Thermal performance of packed bed thermal energy storage units using multiple granular phase change composites

The present article reports on the utilization of multiple granular phase change composites (GPCC) with different ranges of phase change temperatures in a packed bed thermal energy storage system. Small particle diameter of GPCC allows simple mixing of two or three ranges of GPCCs in a packed bed for enhancement of storage unit performance. Experiments have been carried out to characterize the phase changing characteristics of two GPCCs chosen for this purpose. Packed bed column experiments have been carried out to provide basic understanding of the heat transfer process in the composite bed consisting of a mixture of GPCCs at different values of mixing ratio. A mathematical model has been developed for the analysis of charging and discharging process dynamics. Once validated, the model has been used to perform a parametric study to investigate the overall bed performance at different values of mixing ratio and Reynolds number. An optimization of the value of mixing ratio has been obtained based on the overall charging and discharging times as well as the exergy efficiency. It has been demonstrated that, as compared to the use of single GPCC, careful choice of the mixing ratio of GPCCs in a composite bed can result in a significant enhancement of the overall storage unit performance. As compared to the use of multiple sequential layers of GPCCs, using units composed of a mixture of GPCCs with an optimized mixing ratio results in a remarkable improvement of the unit performance without limitations on the charging and discharging directions during practical applications.     

Numerical heat transfer analysis of the packed bed latent heat storage system based on an effective packed bed model

Due to the complexity of the fluid flow and heat transfer in packed bed latent thermal energy storage (LTES) systems, many hypotheses were introduced into the previous packed bed models, which consequently influenced the accuracy and authenticity of the numerical calculation. An effective packed bed model was therefore developed, which could investigate the flow field as the fluid flows through the voids of the phase change material (PCM), and at the same time could account for the thermal gradients inside the PCM spheres. The proposed packed bed model was validated experimentally and found to accurately describe the thermo-fluidic phenomena during heat storage and retrieval. The proposed model was then used to do a parametric study on the influence of the arrangement of the PCM spheres and encapsulation of PCM on the heat transfer performance of LTES bed, which was difficult to perform with the previous packed bed models. The results indicated that random packing is more favorable for heat storage and retrieval as compared to special packing; both the material and the thickness of the encapsulation have the apparent effects on the heat transfer performance of the LTES bed.     

Thermal response of a packed bed of spheres containing a phase-change material

A computational model of the transient thermal response of a packed bed of spheres containing a phase-change material (PCM) is presented. A one-dimensional separate phases formulation is used to develop a numerical analysis of the dynamic response of the bed which is subject to the flow of a heat transfer fluid, for arbitrary initial conditions and inlet fluid temperature temporal variations. Phase-change models are developed for both isothermal and nonisothermal melting behaviours. Axial thermal dispersion effects are modelled, including intraparticle conduction (Biot number) effects. Regenerative thermal storage applications involve flow reversals to recover the stored energy; this aspect of operation is included in the present model. Results from the model for a commercial sized thermal storage bed for both the energy storage and recovery periods are presented. Experimental measurements of transient temperature distributions in a randomly packed bed of uniform spheres containing a PCM for a step-change in inlet air temperature are reported for a range of Reynolds number.     

Optimization of bed parameters for packed bed solar energy collection system

Use of packed bed for the improvement of performance of solar air heater has been proposed by several investigators. However, this enhanced efficiency is accompanied by substantial increase in pressure loss, which results in higher running cost of the system. So, the solar energy collection system should be optimized in such a way that it will give energy with minimum cost. In this work two types of packed bed collectors, one with wire mesh screen matrix bed and other with pebble bed, were optimized on the basis of minimum cost per unit energy delivered. Tables for optimum values of bed parameters namely number of layers, porosity, pitch to wire diameter ratio and pebble diameter have been prepared on the basis of minimum cost per unit energy delivered. These tables can be used by a designer for selecting the optimum values of bed parameters.     

Nusselt number and friction factor correlations for packed bed solar energy storage system having large sized elements of different shapes

In order to investigate the effect of system and operating parameters on heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics of packed bed solar energy storage system with large sized elements of storage material, an extensive experimental study has been conducted and reported in the present paper. Five different shapes of elements of storage material have been investigated. Correlations have been developed for Nusselt number and friction factor as function of Reynolds number, sphericity and void fraction. The present correlations can be used to predict the performance of the actual packed bed solar energy storage system having packing material elements of different shapes and bed porosities within the range of parameters investigated.     

Investigation of rock bed solar collector cum storage system

This paper presents an experimental investigation of a prototype rock bed solar collector. This collector consists of rocks in a galvanized iron box; the rocks are painted dull black and suitably glazed. The heat can be extracted by forced air convection. This system can act as a storage system, as well, when suitably constructed. The heat decay characteristic of the bed is also studied. A preliminary economic analysis of this air heater is presented.     

Theoretical and experimental study on the transient adsorption characteristics of a vertical packed porous bed

This paper presents a theoretical and experimental study of the transient adsorption characteristics of vertical packed porous bed. The theoretical model describes the effect of independent parameters (time and vertical distance through the bed) on the vertical gradient of adsorbable fluid in the bed. A simplified analytical solution, for specific operating conditions, is also presented. In the experimental study, porous granules of burned clay are applied as a desiccant carrier in the fixed bed. The granules of the packed bed are impregnated with liquid calcium chloride solution to form the porous adsorbing surface. The isothermal adsorption of water vapour from atmospheric air using the prepared bed is experimentally studied. Transient values of the mass of adsorbed water vapour, solution concentration and vapour pressure through the bed layers are evaluated from the experimental measurements. The model output, which show the effect of dimensionless relative time (Tr) on the potential ratio (C−C^*)/(C−C^*₀), is compared with the experimental results and good agreement is found.     

Performance study of thermosyphonic circulation solar water heaters using packed bed collectors

In the present investigation the performance behaviour of thermosyphonic circulation solar water heaters using packed bed collectors has been analysed. Iron chips, gravels and stones have been used as packing materials. Average tank water temperature, collector as well as system efficiency and mony pay-back for these packed bed solar water heaters are compared with those for solar water heater using a plane collector. Experimental results reveal that the performance of solar water heater improves appreciably by packing its collector with packing material. Among the packed-bed solar water heaters tested the iron chips packed-bed solar water heater gives the overall best performance.     

Pressure drop of packed bed vertical flow for multiphase hydrogen production

In this paper, fluid flow characteristics through a packed bed reactor are investigated. The packed bed is utilized in the hydrogen production step of the copper-chlorine (Cu-Cl) thermochemical cycle. The hydrogen reaction is given by 2Cu(s) + 2HCl(g) = 2CuCl(molten) + H₂(g) at 450 °C. Effectively controlling the pressure drop through the packed bed is important for increasing the system efficiency, since auxiliary pumps and other parasitic losses are affected by the pressure drop. Also, the chemical processes in the packed bed are affected by changes in pressure, temperature and heat transfer rates.Experimental results from a laboratory scale packed bed reactor, operating at ambient conditions, are presented and compared with analytical predictions, in terms of the pressure drop caused by fluid flow through the packing material. Three different packing materials, with various sphericities, are investigated with diameters of 450 μm, 4 mm, and 1 cm. The Ergun equation is shown to provide good agreement for flow conditions in the upper region of Reynolds numbers investigated (20 < Re_p < 150); however, lack of agreement is observed at lower Reynolds numbers (Re_p < 20). An analytical formulation for micro scale particles in a packed bed is developed based on the Stokes law for creeping flow. Good agreement is achieved with the corresponding experimental data. A new correction is also developed to connect the two flow regimes, as well as predict trends in the transition region. The results successfully demonstrate close agreement between the predictions and measured data.     

Operation strategies guideline for packed bed thermal energy storage systems

Packed bed thermal energy storage (TES) systems have been identified in the last years as one of the most promising TES alternatives in terms of thermal efficiency and economic viability. The relative simplicity of this storage concept opens an important opportunity to its implementation in many environments, from the renewable solar‐thermal frame to the industrial waste heat recovery. In addition, its implicit flexibility allows the use of a wide variety of solid materials and heat transfer fluids, which leads to its deployment in very different applications. Its potential to overcome current heat storage system limitations regarding suitable temperature ranges or storage capacities has also been pointed out. However, the full implementation of the packed bed storage concept is still incomplete since no industrial scale units are under operation. The main underlying reasons are associated to the lack of a complete extraction of the full potential of this storage technology, derived from a successful system optimization in terms of material selection, design, and thermal management. These points have been evidenced as critical in order to attain high thermal efficiency values, comparable to the state‐of‐the‐art storage technologies, with improved technoeconomic performance. In order to bring this storage technology to a more mature status, closer to a successful industrial deployment, this paper proposes a double approach. First, a low‐cost by‐product material with high thermal performance is used as heat storage material in the packed bed. Second, a complete energetic and efficiency analysis of the storage system is introduced as a function of the thermal operation. Overall, the impact of both the selected storage material and the different thermal operation strategies is discussed by means of a thermal model which permits a careful discussion about the implications of each TES deployment strategy and the underlying governing mechanisms. The results show the paramount importance of the selected operation method, able to increase the resulting cycle and material usage efficiency up to values comparable to standard currently used TES solutions.     

Heat extraction characteristic of embedded heat exchanger in honeycomb ceramic packed bed

On the basis of experimental verification of mathematical model, the influence of honeycomb ceramic on heat extraction is numerically studied under the steady state condition. The calculation results show the packed honeycomb ceramic influences the extracted heat of heat exchanger by changing the flow field while not radiation heat transfer of heat exchanger outer wall, and the difference between the extracted heat of heat exchanger embedded in packed bed and that of heat exchanger in empty bad is gradually obvious with gas temperature increasing under the condition of the same gas mass flow rate. In addition, under the same operating condition, when the two characteristic sizes of heat extraction zone honeycomb ceramic in the vertical gas flow direction increase, the extracted heat of embedded heat exchanger shows a trend of first increase while extracted heat of embedded heat exchanger shows a trend of decrease because the decreasing of the windward and leeward side gas flow velocity of heat exchanger results into weakening of convective heat transfer of embedded heat exchanger outer wall.     

Thermal modeling of a packed bed thermal energy storage system during charging

The process of charging of an encapsulated ice thermal energy storage device (ITES) is thermally modeled here through heat transfer and thermodynamic analyses. In heat transfer analysis, two different temperature profile cases, with negligible radial and/or stream-wise conduction are investigated for comparison, and the temperature profiles for each case are analyzed in an illustrative example. After obtaining temperature profiles through heat transfer analysis, a comprehensive thermodynamic study of the system is conducted. In this regard, energy, thermal exergy and flow exergy efficiencies, internal and external irreversibilities corresponding to flow exergy, as well as charging times are investigated. The energy efficiencies are found to be more than 99%, whereas the thermal exergy efficiencies are found to vary between 40% and 93% for viable charging times. The flow exergy efficiency varies between 48% and 88% for the flows and inlet temperatures selected. For a flow rate of 0.00164 m³/s, the maximum flow exergy efficiency occurs with an inlet temperature of 269.7 K, corresponding to an efficiency of 84.3%. For the case where the flow rate is 0.0033 m³/s, the maximum flow exergy efficiency becomes 87.9% at an inlet temperature of 270.7 K. The results confirm the fact that energy analyses, and even thermal exergy analyses, may lead to some unrealistic efficiency values. This could prove troublesome for designers wishing to optimize performance. For this reason, the flow exergy model provides the most useful information for those wishing to improve performance and reduce losses in such ITES systems.     

Simplified analysis of coupled heat and mass transfer processes in packed bed liquid desiccant-air contact system

One-dimensional model is frequently used to describe the coupled heat and mass transfer processes in the packed bed liquid desiccant dehumidifier/regenerator. In this paper, within relatively narrow range of operating conditions which are usually encountered in practical dehumidification/regeneration processes, the linear approximation was made to find out the dependence of equilibrium humidity ratio on solution temperature. New parameters were defined and the original equations were rearranged to obtain two coupled ordinary differential equations. For the general cases with different values of Lewis factor, approximations of constant properties and coefficients were further made to render the coupled equations linear. Roots of the characteristic equation were determined algebraically and analytical solution to the linear coupled equations was obtained. Analytical expression for the tower efficiency was further developed based on the analytical solution. The way for obtaining the averaged overall heat and mass transfer coefficients from experimental data in a coupled heat and mass transfer manner was finally indicated. Coefficients obtained in this manner can be used in finite difference model to produce more accurate outlet conditions.     

Simulation of bacterial locomotion and attachment in the interspaces of packed bed reactors

Biofilm plays a significant role in biological hydrogen production. Locomotion and attachment of bacteria are the initial processes in the formation of biofilm. In the present study, bacterial locomotion and attachment in the interspace of packed bed reactor is simulated. The model comprehensively combines flagellar propulsion, Brownian motion, running and tumbling. According to the simulation results, compared with other stacking forms, faster bacterial attachment takes place in the tetrahedron stacking, which can lead to faster biofilm formation. Simulation of bacteria distribution in two-dimensional interspace reveals more bacteria accumulate in the central region of the interspace, while less in the corners. Further study shows that smaller packing or bacteria with smaller cell body in the suspension can lead to faster bacterial attachment in the packed bed reactor. In addition, the suspension viscosity has a tiny effect on the attachment of bacteria. The results can be used as a guideline for the design and operation of packed bed reactors with immobilized biofilm.     

Semi-analytical method for heat and moisture transfer in packed bed of silica gel

A semi-analytical model for the heat and mass transfer of adsorption and desorption processes of the vertical solid desiccant packed bed dehumidifier is presented on the basis of quasi-steady state assumption, and is solved using close form integration with the limits equivalent to bed and time increments, and numerically by Runge-Kutta Fehlberg and forward scheme finite difference techniques. The most important parameters during the dehumidifier operation, namely, (i) exit air temperature and humidity, (ii) axial temperature distribution in the bed and (iii) water content are evaluated. Stability of the semi-analytical method is investigated and found that the main parameters affecting the model stability are the bed and time increments size. A dimensionless parameter combining time and bed increments size and air velocity named velocity ratio is defined and investigated. It is found that when the velocity ratio equals the ratio of particle diameter to bed length, the method is stable, and as the velocity ratio is made smaller beyond the stable velocity ratio, the results remain unchanged. The results of semi-analytical and numerical models agree well with the experimental results for both desorption and adsorption processes. Using the proposed semi-analytical model, the minimum and maximum relative errors for exit air temperature are 2.24% and 11.78%, respectively and for exit air humidity the minimum and maximum errors are 3.79% and 27.17% respectively.     

Sorption and desorption characteristics of a packed bed of clay-CaCl2 desiccant particles

Desiccants can be used in conjunction with solar energy to provide a viable alternative to traditional air conditioning techniques. A desiccant consisting of clay and calcium chloride was developed and tested using multiple sorption and desorption cycles. During sorption, inlet air temperatures from 23 to 36 °C with corresponding relative humidities of 42-66% were tested. Additionally, superficial air velocities from 0.17 to 0.85 m/s were tested. During desorption, inlet air temperatures from 50 to 57 °C and superficial air velocities of approximately 0.30 and 0.60 m/s were tested. A regression equation was determined for the mass of water sorbed by the clay-CaCl2 desiccant with a R² value of 0.917. The desorption data was regressed to an exponential function and significant k-values were determined. An equation for pressure drop through the desiccant was determined and compared to existing models. The desiccant was found to perform well during the repeated test cycles though small masses of desiccant were lost due to surface disintegration of the desiccant spheres.     

Drastic enhancement of effective thermal conductivity of a metal hydride packed bed by direct synthesis of single-walled carbon nanotubes

Low heat conductivity restricts the rate of hydrogen absorption into a metal hydride, and this leads to a mismatch of the required absorption rate. The use of fin systems is standard in such cases, and the use of several different materials has been attempted. This includes high thermal conductivity carbon brushes and carbon nanotube. Unfortunately, such efforts have not been effective because the boundary thermal resistance has not been addressed. In this study, we focused on the direct synthesis of a single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT), which has high thermal conductivity, on particles in a packed bed, for reducing boundary thermal resistance and estimated effective thermal conductivity. Referring to Raman spectra, we succeeded in growing SWCNT on a metal hydride and effective thermal conductivity was estimated as a function of the filling ratios of the metal hydride and the SWCNT. Consequently, the effective thermal conductivity can satisfy the required value.     

Simulated energy and exergy analyses of the charging of an oil-pebble bed thermal energy storage system for a solar cooker

Energy balance equations are used to model the solar energy capture (SEC) system and the thermal energy storage (TES) system of a proposed indirect solar cooker. An oil-pebble bed is used as the TES material. Energy and exergy analyses are carried out using two different charging methods to predict the performance of the TES system. The first method charges the TES system at a constant flowrate. In the second method, the flowrate is made variable to maintain a constant charging temperature. A Simulink block model is developed to solve the energy balance equations and to perform energy and exergy analyses. Simulation results using the two methods indicate a greater degree of thermal stratification and energy stored when using constant-temperature charging than when using constant-flowrate charging. There are greater initial energy and exergy rates for the constant-flowrate method when the solar radiation is low. Energy efficiencies using both methods are comparable whilst the constant-temperature method results in greater exergy efficiency at higher levels of the solar radiation. Parametric results showing the effect of each charging method on the energy and exergy efficiencies are also presented.     

Non-thermal equilibrium melting of granular packed bed in horizontal forced convection. Part I: experiment

A series of experiments are conducted to investigate the non-thermal equilibrium characteristics of melting of a packed bed under horizontal forced and mixed convections. This configuration imposes a complex treatment in phase change heat transfer that involves not only the coupled heat, mass and momentum exchanges but also the local geometric change of the packed bed (packing effect). Using visualization observations and measurements, we determine experimentally the volumes and packing patterns of the melting granular packed beds and the time variation of average melting rate per unit bed volume and average heat transfer coefficient for Re=71–2291, Gr/Re²=1.48×10⁻⁵–17.32, and Ste=0.0444–0.385. The effects of water velocity and water temperature on the melting and heat transfer in the melting process are analyzed. The effects of packing patterns on Nusselt number correlations are presented. Using the definition of a terminal velocity, a Reynolds number ratio is developed as the criterion defining the floating, non-floating or transitional packing pattern.