Assessment of Solidification Parameters of Salts and Metals for Thermal Energy Storage Applications Using IHCP-Energy Balance Combined Technique

Abstract

Solar energy storage technologies have proved to be promising in terms of providing uninterrupted power supply. The phase change materials (PCMs) with their higher heat storage capacity are more efficient than sensible heat storage materials. In this study, a new method for thermal analysis of PCM salts was proposed. The method was based on the estimation of heat flux at the mold–salt interface using solution to inverse heat conduction problem and characterizing the salt using a simplified energy balance method. It was advantageous over other computer-aided cooling curve analysis methods as it eliminated the use of curve fitting approach involved in baseline calculations. KNO<inf>3</inf> and NaNO<inf>3</inf> salts were used to validate this method. The solidification parameters like cooling rate, liquidus and solidus temperatures, solidification time and latent heat were assessed. The results of the analysis were in agreement with the data reported in the literature. © 2018, The Indian Institute of Metals - IIM.