Energetic Assessment of a High Temperature Packed Bed Storage System in Combination with a Solar Expanding-Vortex Particle Receiver
Abstract
We analyze a set of packed bed storage systems configured to provide high temperature air at around 1000°C for industrial applications. In this study, the storage system is assessed for a solar expanding-vortex particle receiver and it is applicable to other receiver concepts. The overall system powers an industrial process with a constant heat demand. To ensure the uninterrupted supply to the process the system is hybridized with a back-up combustion heater. The feasibility of such a system is explored in terms of energy shares that can be delivered by concentrated solar thermal energy. Furthermore, a techno-economic assessment is performed using the annual fuel savings compared to a combustion-only system as a metric. The net present value approach is used to determine the levelized cost of storage.