Performance analysis of a metal hydride-thermal energy storage system for concentrating solar power plants

Talal Alqahtani, Sofiene Mellouli, Faouzi Askri, Patrick E. Phelan

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

Concentrating solar power (CSP) plants require suitable thermal energy storage (TES) systems to enable power generation during the night and cloudy days. Metal hydrides (MH) are attractive options for such TES systems, and a novel design of an MH-TES system is proposed for CSP plants. The novel design of the MH-TES system is simulated for operating cycles to demonstrate its technical feasibility. The process simulation demonstrated a consistent thermal and dynamic coupling between the paired MH beds. The performance analysis showed that the present MH-TES system can recover 96% of solar energy stored. Further, for the given operating conditions, the thermal energy storage density of this system is about 90 kWhth/m3, which is more than 3.6 times the U.S. Department of Energy SunShot target of 25 kWhth/m3. Moreover, it was found that the free volume, the half time of the cycle and the desorption average temperature of the HTMH were crucial factors for improving the performance of the metal hydride reactors.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publication4th Thermal and Fluids Engineering Conference, TFEC 2019
PublisherBegell House Inc.
Pages1667-1676
Number of pages10
ISBN (Electronic)9781567004724
DOIs
StatePublished - 2019
Event4th Thermal and Fluids Engineering Conference, TFEC 2019 - Las Vegas, United States
Duration: Apr 14 2019Apr 17 2019

Publication series

NameProceedings of the Thermal and Fluids Engineering Summer Conference
Volume2019-April
ISSN (Electronic)2379-1748

Conference

Conference4th Thermal and Fluids Engineering Conference, TFEC 2019
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityLas Vegas
Period4/14/194/17/19

Keywords

  • Concentrating solar power plants
  • Hydrogen storage
  • Thermal energy storage system

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Electrical and Electronic Engineering
  • Fluid Flow and Transfer Processes
  • Condensed Matter Physics
  • Energy Engineering and Power Technology
  • Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment

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