Abstract
Thermal energy storage (TES) system has been widely employed in concentrated solar power (CSP) plants to ensure the system efficiency. With excellent thermal characteristics, electrolytic copper powder (ECP), graphene oxide (GO) and lead-smelter slag (LSS) aggregate – a mining waste material, have been utilised in this study, aiming to fabricate metallurgical geopolymer material as a storage medium in the TES system. This paper investigated the effect of ECP contents (0, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%) on the strength, specific heat, thermal conductivity and thermal stability of GO-engineered geopolymer mixes incorporating LSS aggregate. With 10% ECP inclusion, the flow rate and compressive strength improved significantly. Increasing ECP content improved the thermal conductivity but reduce specific heat of geopolymers. The results revealed that ECP was a promising component to be incorporated into geopolymer to enhance its physio-mechanical characteristics and thermal stability. The combination of ECP, GO and LSS to produce geopolymer materials for TES system can provide an eco-friendly solution to the CSP plants and the industry waste recovery.
Reference26 articles.
1. Henze, V. Energy Storage Investments Boom As Battery Costs Halve in the Next Decade. 2019.
2. International Energy Agency (IEA), World Energy Outlook 2022. 2022.
3. Arbaz, M. and E. Prasad, Global Thermal Energy Storage Market - Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2020-2030. 2022: United States.
4. Enescu, D., et al., Thermal Energy Storage for Grid Applications: Current Status and Emerging Trends. Energies, 2020. 13(2): p. 340.
5. Dunn, R., P. Hearps, and M. Wright, Molten-Salt Power Towers: Newly Commercial Concentrating Solar Storage. Proceedings of the IEEE, 2012. 100: p. 504-515.