Ha Herbert Zondag

The yield of different combined PV-thermal collector designs

Various concepts of combined PV-thermal collectors are possible. These concepts differ in their approach to obtain the maximum yield and it is not easy to say whether the yield of a complicated design will be substantially higher than the yield of a simpler one. In order to obtain a clearer view on the expected yield of the various concepts, nine different designs were evaluated. The channel-below-transparent-PV design gives the best efficiency, but since the annual efficiency of the PV-on-sheet-and-tube design in a solar heating system was only 2% worse while it is easier to manufacture, this design was considered to be a good alternative.

The thermal and electrical yield of a PV-thermal collector

Four numerical models have been built for the simulation of the thermal yield of a combined PV-thermal collector: a 3D dynamical model and three steady state models that are 3D, 2D and 1D. The models are explained and the results are compared to experimental results. It is found that all models follow the experiments within 5% accuracy. In addition, for the calculation of the daily yield, the simple 1D steady state model performs almost as good as the much more time-consuming 3D dynamical model. On the other hand, the 2D and 3D models are more easily adapted to other configurations and provide more detailed information, as required for a further optimization of the collector. The time-dependent model is required for an accurate prediction of the collector yield if the collector temperature at the end of a measurement differs from its starting temperature.

Characterization of MgSO4 Hydrate for Thermochemical Seasonal Heat Storage

Water vapor sorption in salt hydrates is one of the most promising means for compact, low loss, and long-term storage of solar heat in the built environment. One of the most interesting salt hydrates for compact seasonal heat storage is magnesium sulfate heptahydrate MgSO4 ·7H 2O. This paper describes the characterization of MgSO4 ·7H 2 Ot o examine its suitability for application in a seasonal heat storage system for the built environment. Both charging (dehydration) and discharging (hydration) behaviors of the material were studied using thermogravimetric differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, particle distribution measurements, and scanning electron microscope. The experimental results show that MgSO4 ·7H 2O can be dehydrated at temperatures below 150° C, which can be reached by a medium temperature (vacuum tube) collector. Additionally, the material was able to store 2.2 GJ/ m 3 , almost nine times more energy than can be stored in water as sensible heat. On the other hand, the experimental results indicate that the release of the stored heat is more difficult. The amount of water taken up and the energy released by the material turned out to be strongly dependent on the water vapor pressure, temperature, and the total system pressure. The results of this study indicate that the application of MgSO4 ·7H 2O at atmospheric pressure is problematic for a heat storage system where heat is released above 40° C using a water vapor pressure of 1.3 kPa. However, first experiments performed in a closed system at low pressure indicate that a small amount of heat can be released at 50° C and a water vapor pressure of 1.3 kPa. If a heat storage system has to operate at atmospheric pressure, then the application of MgSO4 ·7H 2O for seasonal heat storage is possible for space heating operating at 25° C and a water vapor pressure of 2.1 kPa. DOI: 10.1115/1.4000275

Characterization of Salt Hydrates for Compact Seasonal Thermochemical Storage

This paper describes the characterization of four salt hydrates as potential thermochemical material for compact seasonal heat storage in the built environment. First, magnesium sulfate was investigated in detail using TG-DSC apparatus. The results of this study revealed that magnesium sulfate is able to store almost 10 times more energy than water of the same volume. However, the material was unable to take up water (and release heat) under practical conditions. A new theoretical study identified three salt hydrates besides magnesium sulfate as promising materials for compact seasonal heat storage: aluminum sulfate, magnesium chloride and calcium chloride. These salt hydrates (including magnesium sulfate) were tested in a newly constructed experimental setup. Based on the observed temperature lift under practical conditions, it was found that magnesium chloride was the most promising material of the four tested salt hydrates. However, both calcium chloride and magnesium chloride tend to form a gel-like material due to melting or formation of a solution. This effect is undesired since it reduces the ability of the material to take up water again. Finally, it was observed that performing the hydration at low-pressure will improve the water vapor transport in comparison to atmospheric pressure hydration.Copyright

Study of the reversible water vapour sorption process of MgSO4.7H2O and MgCl2.6H2O under the conditions of seasonal solar heat storage

The characterization of the structural, compositional and thermodynamic properties of MgSO4.7H2O and MgCl2.6H2O has been done using in-situ X-ray Diffraction and thermal analyses (TG/DSC) under practical conditions for seasonal heat storage (Tmax=150°C, p(H2O)=13 mbar). This study showed that these two materials release heat after a dehydration/hydration cycle with energy densities of 0.38 GJ/m3 for MgSO4.7H2O and 0.71 GJ/m3 MgCl2.6H2O. The low heat release found for MgSO4.7H2O is mainly attributed to the amorphization of the material during the dehydration performed at 13 mbar which reduces its sorption capacity during the rehydration. MgCl2.6H2O presents a high energy density which makes this material interesting for seasonal heat storage in domestic applications. This material would be able to fulfil the winter heat demand of a passive house estimated at 6 GJ with a packed bed reactor of 8.5 m3. However, a seasonal heat storage system built with this material should be carefully set with a restricted temperature at 40°C for the hydration reaction to avoid the liquefaction of the material at lower temperature which limits its performances for long term storage.

R&D of Thermochemical Reactor Concepts to Enable Seasonal Heat Storage of Solar Energy in Residential Houses

About 30% of the energy consumption in the Netherlands is taken up by residences and offices. Most of this energy is used for heating purposes. In order to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels, it is necessary to reduce this energy use as much as possible by means of insulation and heat recovery. The remaining demand could be met by solar thermal, provided that an effective way would exist for storing solar heat.Copyright

A DFT based equilibrium study on the hydrolysis and the dehydration reactions of MgCl2 hydrates.

Magnesium chloride hydrates are characterized as promising energy storage materials in the built-environment. During the dehydration of these materials, there are chances for the release of harmful HCl gas, which can potentially damage the material as well as the equipment. Hydrolysis reactions in magnesium chloride hydrates are subject of study for industrial applications. However, the information about the possibility of hydrolysis reaction, and its preference over dehydration in energy storage systems is still ambiguous at the operating conditions in a seasonal heat storage system. A density functional theory level study is performed to determine molecular structures, charges, and harmonic frequencies in order to identify the formation of HCl at the operating temperatures in an energy storage system. The preference of hydrolysis over dehydration is quantified by applying thermodynamic equilibrium principles by calculating Gibbs free energies of the hydrated magnesium chloride molecules. The molecular structures of the hydrates (n = 0, 1, 2, 4, and 6) of MgCl2 are investigated to understand the stability and symmetry of these molecules. The structures are found to be noncomplex with almost no meta-stable isomers, which may be related to the faster kinetics observed in the hydration of chlorides compared to sulfates. Also, the frequency spectra of these molecules are calculated, which in turn are used to calculate the changes in Gibbs free energy of dehydration and hydrolysis reactions. From these calculations, it is found that the probability for hydrolysis to occur is larger for lower hydrates. Hydrolysis occurring from the hexa-, tetra-, and di-hydrate is only possible when the temperature is increased too fast to a very high value. In the case of the mono-hydrate, hydrolysis may become favorable at high water vapor pressure and at low HCl pressure.

Sorption heat storage

Thermal energy storage for use in connection with solar heating systems is described, concentrating on storage employing sorption heat energy.

A DFT based equilibrium study of a chemical mixture Tachyhydrite and their lower hydrates for long term heat storage

Chloride based salt hydrates are promising materials for seasonal heat storage. However, hydrolysis, a side reaction, deteriorates, their cycle stability. To improve the kinetics and durability, we have investigated the optimum operating conditions of a chemical mixture of CaCl2 and MgCl2 hydrates. In this study, we apply a GGA-DFT to gain insight into the various hydrates of CaMg2Cl6. We have obtained the structural properties, atomic charges and vibrational frequencies of CaMg2Cl6 hydrates. The entropic contribution and the enthalpy change are quantified from ground state energy and harmonic frequencies. Subsequently, the change in the Gibbs free energy of thermolysis was obtained under a wide range of temperature and pressure. The equilibrium product concentration of thermolysis can be used to design the seasonal heat storage system under different operating conditions.

Molecular dynamics simulation of heat transfer through a water layer between two platinum slabs

Heat transfer through micro channels is being investigated due to its importance in micro channel cooling applications. Molecular dynamics simulation is regarded as a potential tool for studying such microscopic phenomena in detail. However, the applicability of molecular dynamics method is limited due to scarcely known inter atomic interactions involved in complex fluids. In this study we use an empirical force field (ReaxFF), which is parameterized using accurate quantum chemical simulation results for water, to simulate heat transfer phenomena through a layer of water confined between two platinum slabs. The model for water seems to reproduce the macroscopic properties such as density, radial distribution function and diffusivity quite well. The heat transfer phenomena through a channel filled with water, which is confined by two platinum (100) surfaces are studied using ReaxFF. The model accurately predicts the formation of surface mono-layer. The heat transfer analysis shows temperature jumps near the walls which are creating significant heat transfer resistances. A low bulk density in the channel creates a multi-phase region with vapor transport in the region.