Thermal performance and evaluation of a novel stratified and mixed flexible transformation solar heat storage unit

It is necessary to satisfy the flexible requirements of solar heat storage systems to provide efficient heating and constant-temperature domestic hot water at different periods.A novel heat storage tank with both stratified and mixing functions is proposed,which can realize the integration of stable stratification and rapid mixing modes.In this research,a three-dimensional heat transfer model of the heat storage tank with stratified and mixed dual modes was established,and a thermal performance test system for the tank was built in the State Key Laboratory of Green Building in Western China.Moreover,a new evaluation index representing the mixing speed is proposed.The stratification effect and mixing characteristics of the tank were studied under different comprehensive conditions.The results show that the exergy efficiency of the tank with a stratified pipe can be increased by 10%–15%compared to that of a conventional tank.Additionally,the recommended optimal flow rate range for well-stratified tanks is 4–6 L/min.The mixing nozzle of the tank reduces the mixing reaction coefficient by 0.27 and significantly reduces the mixing time.This study provides critical guidance to meet the flexible thermal needs of users and implement high-performance applications using the stratified and mixing modes of heat storage tanks.

Recent Progress on Thermal Energy Storage for Coal-Fired Power Plant

With countries proposing the goal of carbon neutrality,the clean transformation of energy structure has become a hot and trendy issue internationally.Renewable energy generation will account for the main proportion,but it also leads to the problem of unstable electricity supply.At present,large-scale energy storage technology is not yet mature.Improving the flexibility of coal-fired power plants to suppress the instability of renewable energy generation is a feasible path.Thermal energy storage is a feasible technology to improve the flexibility of coal-fired power plants.This article provides a review of the research on the flexibility transformation of coal-fired power plants based on heat storage technology,mainly including medium to low-temperature heat storage based on hot water tanks and high-temperature heat storage based on molten salt.The current technical difficulties are summarized,and future development prospects are presented.The combination of the thermal energy storage system and coal-fired power generation system is the foundation,and the control of the inclined temperature layer and the selection and development of molten salt are key issues.The authors hope that the research in this article can provide a reference for the flexibility transformation research of coal-fired power plants,and promote the application of heat storage foundation in specific coal-fired power plant transformation projects.

Flexibility Improvement of CHP Unit for Wind Power Accommodation

Improving the flexibility of combined heat and power(CHP)units is an important way to solve the problem of wind power accommodation in northern China.Firstly,this paper analyzes the principle of an extraction-type CHP unit,calculates its safe operation range,and analyzes its contradiction between heating and peaking.Secondly,the safe operation ranges of the CHP unit with several flexibility modifications are further calculated,which involve two-stage bypass,low-pressure cylinder(LPC)removal,heat storage tank,and electric boiler.Finally,based on the safe operation ranges,their effects on improving the capabilities of deep peak shaving and wind power accommodation are compared,and their adaptabilities to different wind scenarios are analyzed.The results show that:①all flexibility modifications can improve the deep peak shaving capability of the CHP unit,especially for the two-stage bypass and the electric boiler;②LPC removal modification can accommodate wind power to some extent,but most of wind power is still abandoned;③heat storage tank modification is unstable in different wind scenarios,which is determined by the surplus heating capability during the daytime.