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Energies
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Performance and Optimization of Solar Thermal Energy Storage Systems
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Performance and Optimization of Solar Thermal Energy Storage Systems

A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "A2: Solar Energy and Photovoltaic Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 December 2023) | Viewed by 9674

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Gino Bella

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Engineering, University of Rome Niccolò Cusano, 00166 Roma, Italy
Interests: fuel spray; numerical analysis; turbulence modeling; engines; internal combustion engine; hybrid vehicle; thermal energy system; renewable energy system
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Raffaello Cozzolino

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Engineering, University of Rome Niccolò Cusano, 00166 Roma, Italy
Interests: advanced energy systems; fuel cells; cogeneration and trigeneration systems; polygeneration; renewable energies; thermal energy storages; waste heat recovery; thermodynamic analysis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Barbara Mendecka

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Economics, Engineering, University of Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
Interests: optimization of sustainable energy systems; energy storage; solar thermal conversion; integrated energy systems; exergy-based methods; life cycle assessment; multi-criteria decision analysis and optimization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Solar thermal energy is recognized as important due to its uniform distribution on earth and cleanliness characteristics, and its use for heating, cooling, electricity generation, etc. In addition, it has clear environmental and economic benefits. However, solar systems show several problems, including intermittent operation, meteorological instability, and low energy density. Thus, in order to mitigate these problems, it is often necessary to store thermal energy and make it available at different times or in different places. Thermal energy storage allows solar energy efficient utilization and benefits in terms of energy savings by balancing the mismatch between supply and demand. Study of the thermal storage system’s performance and optimization is an indispensable prerequisite for the best exploitation of the solar source and is currently one of the most promising research fields with important economic and environmental implications.

This Special Issue provides a platform for publishing and sharing novel, inspiring and promising research on solar thermal energy storage. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to the following:

  • Solar thermal energy storage materials and methods;
  • Innovative thermal energy storages;
  • Advanced techniques for improving the heat transfer;
  • Modeling and experimentation;
  • Optimization and control strategies;
  • Solar applications, i.e., heating, cooling, desalination, power generation, etc.;
  • Life cycle costing and life cycle assessment;
  • Energy, exergy, economic and environmental analysis.

As Guest Editors, we are pleased to invite you to contribute to this Special Issue by submitting papers on innovative technical developments, reviews, case studies, and analytical, as well as assessment, works from different disciplines that are relevant to solar thermal energy storage.

Prof. Dr. Gino Bella
Prof. Dr. Raffaello Cozzolino
Dr. Barbara Mendecka
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Energies is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Thermal energy storage
  • Solar energy
  • Sensible thermal energy storage
  • Latent thermal energy storage
  • Thermochemical energy storage
  • Heat transfer enhancement
  • Phase change materials
  • Metal foam
  • Energy management
  • Numerical modeling
  • Experimental
  • Energy, exergy and economic analysis
  • LCC and LCA

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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20 pages, 5646 KiB  
Article
Experimental Investigation of a Concentrating Bifacial Photovoltaic/Thermal Heat Pump System with a Triangular Trough
by Gülşah Karaca Dolgun, Onur Vahip Güler, Aleksandar G. Georgiev and Ali Keçebaş
Energies 2023, 16(2), 649; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16020649 - 05 Jan 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1197
Abstract
The heat absorbed by the heat transfer fluid for cooling a concentrated photovoltaic thermal (CPVT) solar collector can be used for purposes such as residential heating and cooking. Because of the combined production of heat and power, these systems are proposed for individual [...] Read more.
The heat absorbed by the heat transfer fluid for cooling a concentrated photovoltaic thermal (CPVT) solar collector can be used for purposes such as residential heating and cooking. Because of the combined production of heat and power, these systems are proposed for individual or commercial use in rural areas. In this study, a hybrid system was proposed to increase the electrical efficiency of the system. Experiments were conducted in winter conditions. Two operational modes were compared, namely a CPVT system with HP (HP-CPVT) and without HP (CPVT). The evaporator of the heat pump was settled inside the triangular trough receiver. The effects of cooling the PV system with a heat pump in the bifacial CPVT system on the electrical and thermal energy efficiencies were investigated. The electricity and thermal energy efficiencies of the CPVT system were calculated as 12.54% and 38.37% in the HP-CPVT system, respectively, and 10.05% and 81.97% in the CPVT system, respectively. The electrical exergy efficiencies of the CPVT system with and without HP were 14.65% and 10.73%, respectively. The thermal exergy efficiencies of the CPVT system with and without HP were 82.47% and 85.63%, respectively. The thermal heat obtained from the HP-CPVT system can be used for heating needs. Thus, the bifacial HP-CPVT system was an example of the micro-CHP system. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Performance and Optimization of Solar Thermal Energy Storage Systems)
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23 pages, 6349 KiB  
Article
Performance Assessment of a Novel Solar and Biomass-Based Multi-Generation System Equipped with Nanofluid-Based Compound Parabolic Collectors
by Alla Ali Ibrahim, Muhammet Kayfeci, Aleksandar G. Georgiev, Gülşah Karaca Dolgun and Ali Keçebaş
Energies 2022, 15(23), 8911; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15238911 - 25 Nov 2022
Viewed by 1060
Abstract
The current paper proposes a novel multi-generation system, integrated with compound parabolic collectors and a biomass combustor. In addition to analyzing the comprehensive system in a steady state, the feasibility of using nanofluids as heat transfer fluids in the solar cycle and their [...] Read more.
The current paper proposes a novel multi-generation system, integrated with compound parabolic collectors and a biomass combustor. In addition to analyzing the comprehensive system in a steady state, the feasibility of using nanofluids as heat transfer fluids in the solar cycle and their effect on the overall performance of the system was studied. The multi-generation system is generally designed for generating electricity, cooling, freshwater, drying, hot water, and hydrogen, with the help of six subsystems. These include a double stage refrigeration system, an organic Rankine cycle, a steam Rankine cycle, a dryer, a proton exchange membrane electrolyzer, and a multistage flash distillation system. Two types of nanoparticles (graphene, silver), which have various high-quality properties when used within ethylene glycol, were chosen as absorbing fluids in the solar cycle. The performance parameters of the base case thermodynamic analysis and some of the variable parameters were calculated, and their effect on system performance was determined. According to the results, a spike in solar irradiation, ambient temperature, output temperature of biomass combustor and nanofluids’ concentration positively affected the overall system performance. The results also clearly showed an improvement in system performance when using nanofluids as working fluids in solar collectors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Performance and Optimization of Solar Thermal Energy Storage Systems)
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26 pages, 8723 KiB  
Article
Characterization of Supplementary Cementitious Materials and Fibers to Be Implemented in High Temperature Concretes for Thermal Energy Storage (TES) Application
by Laura Boquera, David Pons, Ana Inés Fernández and Luisa F. Cabeza
Energies 2021, 14(16), 5190; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14165190 - 22 Aug 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1937
Abstract
Six supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) were identified to be incorporated in concrete exposed to high-temperature cycling conditions within the thermal energy storage literature. The selected SCMs are bauxite, chamotte, ground granulated blast furnace slag, iron silicate, silica fume, and steel slag. A microstructural [...] Read more.
Six supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) were identified to be incorporated in concrete exposed to high-temperature cycling conditions within the thermal energy storage literature. The selected SCMs are bauxite, chamotte, ground granulated blast furnace slag, iron silicate, silica fume, and steel slag. A microstructural characterization was carried out through an optical microscope, X-ray diffraction analysis, and FT-IR. Also, a pozzolanic test was performed to study the reaction of SCMs silico-aluminous components. The formation of calcium silica hydrate was observed in all SCMs pozzolanic test. Steel slag, iron silicate, and ground granulated blast furnace slag required further milling to enhance cement reaction. Moreover, the tensile strength of three fibers (polypropylene, steel, and glass fibers) was tested after exposure to an alkalinity environment at ambient temperature during one and three months. Results show an alkaline environment entails a tensile strength decrease in polypropylene and steel fibers, leading to corrosion in the later ones. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Performance and Optimization of Solar Thermal Energy Storage Systems)
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Review

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23 pages, 14747 KiB  
Review
Performance Augmentation of the Flat Plate Solar Thermal Collector: A Review
by Tabish Alam, Nagesh Babu Balam, Kishor Sitaram Kulkarni, Md Irfanul Haque Siddiqui, Nishant Raj Kapoor, Chandan Swaroop Meena, Ashok Kumar and Raffaello Cozzolino
Energies 2021, 14(19), 6203; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14196203 - 28 Sep 2021
Cited by 28 | Viewed by 4206
Abstract
The need for hot water in residential buildings requires a significant energy potential. Therefore, an efficient water heating system is important to achieve the goal of saving high-grade energy. The most simple and cheapest solar water heater is a flat plate solar collector [...] Read more.
The need for hot water in residential buildings requires a significant energy potential. Therefore, an efficient water heating system is important to achieve the goal of saving high-grade energy. The most simple and cheapest solar water heater is a flat plate solar collector (FPSC), which can increase the thermal energy of fluid by absorbing solar radiation. The performance of FPSC is comparatively low due to the dilute nature of solar insolation. Therefore, advancement of FPSC is being undertaken to improve the performance and achieve size reduction. In past, several techniques have been exploited to improve the performance of FPSC, which are presented in the present paper. These techniques include surface modifications, use of nanofluids, solar selective coating, and applications of a mini/macro channel, heat pipe, and vacuum around absorber. Surface modification on the absorber/absorber tube techniques are exploited to transfer the maximum possible solar energy to working fluids by increasing the heat transfer rate. Insertion of wire mesh, coil, and twisted tapes in the flow has great potential to increase the Nusselt number by 460% at the expense of a large pressure drop. Selective coating of Cu0.44 Ti0.44 Mn0.84 helps to absorb up to 97.4% of the incident solar energy, which is more significant. Many nanofluids have been exploited as heat transfer fluids, as they not only increase the performance but also reduce the fluid inventory. So, these techniques play a very prominent role in the performance of FPSC, which are discussed in detail. Summaries of the results are presented and recommendations proposed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Performance and Optimization of Solar Thermal Energy Storage Systems)
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