Numerical and Experimental Investigation of Large Stratified Thermal Storage Systems in transient states
Abstract
Mid-sized thermal energy storage (TES) systems, especially in the distributed sector, have received little attention for public buildings. Validation of such systems, especially for the use of multiple renewables with different operating modes using CFD simulations, is still pending. The objective of this study is to validate a CFD model for the operation of complex and mid-sized TES systems for simultaneous charging and discharging cycles to enable investigations on optimized operating modes, geometric optimizations, and predictive charging and discharging scenarios. For this purpose, the 60 m3 local heating storage of Großbardorf, Germany, was used to obtain real-time operating conditions and in-situ temperature distribution data. Charging and discharging cycles as well as combined scenarios were calculated and compared with the experimentally determined dynamics of the thermocline. Simulations were performed using the open-source tool OpenFOAM® with the single-phase transient solver buoyantPimpleFoam in laminar and turbulent modes, including ambient heat losses. Good agreement was found between simulated and experimental data, especially in the regions of layer transitions with a RMSE of 1.2 ℃ or less over the entire observation period. It is shown how the validation allows further improvements and optimizations of TES with greater confidence. In particular, for research on the efficient use of multiple, fluctuating renewable energies and the increase of self-sufficiency in the decentralized sector, a demand-optimized charging and discharging layout is presented for a mid-sized TES to be installed at the new Institute for Hydrogen and Energy Technology (iwe) at Hof University of Applied Sciences. By conducting research in facilities such as the iwe, this approach will not only create opportunities for the future deployment of renewable energy storage and related systems, but also highlight the importance of decarbonization in the decentralized sector.
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| Titel | Numerical and Experimental Investigation of Large Stratified Thermal Storage Systems in transient states |
|---|---|
| Medien | Proceedings of the International Renewable Energy Storage and Systems Conference (IRES 2023) |
| Verlag | Atlantis Press |
| Heft | --- |
| Band | 2024 |
| ISBN | 978-94-6463-455-6/2589-4943 |
| Verfasser/Herausgeber | Robin Fick, Prof. Dr. Robert Honke, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dieter Brüggemann |
| Seiten | 118-131 |
| Veröffentlichungsdatum | 10.07.2024 |
| Projekttitel | OUR-E |
| Zitation | Fick, Robin; Honke, Robert; Brüggemann, Dieter (2024): Numerical and Experimental Investigation of Large Stratified Thermal Storage Systems in transient states. Proceedings of the International Renewable Energy Storage and Systems Conference (IRES 2023) 2024, S. 118-131. DOI: 10.2991/978-94-6463-455-6_13 |