Development and Analysis of a Multi-Node Dynamic Model for the Simulation of Stratified Thermal Energy Storage

Nora Cadau, Andrea De Lorenzi, Agostino Gambarotta, Mirko Morini and Michele Rossi
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Nora Cadau: CIDEA—Center for Energy and Environment, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 42/a, 43125 Parma, Italy
Andrea De Lorenzi: CIDEA—Center for Energy and Environment, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 42/a, 43125 Parma, Italy
Agostino Gambarotta: CIDEA—Center for Energy and Environment, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 42/a, 43125 Parma, Italy
Mirko Morini: Department of Engineering and Architecture, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 181/a, 43125 Parma, Italy
Michele Rossi: Department of Engineering and Architecture, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 181/a, 43125 Parma, Italy

Energies, 2019, vol. 12, issue 22, 1-22

Abstract: To overcome non-programmability issues that limit the market penetration of renewable energies, the use of thermal energy storage has become more and more significant in several applications where there is a need for decoupling between energy supply and demand. The aim of this paper is to present a multi-node physics-based model for the simulation of stratified thermal energy storage, which allows the required level of detail in temperature vertical distribution to be varied simply by choosing the number of nodes and their relative dimensions. Thanks to the chosen causality structure, this model can be implemented into a library of components for the dynamic simulation of smart energy systems. Hence, unlike most of the solutions proposed in the literature, thermal energy storage can be considered not only as a stand-alone component, but also as an important part of a more complex system. Moreover, the model behavior has been analyzed with reference to the experimental results from the literature. The results make it possible to conclude that the model is able to accurately predict the temperature distribution within a stratified storage tank typically used in a district heating network with limitations when dealing with small storage volumes and high flow rates.

Keywords: thermal energy storage; stratification; dynamic simulation; heating (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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