(345b) Adsorption Material for Thermal Energy Storage at Low Relative Humidity Operating Conditions

A wide range of energy storage technologies have been developed to increase the flexibility of the energy generation system [1]. Thermal energy storage (TES) provides an alternative method to store thermal energy generated from different types of energy sources (traditional or renewable) and correct for the mismatch between the energy supply and demand. Thermal energy storage through water vapor adsorption process has attracted increasing interest for space heating and cooling applications due to its safety and sustainability. Various kind of materials have been investigated in search of adsorbents with high energy density and stability.

In our previous study, silica gel has been identified as a promising adsorbent candidate for thermal energy storage applications at 80-120⁰C regeneration temperature range with relatively low relative humidity (RH) [2]. In this study, a commercial adsorbent powder was purchased and pelletized for adsorption experiments to examine the effects of the regeneration temperature and RH on the material behaviour, and its experimental energy density under different operating conditions. The preliminary experimental results showed that the energy density was three times as much as the energy density for the silica gel at low RH operating conditions. Modelling and simulation of adsorption process at different operating conditions will be discussed as well.

References:

[1] A. G. Olabi, “Renewable energy and energy storage systems,” Energy, 136: 1–6 (2017).

[2] Y. Hua, A. Godin, and F. H. Tezel, “Water Vapor Adsorption in Silica Gel for Thermal Energy Storage Application,” Adv. Mater. Lett., 10(2): 124–127 (2019).