Introduction to thermal energy storage

What are the different types of thermal energy storage systems?

Thermal energy storage (TES) systems can store heat or cold to be used later, at different conditions such as temperature, place, or power. TES systems are divided in three types: sensible heat, latent heat, and sorption and chemical energy storage (also known as thermochemical).

What is thermal energy storage?

Thermal energy storage (TES) systems can store heat or cold to be used later, at different temperature, place, or power. The main use of TES is to overcome the mismatch between energy generation and energy use (Mehling and Cabeza, 2008, Dincer and Rosen, 2002, Cabeza, 2012, Alva et al., 2018).

What are the operational principles of thermal energy storage systems?

The operational principles of thermal energy storage systems are identical as other forms of energy storage methods, as mentioned earlier. A typical thermal energy storage system consists of three sequential processes: charging, storing, and discharging periods.

What are the benefits of thermal energy storage?

1.5. Conclusions Thermal energy storage (TES) systems can store heat or cold to be used later, under different conditions such as temperature, place or power. Implementing storage in an energy system provides benefits like better economics, reduction of pollution and CO 2 emissions, better performance and efficiency and better reliability.

How energy is stored in sensible thermal energy storage systems?

Energy is stored in sensible thermal energy storage systems by altering the temperature of a storage medium, such as water, air, oil, rock beds, bricks, concrete, sand, or soil. Storage media can be made of one or more materials. It depends on the final and initial temperature difference, mass and specific heat of the storage medium.

Can thermal energy storage systems be used in buildings?

It is possible to use thermal energy storage methods for heating and cooling purposes in buildings and industrial applications and power generation. When the final use of heat storage systems is heating or cooling, their integration will be more effective. Therefore, thermal energy storage systems are commonly used in buildings.