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Phase change material cascade storage for CSP: A performance evaluation

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  • Prieto, Cristina
  • Lopez-Roman, Anton
  • Tagle-Salazar, Pablo D.
  • De Giorgi, Paolo
  • Cabeza, Luisa F.

Abstract

The integration of supercritical CO2 (sCO2) Brayton cycles in Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) plants offers a pathway to higher thermal efficiencies compared to conventional Rankine cycles. However, achieving high operational temperatures demands advanced Thermal Energy Storage (TES) solutions beyond the limits of traditional molten salt systems. This study evaluates a novel cascade phase change material (PCM) TES system, comparing it to a single PCM storage configuration under identical operating conditions to assess its feasibility for large-scale CSP applications. The results demonstrate that the cascade PCM TES system achieves an 282 % increase in energy storage capacity and enables more stable thermal management.

Suggested Citation

  • Prieto, Cristina & Lopez-Roman, Anton & Tagle-Salazar, Pablo D. & De Giorgi, Paolo & Cabeza, Luisa F., 2026. "Phase change material cascade storage for CSP: A performance evaluation," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 257(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:renene:v:257:y:2026:i:c:s0960148125024607
    DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2025.124796
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    References listed on IDEAS

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