Performance of Concentrating Solar Thermal Technology in a Thermal Storage System

This literature review investigates the performance of solar thermal technologies in a thermal storage system. The benefits of the process, concentration of solar radiation, and thermal energy storage are discussed. ANSYS CFD analysis software is used to check the performance of the concentrating solar thermal technology.

Running head: PERFORMANCE OF CONCENTRATING SOLAR THERMAL
TECHNOLOGY IN A THERMAL STORAGE SYSTEM
Performance of concentrating solar thermal technology in a thermal storage system
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author’s Note

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PERFORMANCE OF CONCENTRATING SOLAR THERMAL TECHNOLOGY IN A
THERMAL STORAGE SYSTEM
Table of Contents
Chapter 2: Literature Review...........................................................................................................3
Introduction..................................................................................................................................3
Objective......................................................................................................................................3
Keywords.....................................................................................................................................3
Benefits........................................................................................................................................4
Concentration of Solar radiation..................................................................................................5
Performance of CST technology through computational fluid dynamic (CFD) modelling........7
Conclusion...................................................................................................................................7
References........................................................................................................................................9

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PERFORMANCE OF CONCENTRATING SOLAR THERMAL TECHNOLOGY IN A
THERMAL STORAGE SYSTEM
Chapter 2: Literature Review
Introduction
Solar Energy has been the most prominent source of power in the earth. It is one of the
most reliable renewable energy and can produce huge amount of energy at a time (Tian and Zhao
2013). Therefore, Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) plants have been installed in various places
of Australia for transferring solar energy into various other sources of energy including thermal
energy. As commented by Kuravi et al. (2013), the transformation of the solar energy into
thermal storage plant has been discussed in the chapter. The benefits of the process has been
explained briefly in this chapter. The use of the various algorithms related to the process has
been discussed in this chapter. As mentioned by Liu, Saman and Bruno (2012), concentrating
solar thermal (CST) technologies have been applied for deployment of solar energy into thermal
power plant with a dispatch able source of energy. The use of the Thermal Energy Storage (TES)
has been designed in the CSP plant for storing the thermal energy in the thermal storage plant.
Objective
The main objective of the project is to investigate the performance of the solar thermal
technologies in a thermal storage system. To check the performance of the concentrating solar
thermal technology, CFD analysis software (ANSYS) will be used.
Keywords
Concentrated Solar Power (CSP), Concentrating Solar Thermal (CST) and Thermal Energy
Storage (TES)

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PERFORMANCE OF CONCENTRATING SOLAR THERMAL TECHNOLOGY IN A
THERMAL STORAGE SYSTEM
Benefits
Solar energy have been a regular source of renewable energy in the environment. The
power of the energy can be diversified into various energy outputs. Therefore, the use of CST
technologies have helped in transforming the solar energy into thermal energy. As suggested by
Bayon et al. (2018), CSP plants are form of renewable energy generation that helps in converting
solar energy into various forms. It includes falling of various sunrays falling on a large surface
area of thousands of squares meters. As stated by Cocco and Serra (2015), the use of the CST
technologies have been beneficial in providing a proper edge of the conversion of energy in the
thermal storage plant. The thermal storage plant has helped in string the solar energy in the
thermal power plant for the generation of huge amount of energy and power. This has helped in
minimizing the scarcity of power and electricity in various cities of the country. The power
generation systems of the country has been advanced and productive.
Figure 1: General Overview of Energy Conversion Blocks for Concentrated Solar Power

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PERFORMANCE OF CONCENTRATING SOLAR THERMAL TECHNOLOGY IN A
THERMAL STORAGE SYSTEM
(Source: Liu et al. 2016, pp.1147)
Concentration of Solar radiation
Solar energy has been most abundant energy resource on the earth that provides a huge
amount of energy to environment. Solar energy helps in reaching to a high temperature that helps
in maintaining different works in the industry. The use of solar energy in the thermal power plant
have been helping in maintaining the sunlight concentration in the system. As mentioned by
Nithyanandam and Pitchumani (2014), the use of solar energy in the thermal power plant have
been maintaining the generation of the thermal energy for the generation of power and electricity
in the city. The incoming solar radiation has been concentrated in the solar collectors whose
concentration ratio can be evaluated by:
C = Aa / Ar
where Aa (m2 ) is the aperture area of the concentrator and Ar (m2 ) is the receiver area. When
the second law of thermodynamics is applied to radiative heat exchange between the sun and the
receiver, it is obtained the maximum concentration ratio. Considering a circular concentrator
with area Aa, a receiver area Ar and viewing the sun of radius r at distance R, the half-angle
subtended by the sun is θs. For a perfect concentrator, the radiation from the sun on the
concentrator is the fraction of the solar radiation which is intercepted by its aperture. Assuming
that the sun is a blackbody at Ts, the heat transferred to the receiver is expressed by the
following equation
Qr-s = Aa . (r2/ R2). σ . T4s
where σ is Stephan-Boltzmann’s constant
Similarly, the heat transferred from a perfect receiver at Tr to the sun is given by

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PERFORMANCE OF CONCENTRATING SOLAR THERMAL TECHNOLOGY IN A
THERMAL STORAGE SYSTEM
Qr-s = Ar . σ . T4r .Er-s
where Er−s is the fraction of radiated energy which reaches the sun. Thus, when Ts = Tr, the
second law of thermodynamics implies Qs!r ¼ Qr!s and the concentration ratio can be evaluated
by
Aa / Ar = r2/ R2. Er-s
Since the maximum value of Ers is unity, the maximum concentration ratio for circular
concentrator is
(Aa / Ar) circular, max = R2/r2 = 1 / sin2 θs
The same procedure for linear concentrators leads to
(Aa / Ar) linear, max = 1 / sin2 θs
As a result, with θs = 0.27º, the maximum possible concentration ratio for circular concentrators
is 45,000, and the maximum for linear one is 212. Therefore, higher temperature is delivered
with higher concentration ratio. .
Thermal Energy Storage
Thermal Energy Storage (TES) is an electrical load administration procedure for
structures, which can essentially lessen crest power request and vitality utilization where time of
utilization (TOU) and on-top request charge framework levy is accessible. As mentioned by Liu,
Saman and Bruno (2012), in this duty framework, utility expenses for non-private structures can
be diminished by TES innovation. TES frameworks have been used as a request side
administration (DSM) technique by a few utilities to move power utilize related with cooling

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PERFORMANCE OF CONCENTRATING SOLAR THERMAL TECHNOLOGY IN A
THERMAL STORAGE SYSTEM
from on-crest periods to off-crest periods, in this way assuming an indispensable part in vitality
preservation.
There are various thermal energy storage system used in the market including Chilled
Water Storage system, Ice Thermal Storage Systems, Ice harvesters, Ice slurry, encapsulated ice
and External melt-ice-on-coil storage system.
Ice harvesters System
As mentioned by Nithyanandam and Pitchumani (2014), an ice harvester system includes
an open insulated storage tank. Ice is formed on the vertical plate surfaces of the evaporator
during the charging time. However, the ice is harvested by breaking up the supply of liquid
refrigerant by providing hot gas into evaporator. Therefore, this helps in raising the temperature
up to 5 degree Celsius, resulting in the melting of ice in contact of the plates. As mentioned by
Nithyanandam and Pitchumani (2014), TES frameworks have been elevated as a way to decrease
introduced chiller limit. Normal uses of TES frameworks incorporate medium-size to huge office
structures, institutional structures, inns, and retail locations. Therefore, water falls in the
container and is stopped by the photo-electric switch when the storage s fully charged. However,
during the discharging time, chilled water is circulated in the ice storage tank. The water solution
has been cooled by the evaporating the refrigerant tank in the system. The production of the cool
ice particle on the surface if the tank creates direct impact on the suspension of ice articles.
Additionally, it helps in providing flow modelling that provides design proposals and
minimize additional costs for over-sizing the thermal plant energy and heat production. The
initial cost for analysis the performance of the transfer of solar energy into thermal energy have
been minimized by the use of ice harvester system. As mentioned by Liu, Saman and Bruno
(2012), the ice harvesting system can be used in typical volume for the encapsulated ice in the

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PERFORMANCE OF CONCENTRATING SOLAR THERMAL TECHNOLOGY IN A
THERMAL STORAGE SYSTEM
concrete tank. Therefore, for charging the storage tank, low temperature of glycol solution have
been circulated at high speed. This helps in increasing the temperature of the tank and ice melts
down. The external ice melt on the coil system where the ice is formed in the system. Therefore,
the storage charging of the liquid refrigerant circulates with the heat system and creating
charging particles in the ice system. However, due to the change in the load shifting of the
operation strategy system helps in maintaining the thermal energy of the system. As mentioned
by Liu, Saman and Bruno (2012), the chiller system can be controlled in the levelling partial
storage of the ice in the system. The use of various system in the market have helped in
maintaining the thermal energy storage for the production of electricity in the system.
Conclusion
It can be concluded that the use of the CFD modelling have helped in minimizing the cost
of the production and performance of the thermal power plant. The conversion of the solar
energy into thermal energy has been providing a major benefit to the environment. This have
helped in maintaining the cost of the transformation of energy. The benefits of the process has
been explained briefly in this chapter. The use of the various algorithms related to the process
has been discussed in this chapter. The use of the CST technologies in the solar energy
transformation have been helping in maintaining the production of the energy and electricity in
the thermal power plant. The use of solar energy as a renewable resources of heat and electricity
has been properly justified. The concentration of the CST has been formulated properly in the
study.

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PERFORMANCE OF CONCENTRATING SOLAR THERMAL TECHNOLOGY IN A
THERMAL STORAGE SYSTEM
References
Bayon, A., Bader, R., Jafarian, M., Fedunik-Hofman, L., Sun, Y., Hinkley, J., Miller, S. and
Lipiński, W., 2018. Techno-economic assessment of solid–gas thermochemical energy storage
systems for solar thermal power applications. Energy, 149, pp.473-484.
Cocco, D. and Serra, F., 2015. Performance comparison of two-tank direct and thermocline
thermal energy storage systems for 1 MWe class concentrating solar power plants. Energy, 81,
pp.526-536.
Kuravi, S., Trahan, J., Goswami, D.Y., Rahman, M.M. and Stefanakos, E.K., 2013. Thermal
energy storage technologies and systems for concentrating solar power plants. Progress in
Energy and Combustion Science, 39(4), pp.285-319.
Liu, M., Saman, W. and Bruno, F., 2012. Review on storage materials and thermal performance
enhancement techniques for high temperature phase change thermal storage systems. Renewable
and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 16(4), pp.2118-2132.
Liu, M., Tay, N.S., Bell, S., Belusko, M., Jacob, R., Will, G., Saman, W. and Bruno, F., 2016.
Review on concentrating solar power plants and new developments in high temperature thermal
energy storage technologies. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 53, pp.1411-1432.
Mao, Q., 2016. Recent developments in geometrical configurations of thermal energy storage for
concentrating solar power plant. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 59, pp.320-327.
Nithyanandam, K. and Pitchumani, R., 2014. Cost and performance analysis of concentrating
solar power systems with integrated latent thermal energy storage. Energy, 64, pp.793-810.

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PERFORMANCE OF CONCENTRATING SOLAR THERMAL TECHNOLOGY IN A
THERMAL STORAGE SYSTEM
Tian, Y. and Zhao, C.Y., 2013. A review of solar collectors and thermal energy storage in solar
thermal applications. Applied energy, 104, pp.538-553.