Transient behavior of an active indirect two-tank thermal energy storage system during changes in operating mode-An application of an experimentally validated numerical model

摘要

Solar thermal power plants are a promising way of providing renewable electricity, particularly, due to their ability to store thermal energy. At today's parabolic trough collector plants, the only commercially applied thermal energy storage system is an active indirect two-tank thermal energy storage, based on molten salts. This work focuses on the transient response simulation of such a thermal energy storage system during changes in operation. Modelica is used as modeling language. Simulation results show that there are certain limitations regarding instantaneous thermal power demand or supply, which still requires heat transfer fluid buffer storage in order to provide the thermodynamic power cycle of the plant with a continuous thermal power input.