IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/appene/v387y2025ics0306261925002971.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Advancing pumped thermal energy storage performance and cost using silica storage media

Author

Listed:
  • McTigue, Joshua
  • Hirschey, Jason
  • Ma, Zhiwen

Abstract

Pumped Thermal Energy Storage (PTES) is an electricity storage system that is suitable for long-duration energy storage (10−1000 h) due to its low marginal cost of energy capacity. We present a techno-economic model of a PTES system that uses particle thermal energy storage. Particles have low costs and can be operated over a wide temperature range leading to increased efficiency and reduced costs compared to other PTES designs. We show how the round-trip efficiency, specific power output, capital cost, and levelized cost of storage (LCOS) depend on parameters such as the pressure ratio, heat exchanger approach temperature and pressure loss, and maximum temperature. We compare particle-PTES (P-PTES) performance to PTES which uses liquid thermal energy storage – i.e. molten salt hot storage and methanol cold storage (MS-PTES). We find that using silica particles for storage advances PTES technology: P-PTES can be operated at higher maximum temperatures than MS-PTES. Furthermore, P-PTES can achieve lower approach temperatures in the heat exchangers than MS-PTES without increasing capital costs, because P-PTES uses direct-contact heat transfer in fluidized bed heat exchangers. As a result, we find that P-PTES systems achieve higher round-trip efficiency than MS-PTES (66 % versus 57 %) and lower LCOS (e.g. 0.115 ± 0.03 $/kWhe versus 0.171 ± 0.04 $/kWhe for 10 h discharge). The low cost of particles and containment means that P-PTES can provide long-duration energy storage at low capital cost per unit energy capacity. For example, the total capital cost per unit energy reduces from 245 $/kWhe at 10 h to 38 $/kWhe at 100 h. These costs are considerably lower than MS-PTES (72 $/kWhe at 100 h) and also outcompete current and future Li-ion battery system projections (100–265 $/kWhe).

Suggested Citation

  • McTigue, Joshua & Hirschey, Jason & Ma, Zhiwen, 2025. "Advancing pumped thermal energy storage performance and cost using silica storage media," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 387(C).
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:appene:v:387:y:2025:i:c:s0306261925002971
    DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2025.125567
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306261925002971
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.apenergy.2025.125567?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. McTigue, J.D. & White, A.J., 2018. "A comparison of radial-flow and axial-flow packed beds for thermal energy storage," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 227(C), pages 533-541.
    2. Morgan, Robert & Nelmes, Stuart & Gibson, Emma & Brett, Gareth, 2015. "Liquid air energy storage – Analysis and first results from a pilot scale demonstration plant," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 137(C), pages 845-853.
    3. Fasquelle, T. & Falcoz, Q. & Neveu, P. & Hoffmann, J.-F., 2018. "A temperature threshold evaluation for thermocline energy storage in concentrated solar power plants," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 212(C), pages 1153-1164.
    4. Gifford, Jeffrey & Wang, Xingchao & Ma, Zhiwen & Braun, Robert, 2024. "Modeling electrical particle thermal energy storage systems for long-duration, grid-electricity storage applications," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 371(C).
    5. Trevisan, Silvia & Wang, Wujun & Guedez, Rafael & Laumert, Björn, 2022. "Experimental evaluation of an innovative radial-flow high-temperature packed bed thermal energy storage," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 311(C).
    6. Galione, P.A. & Pérez-Segarra, C.D. & Rodríguez, I. & Oliva, A. & Rigola, J., 2015. "Multi-layered solid-PCM thermocline thermal storage concept for CSP plants. Numerical analysis and perspectives," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 142(C), pages 337-351.
    7. Morandin, Matteo & Maréchal, François & Mercangöz, Mehmet & Buchter, Florian, 2012. "Conceptual design of a thermo-electrical energy storage system based on heat integration of thermodynamic cycles – Part B: Alternative system configurations," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 45(1), pages 386-396.
    8. Zhao, Yongliang & Song, Jian & Liu, Ming & Zhao, Yao & Olympios, Andreas V. & Sapin, Paul & Yan, Junjie & Markides, Christos N., 2022. "Thermo-economic assessments of pumped-thermal electricity storage systems employing sensible heat storage materials," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 186(C), pages 431-456.
    9. Daniele Fiaschi & Giampaolo Manfrida & Karolina Petela & Lorenzo Talluri, 2019. "Thermo-Electric Energy Storage with Solar Heat Integration: Exergy and Exergo-Economic Analysis," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-21, February.
    10. Morandin, Matteo & Maréchal, François & Mercangöz, Mehmet & Buchter, Florian, 2012. "Conceptual design of a thermo-electrical energy storage system based on heat integration of thermodynamic cycles – Part A: Methodology and base case," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 45(1), pages 375-385.
    11. Steinmann, W.D., 2014. "The CHEST (Compressed Heat Energy STorage) concept for facility scale thermo mechanical energy storage," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 543-552.
    12. Vinnemeier, Philipp & Wirsum, Manfred & Malpiece, Damien & Bove, Roberto, 2016. "Integration of heat pumps into thermal plants for creation of large-scale electricity storage capacities," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 184(C), pages 506-522.
    13. McTigue, Joshua D. & White, Alexander J. & Markides, Christos N., 2015. "Parametric studies and optimisation of pumped thermal electricity storage," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 137(C), pages 800-811.
    14. Sorknæs, Peter & Thellufsen, Jakob Zinck & Knobloch, Kai & Engelbrecht, Kurt & Yuan, Meng, 2023. "Economic potentials of carnot batteries in 100% renewable energy systems," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 282(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Frate, Guido Francesco & Ferrari, Lorenzo & Desideri, Umberto, 2021. "Energy storage for grid-scale applications: Technology review and economic feasibility analysis," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 163(C), pages 1754-1772.
    2. Zhao, Yongliang & Song, Jian & Liu, Ming & Zhao, Yao & Olympios, Andreas V. & Sapin, Paul & Yan, Junjie & Markides, Christos N., 2022. "Thermo-economic assessments of pumped-thermal electricity storage systems employing sensible heat storage materials," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 186(C), pages 431-456.
    3. Zhang, Han & Wang, Liang & Lin, Xipeng & Chen, Haisheng, 2023. "Parametric optimisation and thermo-economic analysis of Joule–Brayton cycle-based pumped thermal electricity storage system under various charging–discharging periods," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 263(PE).
    4. Liang, Ting & Vecchi, Andrea & Knobloch, Kai & Sciacovelli, Adriano & Engelbrecht, Kurt & Li, Yongliang & Ding, Yulong, 2022. "Key components for Carnot Battery: Technology review, technical barriers and selection criteria," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 163(C).
    5. Guido Francesco Frate & Lorenzo Ferrari & Umberto Desideri, 2020. "Rankine Carnot Batteries with the Integration of Thermal Energy Sources: A Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(18), pages 1-28, September.
    6. Zhang, Han & Wang, Liang & Lin, Xipeng & Chen, Haisheng, 2023. "Operating mode of Brayton-cycle-based pumped thermal electricity storage system: Constant compression ratio or constant rotational speed?," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 343(C).
    7. Daniele Fiaschi & Giampaolo Manfrida & Karolina Petela & Federico Rossi & Adalgisa Sinicropi & Lorenzo Talluri, 2020. "Exergo-Economic and Environmental Analysis of a Solar Integrated Thermo-Electric Storage," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-21, July.
    8. Steinmann, Wolf-Dieter, 2017. "Thermo-mechanical concepts for bulk energy storage," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 205-219.
    9. Yong, Qingqing & Jin, Kaiyuan & Li, Xiaobo & Yang, Ronggui, 2023. "Thermo-economic analysis for a novel grid-scale pumped thermal electricity storage system coupled with a coal-fired power plant," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 280(C).
    10. Wang, Liang & Lin, Xipeng & Chai, Lei & Peng, Long & Yu, Dong & Chen, Haisheng, 2019. "Cyclic transient behavior of the Joule–Brayton based pumped heat electricity storage: Modeling and analysis," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 523-534.
    11. Jockenhöfer, Henning & Steinmann, Wolf-Dieter & Bauer, Dan, 2018. "Detailed numerical investigation of a pumped thermal energy storage with low temperature heat integration," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 145(C), pages 665-676.
    12. Wang, Liang & Lin, Xipeng & Zhang, Han & Peng, Long & Ling, Haoshu & Zhang, Shuang & Chen, Haisheng, 2023. "Thermodynamic analysis and optimization of pumped thermal–liquid air energy storage (PTLAES)," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 332(C).
    13. Aristeidis Stoikos & Alexios-Spyridon Kyriakides & Júlio Carneiro & Dounya Behnous & Georgios Gravanis & Ioannis N. Tsimpanogiannis & Panos Seferlis & Spyros Voutetakis, 2025. "Analysis and Evaluation of a TCO 2 Electrothermal Energy Storage System with Integration of CO 2 Geological Storage," Energies, MDPI, vol. 18(3), pages 1-29, January.
    14. Zhang, Yuan & Yang, Ke & Hong, Hui & Zhong, Xiaohui & Xu, Jianzhong, 2016. "Thermodynamic analysis of a novel energy storage system with carbon dioxide as working fluid," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 682-697.
    15. Guccione, Salvatore & Guedez, Rafael, 2024. "Techno-economic analysis of power-to-heat-to-power plants: Mapping optimal combinations of thermal energy storage and power cycles," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 312(C).
    16. Frate, Guido Francesco & Baccioli, Andrea & Bernardini, Leonardo & Ferrari, Lorenzo, 2022. "Assessment of the off-design performance of a solar thermally-integrated pumped-thermal energy storage," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 201(P1), pages 636-650.
    17. Steinmann, Wolf-Dieter & Bauer, Dan & Jockenhöfer, Henning & Johnson, Maike, 2019. "Pumped thermal energy storage (PTES) as smart sector-coupling technology for heat and electricity," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 183(C), pages 185-190.
    18. Alberto Benato & Francesco De Vanna & Anna Stoppato, 2022. "Levelling the Photovoltaic Power Profile with the Integrated Energy Storage System," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(24), pages 1-21, December.
    19. Benato, Alberto, 2017. "Performance and cost evaluation of an innovative Pumped Thermal Electricity Storage power system," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 138(C), pages 419-436.
    20. Yang, Lizhong & Villalobos, Uver & Akhmetov, Bakytzhan & Gil, Antoni & Khor, Jun Onn & Palacios, Anabel & Li, Yongliang & Ding, Yulong & Cabeza, Luisa F. & Tan, Wooi Leong & Romagnoli, Alessandro, 2021. "A comprehensive review on sub-zero temperature cold thermal energy storage materials, technologies, and applications: State of the art and recent developments," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 288(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:appene:v:387:y:2025:i:c:s0306261925002971. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/405891/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.