Experimental and numerical investigation of a packed bed latent heat storage system for Carnot batteries

doi:10.19799/j.cnki.2095-4239.2024.0428

Abstract

Abstract:

Carnot batteries, known for their efficiency, environmental benefits, flexibility, and reliability, hold substantial potential for energy storage applications. This study focuses on a packed bed thermal energy storage (TES) system, designed and integrated into a 20 kW/5 h Carnot battery experimental setup. Stratified thermal storage was achieved through the use of three layers of different materials, facilitating cascading heat storage and release.Two-dimensional axisymmetric simulations, validated experimentally, were used to investigate the effects of phase change intervals and porosity on the cascaded packed bed thermal energy storage (CPB-TES) system. To enhance energy efficiency and ensure stable operation of compressors and expanders within the Carnot battery, a heat exchanger was implemented at the backend of the system to recover excess heat from the CPB-TES. Results indicated that while increasing the inlet temperature and flow rate accelerated phase change processes and charge-discharge rates, it also led to energy losses. Smaller phase change intervals resulted in more pronounced plateaus within the phase change material, thereby shortening the phase change duration. A porosity of 0.4 in the packed bed exhibited higher energy storage density and more efficient heat exchange between the fluid and phase change material compared to a porosity of 0.6. Under experimental conditions with a minimum inlet flow rate of 120 m³/h and a maximum inlet temperature of 331 ℃, the round-trip efficiency of the system up to 70.31% through to heat recovery. This research offers a comprehensive analysis of critical components in Carnot batteries, driving overall system optimization and supporting the efficient and scalable application of Carnot batteries.

Key words: Carnot battery, latent heat storage, experimental research, numerical simulation

CLC Number:

TK 11

Huaning WANG, Xinjie XUE, Mianheng ZHANG, Jiahao WANG, Bin YANG, Changying ZHAO. Experimental and numerical investigation of a packed bed latent heat storage system for Carnot batteries[J]. Energy Storage Science and Technology, 2024, 13(11): 3906-3920.

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参数	数值	参数	数值
罐体高度	1740 mm	罐体体积	0.3008 m³
罐体直径	650 mm	孔隙率	0.6081
罐体厚度	6 mm	设计压力	1.1 MPa
填充床高度	750 mm	设计温度	500 ℃

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