IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/energy/v335y2025ics0360544225039660.html

Design and performance evaluation of a new steam/water hybrid thermal energy storage system integrated within a coal-fired power plant

Author

Listed:
  • Zhou, Dao
  • Liu, Ming
  • Wang, Zhenzhen
  • Fu, Yu
  • Zhang, Kezhen
  • Yan, Junjie

Abstract

Enhancing the operational flexibility of coal-fired power plants (CFPPs) represents an effective approach to accommodate the high penetration of renewable power within the power grid. The integration of thermal energy storage (TES) system, which can achieve boiler-turbine decoupling substantially, is a potential way to enhance operational flexibility of coal-fired power plants. Direct storage of working fluids (steam and water) within coal-fired power plants may serve as a cost-effective solution. This study proposes a new coal-fired power plant configuration incorporating both steam accumulator (SA) and hot water storage tank for steam/water hybrid storage. The energy efficiency of the thermal energy storage system and flexibility enhancement of coal-fired power plants under different peak-shaving requirement are systematically investigated and compared with the integration of water storage tank or not. Results demonstrate superior energy efficiency and enhanced economic performance under non-maximum storage power through supplementary water storage tank implementation. The integrated TES system reduces the minimum electrical load from 30 % to 12.15 % of rated capacity. At the maximum storage power, the equivalent round-trip efficiency reaches 70.47 %, increasing to 82.24 % under reduced power operation. The total capital cost of the TES system amounts to 2.81 million USD, achieving a minimum equivalent levelized cost of electricity of 104.45 USD per megawatt-hour.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhou, Dao & Liu, Ming & Wang, Zhenzhen & Fu, Yu & Zhang, Kezhen & Yan, Junjie, 2025. "Design and performance evaluation of a new steam/water hybrid thermal energy storage system integrated within a coal-fired power plant," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 335(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:335:y:2025:i:c:s0360544225039660
    DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2025.138324
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360544225039660
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.energy.2025.138324?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

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Fernández, Angel G. & Gomez-Vidal, Judith & Oró, Eduard & Kruizenga, Alan & Solé, Aran & Cabeza, Luisa F., 2019. "Mainstreaming commercial CSP systems: A technology review," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 140(C), pages 152-176.
    2. Richter, Marcel & Oeljeklaus, Gerd & Görner, Klaus, 2019. "Improving the load flexibility of coal-fired power plants by the integration of a thermal energy storage," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 236(C), pages 607-621.
    3. Bo Chen & Feng Jin & Guangchen Li & Yurong Zhao, 2023. "Can the New Energy Demonstration City Policy Promote Green and Low-Carbon Development? Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-16, May.
    4. Zaversky, Fritz & Sánchez, Marcelino & Astrain, David, 2014. "Object-oriented modeling for the transient response simulation of multi-pass shell-and-tube heat exchangers as applied in active indirect thermal energy storage systems for concentrated solar power," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 647-664.
    5. Yu, Zeting & Su, Ruizhi & Feng, Chunyu, 2020. "Thermodynamic analysis and multi-objective optimization of a novel power generation system driven by geothermal energy," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 199(C).
    6. Michael Krüger & Selman Muslubas & Thomas Loeper & Freerk Klasing & Philipp Knödler & Christian Mielke, 2020. "Potentials of Thermal Energy Storage Integrated into Steam Power Plants," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-13, May.
    7. Zhang, Lei & Wang, Honggang & Feng, Ziyang & Fan, Yongsheng & Yao, Zhen & Cui, Shuangshuang, 2025. "Enhancing flexibility of coal-fired power plants via compressed air energy storage integration: A 4E (Energy, Exergy, Economic, Environmental) and operational performance analysis," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 332(C).
    8. Eser, Patrick & Singh, Antriksh & Chokani, Ndaona & Abhari, Reza S., 2016. "Effect of increased renewables generation on operation of thermal power plants," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 164(C), pages 723-732.
    9. Alva, Guruprasad & Huang, Xiang & Liu, Lingkun & Fang, Guiyin, 2017. "Synthesis and characterization of microencapsulated myristic acid–palmitic acid eutectic mixture as phase change material for thermal energy storage," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 203(C), pages 677-685.
    10. Wang, Chaoyang & Zhao, Yongliang & Liu, Ming & Qiao, Yongqiang & Chong, Daotong & Yan, Junjie, 2018. "Peak shaving operational optimization of supercritical coal-fired power plants by revising control strategy for water-fuel ratio," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 216(C), pages 212-223.
    11. Miao, Lin & Liu, Ming & Zhang, Kezhen & Zhao, Yongliang & Yan, Junjie, 2023. "Energy, exergy, and economic analyses on coal-fired power plants integrated with the power-to-heat thermal energy storage system," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 284(C).
    12. Khamlich, Imane & Zeng, Kuo & Flamant, Gilles & Baeyens, Jan & Zou, Chongzhe & Li, Jun & Yang, Xinyi & He, Xiao & Liu, Qingchuan & Yang, Haiping & Yang, Qing & Chen, Hanping, 2021. "Technical and economic assessment of thermal energy storage in concentrated solar power plants within a spot electricity market," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 139(C).
    13. Cao, Lihua & Li, Xiaoli & Wang, Di, 2022. "A thermodynamic system of coal-fired power unit coupled S–CO2 energy-storage cycle," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 259(C).
    14. Garbrecht, Oliver & Bieber, Malte & Kneer, Reinhold, 2017. "Increasing fossil power plant flexibility by integrating molten-salt thermal storage," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 118(C), pages 876-883.
    15. González-Roubaud, Edouard & Pérez-Osorio, David & Prieto, Cristina, 2017. "Review of commercial thermal energy storage in concentrated solar power plants: Steam vs. molten salts," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 133-148.
    16. Mahon, Harry & O'Connor, Dominic & Friedrich, Daniel & Hughes, Ben, 2022. "A review of thermal energy storage technologies for seasonal loops," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 239(PC).
    17. Trojan, Marcin & Taler, Dawid & Dzierwa, Piotr & Taler, Jan & Kaczmarski, Karol & Wrona, Jan, 2019. "The use of pressure hot water storage tanks to improve the energy flexibility of the steam power unit," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 173(C), pages 926-936.
    18. Zhao, Yongliang & Liu, Ming & Wang, Chaoyang & Wang, Zhu & Chong, Daotong & Yan, Junjie, 2019. "Exergy analysis of the regulating measures of operational flexibility in supercritical coal-fired power plants during transient processes," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 253(C), pages 1-1.
    19. Kubik, M.L. & Coker, P.J. & Barlow, J.F., 2015. "Increasing thermal plant flexibility in a high renewables power system," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 154(C), pages 102-111.
    20. Alva, Guruprasad & Lin, Yaxue & Fang, Guiyin, 2018. "An overview of thermal energy storage systems," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 144(C), pages 341-378.
    21. Zhang, Shunqi & Liu, Ming & Zhao, Yongliang & Zhang, Kezhen & Liu, Jiping & Yan, Junjie, 2022. "Thermodynamic analysis on a novel bypass steam recovery system for parabolic trough concentrated solar power plants during start-up processes," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 198(C), pages 973-983.
    22. Lai, Chun Sing & McCulloch, Malcolm D., 2017. "Levelized cost of electricity for solar photovoltaic and electrical energy storage," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 190(C), pages 191-203.
    23. Houben, Nikolaus & Cosic, Armin & Stadler, Michael & Mansoor, Muhammad & Zellinger, Michael & Auer, Hans & Ajanovic, Amela & Haas, Reinhard, 2023. "Optimal dispatch of a multi-energy system microgrid under uncertainty: A renewable energy community in Austria," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 337(C).
    24. Liu, Ming & Wang, Shan & Zhao, Yongliang & Tang, Haiyu & Yan, Junjie, 2019. "Heat–power decoupling technologies for coal-fired CHP plants: Operation flexibility and thermodynamic performance," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 188(C).
    25. Jacob, Rhys & Belusko, Martin & Inés Fernández, A. & Cabeza, Luisa F. & Saman, Wasim & Bruno, Frank, 2016. "Embodied energy and cost of high temperature thermal energy storage systems for use with concentrated solar power plants," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 180(C), pages 586-597.
    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. Miao, Lin & Yan, Hui & Liu, Ming, 2024. "Power increase potential of coal-fired power plant assisted by the heat release of the thermal energy storage system: Restrictions and thermodynamic performance," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 312(C).
    2. Miao, Lin & Liu, Ming & Zhang, Kezhen & Zhao, Yongliang & Yan, Junjie, 2023. "Energy, exergy, and economic analyses on coal-fired power plants integrated with the power-to-heat thermal energy storage system," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 284(C).
    3. Ye, Nina & Zhang, Qichao & Xu, Jiaye & Huang, Linpeng & Wu, Xiaojiang & Zhang, Zhongxiao, 2025. "Thermodynamic analysis of combined energy storage systems for enhancing load ramp flexibility in a coal-fired power plant," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 335(C).
    4. Wang, Yuanhui & Zhang, Hanfei & Ji, Shuaiyu & Frate, Guido Francesco & Duan, Liqiang & Desideri, Umberto & Yang, Yongping, 2025. "Techno-economic analysis of a novel heat-power decoupling system of molten salt coupled steam accumulator used in gas-steam combined cycle CHP unit," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 400(C).
    5. Xue, Xiaojun & Niu, Zesen & Zheng, Lixing & Xu, Gang & Cao, Haonan & Wang, Yingnan, 2025. "Design and performance analysis of a coal-fired power plant integrated with high and low temperature molten salt thermal storage for improving peaking capacity," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 331(C).
    6. Yan, Hui & Liu, Ming & Wang, Zhu & Zhang, Kezhen & Chong, Daotong & Yan, Junjie, 2023. "Flexibility enhancement of solar-aided coal-fired power plant under different direct normal irradiance conditions," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 262(PA).
    7. Cui, Yuelong & Jiang, Kaijun & Wei, Huimin & Xu, Lei & Du, Xiaoze, 2025. "Solid packed bed storage-based flexible retrofit solution for power plants: Novel method for multi-heat source contribution analysis and thermal performance regulation," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 334(C).
    8. Lv, Shengnan & Lu, Yuanwei & Wei, Haijiao, 2025. "Research on operational flexibility of 600 MW subcritical coal-fired power unit by coupling three-tank molten salt thermal energy storage system," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 322(C).
    9. Nenad Sarunac & Javad Khalesi & Mahfuja A. Khuda & Rick Mancini & Pramod Kulkarni & Joel Berger, 2024. "Energy Storage Improves Power Plant Flexibility and Economic Performance," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-26, June.
    10. Wu, Chunlei & Wang, Chao & Hou, Zongyu & Wang, Zhe, 2025. "Flexible peak shaving in coal-fired power plants: A comprehensive review of current challenges, recent advances, and future perspectives," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 327(C).
    11. Yang, Tingting & Liu, Ziyuan & Zeng, Deliang & Zhu, Yansong, 2023. "Simulation and evaluation of flexible enhancement of thermal power unit coupled with flywheel energy storage array," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 281(C).
    12. Zhao, Yongliang & Liu, Ming & Wang, Chaoyang & Wang, Zhu & Chong, Daotong & Yan, Junjie, 2019. "Exergy analysis of the regulating measures of operational flexibility in supercritical coal-fired power plants during transient processes," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 253(C), pages 1-1.
    13. Alva, Guruprasad & Lin, Yaxue & Fang, Guiyin, 2018. "An overview of thermal energy storage systems," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 144(C), pages 341-378.
    14. Zhang, Qiang & Tian, Ziqian & Jiang, Kaijun & Du, Xiaoze & Wang, Qinghua & Niu, Yuguang, 2025. "A molten salt bypass flow steam temperature control strategy for steam generation system: system design, simulation modelling and validation," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 247(C).
    15. Adrián Caraballo & Santos Galán-Casado & Ángel Caballero & Sara Serena, 2021. "Molten Salts for Sensible Thermal Energy Storage: A Review and an Energy Performance Analysis," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-15, February.
    16. Gregor Brändle & Max Schönfisch & Simon Schulte, 2020. "Estimating Long-Term Global Supply Costs for Low-Carbon Hydrogen," EWI Working Papers 2020-4, Energiewirtschaftliches Institut an der Universitaet zu Koeln (EWI).
    17. Sun, Bo & Zhao, Yongliang & Zhang, Shunqi & Zhou, Jinyi & Liu, Jiping & Zhang, Pengwei & Yan, Junjie, 2025. "Thermodynamic performance analysis of steam power plants during deep peak shaving processes: Integrating a novel top turbine system in ultra-low loads," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 315(C).
    18. Du, Zeyu & Liu, Ming & Wang, Yang & Zhou, Yu & Zhao, Yongliang & Yan, Junjie, 2025. "Energy consumption characteristics and energy saving potential of thermal power plants under ultra-low power load ratio conditions," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 330(C).
    19. Qingbin Yu & Yuliang Dong & Yanjun Du & Jiahai Yuan & Fang Fang, 2022. "Optimizing Operation Strategy in a Simulated High-Proportion Wind Power Wind–Coal Combined Base Load Power Generation System under Multiple Scenes," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(21), pages 1-21, October.
    20. Zhang, Qijun & Dong, Jianning & Chen, Heng & Feng, Fuyuan & Xu, Gang & Wang, Xiuyan & Liu, Tong, 2024. "Dynamic characteristics and economic analysis of a coal-fired power plant integrated with molten salt thermal energy storage for improving peaking capacity," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 290(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:energy:v:335:y:2025:i:c:s0360544225039660. 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.journals.elsevier.com/energy .

    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.