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Analytical approach to ground heat losses for high temperature thermal storage systems
Author(s) -
Suárez Christian,
Pino Javier,
Rosa Felipe,
Guerra Jose
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
international journal of energy research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.808
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1099-114X
pISSN - 0363-907X
DOI - 10.1002/er.4278
Subject(s) - thermal energy storage , foundation (evidence) , storage tank , thermal insulation , parametric statistics , thermal conduction , dynamic insulation , energy storage , engineering , thermal , environmental science , mechanical engineering , materials science , vacuum insulated panel , layer (electronics) , thermodynamics , mathematics , physics , power (physics) , statistics , archaeology , composite material , history
Summary A new approach to estimate the heat loss from thermal energy storage tank foundations is presented. Results are presented through analytical correlations based on numerical solutions for the steady‐state heat conduction problem for thermal energy slab‐on‐grade tanks with uniform insulation. Model results were verified with other well‐established benchmark problems with similar boundary conditions and validated with experimental data with excellent agreement. In addition to the TES foundation heat loss, new correlations for the maximum temperature and for the radial evolution of the temperature underneath the insulation layer are also provided, giving important information related to the tank foundation design. The correlated variables are of primordial importance in the tank foundation design because, due to the typical high operating storage temperatures, an inappropriate tank foundation insulation would lead not only to a not desired loss of energy but also to an inadmissible increase of the temperatures underneath the insulation layer, affecting the structural stability of the tank. The proposed correlations provide a quick method for the estimation of total tank foundation heat losses and soil maximum temperature reached underneath the insulation layer, saving time, and cost on the engineering tank foundation design process. Finally, a comprehensive parametric analysis of the variables of interest is made and a set of cases covering a wide range of tank sizes, insulation levels, depths to water table, and storage temperatures are solved.