Evaluation of Thermal Energy Storage Materials, Mechanisms, and Technologies for Deep Decarbonization

Evaluation of Thermal Energy Storage Materials, Mechanisms, and Technologies for Deep Decarbonization

Evaluation of Thermal Energy Storage Materials, Mechanisms, and Technologies for Deep Decarbonization

Program: Carbon Neutrality Acceleration Program
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Project Summary

As heating and cooling make up over 70% of total building energy use in the U.S., finding more efficient and cost-effective ways to store and transfer renewable energy will play a huge role in decarbonizing buildings and reaching carbon neutrality goals.  

Although existing storage technologies have declining costs and improved capacity, they remain too costly and impractical for the long-duration storage required by renewable energy production. Thermal energy storage (TES) is a promising alternative that meets all the desired criteria, providing the foundation for the increased use of renewable energy production and contributing to decarbonization efforts. This CNAP-funded research team identified new materials for TES devices that could speed up the technology’s development and adoption by improving efficiency and boosting its potential to reduce emissions.

TES systems are technologies that capture and store thermal energy (hot and cold) for later use. This energy can then be released to meet heating, cooling, or power demands, and it is attractive due to its cost-effectiveness and flexibility. However, these technologies are underexplored, underdeveloped, and not yet commercialized. To address these gaps, this CNAP-funded research team investigated salt-like materials as key elements of TES to accelerate its development and adoption by examining how materials’ physical properties and TES devices’ heat-transfer performance impact revenues, costs, grid value, and emissions reduction potential.
Using computer simulations, machine learning, and techno-economic analyses, the team identified ways to improve the design and efficiency of TES devices using salt hydrates. In particular, substances like strontium bromide can store large amounts of energy at temperatures suitable for both home and industrial heating, making them more adaptable to a variety of heating needs. Their findings also show that TES systems could reduce annual space heating costs by up to 19% in cold climates and 12% in mild climates. The research has been disseminated through multiple conferences and publications, and the team plans to continue exploring the vast opportunities TES offers through new initiatives and projects.
This team delved into groundbreaking research exploring an understudied area of TES applications. They employed sophisticated methods at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, thereby advancing scientific understanding of how novel salt hydrates interact with energy storage and transfer systems. Thus, this research has laid the groundwork for the future expansion of TES applications using the new multiphysics model for heat and mass transfer, as well as a full-system levelized cost and sustainability analysis, put together by the team. Finally, the research team formed new collaborations, including one with an industrial partner interested in licensing TES designs with salt hydrates and another with the Taubman College of Architecture, which focuses on storage technology for building applications.

This team received a $300,000 CNAP faculty research grant in 2021.

Project team

 Rohini Bala Chandran, PI (Engineering | U-M Ann Arbor); Michael Craig, Co-I (SEAS | U-M Ann Arbor); Donald Siegel, Co-I (Engineering | U-M Ann Arbor).
 

Publications