Finite Element Method Modeling of Sensible Heat Thermal Energy Storage with Innovative Concretes and Comparative Analysis with Literature Benchmarks

Energies

Claudio Ferone¹  Francesco Colangelo¹  Domenico Frattini¹  Giuseppina Roviello¹  Raffaele Cioffi¹ 

[1] Department of Engineering, University of Naples “Parthenope”, National Interuniversity Consortium of Materials Science and Technology (INSTM), Research Group Naples Parthenope, Centro Direzionale Naples, Isola C4, 80143 Naples, Italy; E-Mails:

关键词: energy efficiency;    geopolymer concrete;    high performance buildings;    simulation;    storage materials;    thermal storage;   

DOI  :  10.3390/en7085291

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Efficient systems for high performance buildings are required to improve the integration of renewable energy sources and to reduce primary energy consumption from fossil fuels. This paper is focused on sensible heat thermal energy storage (SHTES) systems using solid media and numerical simulation of their transient behavior using the finite element method (FEM). Unlike other papers in the literature, the numerical model and simulation approach has simultaneously taken into consideration various aspects: thermal properties at high temperature, the actual geometry of the repeated storage element and the actual storage cycle adopted. High-performance thermal storage materials from the literatures have been tested and used here as reference benchmarks. Other materials tested are lightweight concretes with recycled aggregates and a geopolymer concrete. Their thermal properties have been measured and used as inputs in the numerical model to preliminarily evaluate their application in thermal storage. The analysis carried out can also be used to optimize the storage system, in terms of thermal properties required to the storage material. The results showed a significant influence of the thermal properties on the performances of the storage elements. Simulation results have provided information for further scale-up from a single differential storage element to the entire module as a function of material thermal properties.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2014 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.