Exploring a novel tubular-type modular reactor for solar-driven thermochemical energy storage

Zhang, Yong; Hu, Mingke; Chen, Ziwei; Su, Yuehong; Riffat, Saffa

Abstract

Thermochemical energy storage (TCES) has gained extensive attention as a potential solution to address the mismatch between solar thermal energy production and demand. In this study, a novel tubular-type modular TCES reactor is introduced. COMSOL modelling of the system is developed and experimentally validated using a laboratory-scale TCES system. Both types of reactors show similar temperature increases, intensifying with higher inlet relative humidity. Their maximum temperature lifts exceeding 26 °C at 90 % RH. Tubular designs offer better axial flexural strength and dispersion of TCES composite materials compared to plate structures. This property of tubular structures beneficial reducing bed thickness and pressure drop and enhancing equivalent thermal efficiency. Simulations show tubular-type modular reactors reduce pressure drop by 4–5 times compared to plate-type modular reactors, increasing equivalent thermal efficiency by nearly 7% points. Increasing the number of reactor beds and inner tube radius improves equivalent thermal efficiency due to reduced bed thickness and pressure drop. As the number of matrix rows and columns in the reactor bed increases from 2 to 10, bed thickness decreases from 0.058 m to 0.012 m, reducing pressure drop from 845.53 Pa to 38 Pa and increasing equivalent thermal efficiency from 78.82 % to 96.61 %.

Citation

Zhang, Y., Hu, M., Chen, Z., Su, Y., & Riffat, S. (2024). Exploring a novel tubular-type modular reactor for solar-driven thermochemical energy storage. Renewable Energy, 221, Article 119767. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2023.119767

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Nov 28, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Dec 2, 2023
• Publication Date: Feb 1, 2024
• Deposit Date: Jan 17, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 17, 2024
• Journal: Renewable Energy
• Print ISSN: 0960-1481
• Electronic ISSN: 1879-0682
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 221
• Article Number: 119767
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2023.119767
• Keywords: Thermochemical energy storage; Tubular-type modular reactor; Discharging; Equivalent thermal efficiency; Pressure drop
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/28151279
• Publisher URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960148123016828?via%3Dihub