] designed and fabricated a solar thermal energy storage system using potassium alum as the PCM. The parabolic dish collector's inner surface was made up of small pieces of glass and fiberglass.…”

Conjugate Radiation and Convection Heat Transfer Analysis in Solar Cooker Cavity Using a Computational Approach

“…Solar cookers with integrated TESs, particularly those predicated on PCMs, have been shown in various studies to function as an effective replacement for older, more polluting cooking methods that rely on the use of commonly available but environmentally damaging fuels such as firewood, cow dung, agricultural residues, and coal [35,36]. The ecology would benefit from modest firewood usage, and agricultural production would benefit from making use of animal dung as a natural fertilizer.…”