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Thermal Energy Storage in Solar Power Plants: A Review of the Materials, Associated Limitations, and Proposed Solutions

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  • Fadi Alnaimat

    (Mechanical Engineering Department, College of Engineering, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain 15551, UAE
    National Water Center, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain 15551, UAE)

  • Yasir Rashid

    (Chair of Building Physics, Technical University of Munich, 80333 Munich, Germany
    Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics IBP, 83626 Valley, Germany)

Abstract

Solar energy is the most viable and abundant renewable energy source. Its intermittent nature and mismatch between source availability and energy demand, however, are critical issues in its deployment and market penetrability. This problem can be addressed by storing surplus energy during peak sun hours to be used during nighttime for continuous electricity production in concentrated solar power (CSP) plants. This article reviews the thermal energy storage (TES) for CSPs and focuses on detailing the latest advancement in materials for TES systems and advanced thermal fluids for high energy conversion efficiency. Problems of TES systems, such as high temperature corrosion with their proposed solutions, as well as successful implementations are reported. The article also reviews the economic analysis on CSP plants with TES systems and life-cycle assessment to quantify the environmental impacts of different TES systems.

Suggested Citation

  • Fadi Alnaimat & Yasir Rashid, 2019. "Thermal Energy Storage in Solar Power Plants: A Review of the Materials, Associated Limitations, and Proposed Solutions," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(21), pages 1-19, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:12:y:2019:i:21:p:4164-:d:282120
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    4. José Pereira & Ana Moita & António Moreira, 2023. "An Overview of the Molten Salt Nanofluids as Thermal Energy Storage Media," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(4), pages 1-51, February.
    5. 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.
    6. Yang, Jingze & Yang, Zhen & Duan, Yuanyuan, 2022. "A review on integrated design and off-design operation of solar power tower system with S–CO2 Brayton cycle," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 246(C).
    7. Verena Sulzgruber & David Wünsch & Heimo Walter & Markus Haider, 2020. "FP-TES: Fluidization Based Particle Thermal Energy Storage, Part II: Experimental Investigations," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-17, August.
    8. Sleiti, Ahmad K. & Al-Ammari, Wahib A., 2021. "Off-design performance analysis of combined CSP power and direct oxy-combustion supercritical carbon dioxide cycles," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 180(C), pages 14-29.
    9. Diana Enescu & Gianfranco Chicco & Radu Porumb & George Seritan, 2020. "Thermal Energy Storage for Grid Applications: Current Status and Emerging Trends," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-21, January.

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