Thermal storage

options for CSP

Thomas Roos
 Overview
Introduction: Why Energy storage?

Options, TES concept and TES classification

Different CSP systems: different TES

HTF = oil, steam, molten salt and air

Conclusion
 Why energy storage?
Mismatch in supply & demand

Constant supply, variable demand

Coal-fired baseload & peaked grid: pumped storage
Domestic hot water geyser

Intermittent supply
Cellphone & laptop: charger & battery
Household scale solar: PV and batteries
Grid-scale wind or solar?
 Energy storage options

Electrical batteries, capacitors

Chemical reversible chemical reactions
Potential clock weights, pumped storage
Kinetic flywheels
and
Thermal ice, hot water bottles, geysers and
thermal storage for CSP

Heat cheaper than electricity to store!

Thermal energy storage (TES) concept

Oversize solar field and store excess heat

Operate in cloud transients and at night
Increase capacity factor

OECD/IEA
2010

Source:
SolarMillennium
4 TES concepts, same field

Load Type Production

Turbine
Storage

Hours
Start
End
Intermediate S M 08 19 11
Delayed M M 12 23 11
Baseload L S 00 24 24
Peak load L L 11 15 4
OECD/IEA, 2010
Source: J Octobre & F Guihard, Systmes Solaires, 2009
 TES classification

Sensible heat
HTF itself: Steam, oil, molten salt, liquid Na (fire)
Separate medium: concrete, molten salt, ceramic
Mixtures: Fe, rocks, sand in conjunction with oil

Latent heat
Phase Change Materials (PCM: eg nitrate salts)

Thermo-chemical storage (not yet)

RENAC, 2009
 Different CSP systems: different TES
No one single TES type for all CSP systems

Config. HTF TES

Trough Oil MS: 2-tank, or 1-tank thermocline
Solid material (concrete)
Steam Concrete, PCM, Ruths storage
Molten Salt MS: 2-tank, or 1-tank thermocline
Tower Steam PCM, Ruths storage
Molten Salt MS: 2-tank, or 1-tank thermocline
Air Packed bed, solid matrix RENAC, 2009
 HTF = oil, TES = 2-tank molten salt

Andasol 1 (50 MWel):

D = 38.5 m, H = 14 m, Vol = 28 000m3, tstore = 7.5h
Tcold = 292 C, Thot = 386 C (Oil T limited)
3 pumps in hot tank, 4 pumps in cold tank
DLR, RENAC 2009 OECD/IEA 2010 Source: SolarMillennium
 HTF = oil, TES = Concrete

Metallic tubes 65 75% of cost

Not yet commercially operational
DLR, Tamme
 HTF = steam, TES = PCM

Meant for evaporation part of DSG plant

Advantage: Const. T and T during evaporation

DLR, Tamme
 HTF = steam, TES = PCM
TPCM must match Tevap
PCM: Salts >200 C DLR, RENAC 2009
 Steam HTF, PCM TES

kPCM controls heat transfer

But ksalts are poor, so:
PCM/graphite composite (h = 5-10 W/mK)
Finned tube sandwich (h > 10 W/mK) DLR,
RENAC 2009
 HTF = steam, TES = PCM & concrete
Pilot
PCM evaporator (right)
concrete superheater
(left)
Litoral power station
Carboneras, Spain

DLR 2011
 HTF & TES = steam: Ruths storage

PS10: 40bar sat. steam pressure vessel

Sliding pressure during discharge
Thermal capacity is proportional to T
High CAPEX cost due to pressure vessel
Not for large scale / high P applications

DLR, RENAC 2009

 HTF = MS, TES = 2-tank MS

No HTF/TES heat exchangers

Higher T than MS/oil, so:
smaller volume reqd. Trough Tower
More efficient cycle
Name Archimede Gemasolar
Site Sicily Spain
Turb. 5 MW 19.9 MW
Tcold 290 C 290 C
Thot 550 C 565 C
tstore 8h 15h
 HTF = air, TES = solid media

TSA used 1 MWh packed bed of spherical Al2O3

ceramic pebbles
KAM use ceramic regenerator storage material
at Jlich, 680 C/120 C
Sand receivers and storage, and rock beds are
receiving attention due to potential low costs
SUPSI, Switzerland
 HTF = air, TES = solid media

SUNSPOT concept (Stellenbosch University)

 HTF = air, TES = solid media

TES for solar gas turbines (800 C, >4atm)

Currently no published solutions exist
DLR have published a simulation of a pressurised
packed bed of steel pebbles
Wilson SolarPower: SolarBatteryTM dry storage
medium
CSIR are building a CSP research facility, including
storage:
100kWel gas turbine
500kWth heliostat field
3 hours high temperature storage
 Conclusion

Reiner Tamme of DLR says: The question is not

What is the best thermal storage technology?
but
What is the best CSP concept including storage?
The TES solution must match the CSP
technology (no one size fits all)

Thank you for your attention!