Investigation of ventilation-coupled high energy density sensible thermal energy storage

Nelson James, Ransisi Huang, Jason Woods and Eric Kozubal

Applied Energy, 2025, vol. 387, issue C, No S030626192500306X

Abstract: Low-cost energy storage will play an important role in supporting the decarbonization of the energy sector. A novel approach to thermal energy storage for buildings is proposed, in which a tank of antifreeze liquid can be used to heat outdoor air in mechanical ventilation systems. If heated to a high enough temperature, the fluid can potentially undergo temperature swings of nearly 100 °C during discharge in cold climates. Because the energy density of sensible storage systems scales proportionally to the system temperature change, this concept has the potential to offer higher energy densities than other liquid-based sensible storage devices used in building applications. A one-dimensional numerical model of the storage system was developed and experimentally validated using 30 wt% (wt%) potassium acetate as an aqueous antifreeze solution. Using a commercial hot water tank, energy densities of 47.0 kW-hour per cubic meter (kWh/m3) were demonstrated in a laboratory setting. Material energy densities of approximately 74.7 (kWh/m3) were measured. Design improvements may boost this energy storage density even further. Because of the system's relative simplicity, ventilation-coupled sensible storage has the potential to be an easily deployable, low-cost energy storage solution for building systems.

Keywords: Thermal energy storage; Low global warming potential; Stratified tank; Sensible energy storage; Mechanical ventilation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2025.125576

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