Storing Solar Energy

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Sat, 06/12/2010 - 17:12

jason

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Storing Solar Energy

I started this post to brainstorm and get some feedback on my Master thesis topic. For the thesis, I will be conducting a feasibility analysis on the use of a Zeolite based energy storage device to store excess heat from a Concentrated Solar Power plant. The excess heat could then be used to generate electricity at night.

I honestly have no idea whether this would be feasible, but I'm open to feedback and suggestions, as well as if anyone knows of something like this having been done in the past... I'll post back here with more info when I make some progress.

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Mon, 10/18/2010 - 18:02

Anonymous

zeolite for solar energy storage

Looks like they beat you to it:
http://www.fao.org/docrep/t4470e/t4470e0j.htm

Sun, 07/18/2010 - 22:53

jason

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Posts: 105

Basically, yes. Right now I'm

Basically, yes. Right now I'm just trying to build a model of the whole thing, to see if I can outweigh the extra costs of using zeolites against the efficiency gains over liquid salt...

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Thu, 06/17/2010 - 08:25

Anonymous

I don't see why not

I'm sure this is possible, but hasn't it already been done? I mean, solar thermal powerplants have been storing excess heat in the form of liquified salt for some time now. The real question is whether your idea would be more efficient, no?

Tue, 01/25/2011 - 07:36

cleantechcanada

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Re: Storing Solar Energy

If we can store Solar energy...than that is very good revolution.

Fri, 01/28/2011 - 23:53

Anonymous

Re: Storing Solar Energy

Solar energy can be stored, and is. The technology is not new but is advancing on many fronts. There are many, many ways to store it, from mechanical to chemical. The issue is cost. From a green standpoint, let's say you wished to store PV energy in a battery. It is regularly, often and widely done, but here is the argument: "I have decided to absorb the expense of changing my lifestyle to a greener one. I will no longer be using fossil fuels but will generate my own power by the use of PVs. I will store the power for use in batteries." What "I" have now done is to rid myself of carbon emissions but have now filled my yard with lead and acid in the form of batteries. We alerady know the dangers of these carcinogens and low pH chemistries. What is the net gain?

We need new technologies for batteries. That's the deal. We have them but they are spennnndy. Solution? Force a National RPS. Create the value in the systems so RE can catch up with fossil fuels.

Sat, 01/29/2011 - 20:09

jason

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Posts: 105

Re: Storing Solar Energy

The most common method for the storage of "electricity" (I put it in quotation marks because it's not a direct form of storage) is in liquid salt, at least that's my understanding based on the background study I've been doing for my thesis. I've attached a file about the Andasol projects in Spain, which use molten salt to store heat for operation up to 7-8 hours during offpeak or night time.

Another common method regularly employed is pumped energy storage (which is the mechanical method you were talking about), here is a link to one in Tennessee: http://www.tva.gov/sites/raccoonmt.htm

In regards to chemical storage; the options are a little more limited. As you mentioned, batteries are a dirty option, not to mention extremely expensive and inefficient. They also loose charge over time, wear out and are extremely toxic and thus undesirable for a workplace environment. This was part of my inspiration for the use of Zeolites in solar power plants; they offer a chemical storage solution, with completely benign and non-toxic components (water and zeolite).

I've succeeded in producing a basic MATLAB simulation of zeolite adsorption/desorption processes and will try to model the energy storage efficiency using my simulation in the coming weeks. I'll post my progress here as I go...

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