A review of collector and energy storage technology for intermediate temperature applications

Abstract The technology and thermal performance of intermediate temperature solar collectors is summarized and the status of thermal and thermo-chemical storage methods is reviewed. It is concluded that collector technology is commercially available to achieve delivery temperatures up to 350°F at averaged yearly efficiencies better than 30 per cent in good solar climates and that linear parabolic, single-axis tracking troughs are the best types of collectors currently available for intermediate temperature applications. On the other hand, energy storage options commercially available today are generally limited to sensible heat systems, which are bulky and expensive for long-term storage. More research is necessary to develop new storage concepts, such as intermediate temperature chemical heat pumps based on reversible reactions, suitable for intermediate temperature solar systems with significant storage capability.

[1]  Wayne E. Wentworth,et al.  Simple thermal decomposition reactions for storage of solar thermal energy , 1975 .

[2]  W. C. Dickinson.  Annual available radiation for fixed and tracking collectors , 1978 .

[3]  G. R. Mather,et al.  Analysis and Experimental Tests of a High-Performance Evacuated Tubular Collector , 1978 .

[4]  A. Rabl,et al.  The average distribution of solar radiation-correlations between diffuse and hemispherical and between daily and hourly insolation values , 1979 .

[5]  High temperature thermal energy storage , 1978 .

[6]  Benjamin Y. H. Liu,et al.  The interrelationship and characteristic distribution of direct, diffuse and total solar radiation , 1960 .

[7]  Ari Rabl,et al.  Comparison of solar concentrators , 1975 .

[8]  M. E. Fewell,et al.  User's manual for computer code SOLTES-1B: simulator of large thermal energy systems , 1980 .

[9]  A. Rabl.  Optical and thermal properties of Compound Parabolic Concentrators , 1975 .

[10]  Manuel Collares-Pereira,et al.  Simple Procedure for Predicting Long-Term Average Performance of Nonconcentrating and of Concentrating Solar Collectors , 1979 .

[11]  Talbot A. Chubb,et al.  Analysis of gas dissociation solar thermal power system , 1975 .

[12]  Guy Ervin,et al.  Solar heat storage using chemical reactions , 1977 .

[13]  Gerard F. Lameiro,et al.  Options For Solar Thermal Conversion , 1977, Optics & Photonics.

[14]  T. T. Bramlette,et al.  Survey of high temperature thermal energy storage , 1976 .

[15]  J. R. Engel,et al.  Survey of technology for storage of thermal energy in heat transfer salt , 1977 .

[16]  William A. Beckman,et al.  Solar heating design, by the f-chart method , 1977 .

[17]  D. Yogi Goswami,et al.  Principles of Solar Engineering , 1978 .

[18]  D D Wagman,et al.  Selected values of chemical thermodynamic properties , 1952 .

[19]  Alvin F. Hildebrandt,et al.  Solar thermal power system based on optical transmission , 1976 .

[20]  Raymond W. Mar,et al.  Thermochemical energy storage systems: A review , 1978 .

[21]  A. Rabl,et al.  Incidence-Angle Modifier and Average Optical Efficiency of Parabolic Trough Collectors , 1979 .

[22]  P. O. Carden.  Energy corradiation using the reversible ammonia reaction , 1977 .