Reactor Design and Thermal Performance Analysis for Solar Thermal Energy Storage Application

Solar energy is a sustainable and low-cost renewable energy of enormous importance, especially at this time where non-renewable energy sources are unsustainable and costly. However, improving the thermal performance of a solar energy storage reactor poses some challenges. In this study, the location...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Energies (Basel) 2020-06, Vol.13 (12), p.3186
Main Authors: Getahun Dessie, Yabibal, Guene Lougou, Bachirou, Qi, Hong, Tan, Heping, Zhang, Juqi, Gao, Baohai, Islam, Md Arafat
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alternative energy sources
Computational fluid dynamics
Efficiency
Electricity distribution
Energy flow
Energy industry
Energy sources
Energy storage
Flow system
Fluid flow
Frustums
Gases
Heat conductivity
Inlets
Investigations
Outlets
Reactor design
Reactors
Renewable energy sources
Researchers
Solar energy
solar energy storage
Solar heating
sustainable
Temperature distribution
Thermal energy
thermal performance
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Summary:Solar energy is a sustainable and low-cost renewable energy of enormous importance, especially at this time where non-renewable energy sources are unsustainable and costly. However, improving the thermal performance of a solar energy storage reactor poses some challenges. In this study, the location of fluid inlets and outlets in the given reactor design and its impact on the thermal performance were investigated. A P1 approximation radiation model coupled with shallow channel approximation of fluid flow was developed. By taking the frustum base as a reference, four fluid inlets along the edges of the frustum and two outlet locations at the base and side of the reactor were computed. Inlets located 4.81 cm from the base of the frustum and an outlet located at the side of the reactor were found to have a better thermal performance with a short conveyer energy flow system. It was also deduced that radiation applied at the edges of the frustum had better thermal performance than that applied at a quartz edge. Furthermore, increasing the laminar inflow rate from 0.36 (L/h) to 3.6 (L/h) increased the temperature distribution in the reactor. This study provides noteworthy insights of relevance to the power engineering industry and academia.
ISSN:1996-1073
1996-1073
DOI:10.3390/en13123186