-- This project is inactive --
Argonne National Laboratory, under an ARRA CSP Award, is developing advanced heat transfer fluids (HTFs) by incorporating multifunctional engineered nanoparticles in heat transfer applications and thermal energy storage.
Approach
Current high-temperature energy storage fluids, such as molten salts or oils, are relatively limited in terms of their thermal energy storage capacity. By improving the conversion of solar (optical) energy to thermal energy, net energy stored in the fluid will be greatly enhanced. The development of high-efficiency and high-heat-capacity thermal storage fluids:
- Reduces the overall thermal storage costs
- Increases system efficiency
- Reduces structural storage volume
- Contributes to reaching overall Sunshot cost targets
Innovation
Argonne is adding solid particles to HTFs to increase their heat capacity. If the solid particles happen to be phase change materials, then the specific heat and heat capacitance of the fluid will increase substantially. Regardless of whether or not the solid particles are a phase change material, adding them to an HTF has the potential to reduce the thermal resistances in the HTF loop because of the enhanced thermal properties.
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