Project Profile: Molten Salt-Carbon Nanotube Thermal Storage

-- This project is inactive --

Texas Engineering Experiment Station (TEES), under the Thermal Storage FOA, created a composite thermal energy storage material by embedding nanoparticles in a molten salt base material.

Approach

TEES measured the specific heat using modulated digital scanning calorimetry and created a system performance and economic model to assess the utility of the composite material in a concentrating solar power application.

Innovation

By embedding ceramic nanoparticles in a molten salt, TEES increased the specific heat of the TES material from 1.55 Joules per gram Kelvin (J/g-k) to 1.9 J/g-K.

Publications, Patents, and Awards

• D. Shin and D. Banerjee, "Effects of Silica Nanoparticles on Enhancing the Specific Heat Capacity of Carbonate Salt Eutectic (Work in Progress)," International Journal of Structural Change in Solids – Mechanics and Applications, Vol. 2, No. 2, pp. 25-31, November, 2010.
• D. Shin and D. Banerjee, "Enhanced Specific Heat of Silica Nanofluid," ASME Journal of Heat Transfer, Vol. 133, No. 2, 024501, 4 pp., February, 2011.
• D. Shin and D. Banerjee, "Enhancement of Specific Heat of High-Temperature Silica Nanofluids Synthesized in Alkali Chloride Salt Eutectics for Solar Thermal-Energy Storage Applications," International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 2011, Vol. 54, Nos. 5-6, pp. 1064-1070, February 2011.
• N. Singh, V. Unnikrishnan, D. Banerjee, and J.N. Reddy, "Analysis of Thermal Interfacial Resistance between Nanofins and Various Coolants," International Journal of Computational Methods in Engineering Science and Mechanics, Vol. 12, No. 5, pp. 254-260, December 2011.
• D. Shin and D. Banerjee, "Enhanced Specific Heat Capacity of Nanomaterials Synthesized by Dispersing Silica Nanoparticles in Eutectic Mixtures," ASME Journal of Heat Transfer, Vol. 135, No. 3, 032801, 8 pp., February 2013.
• B. Jo and D. Banerjee, "Enhanced Specific Heat Capacity of Nanocomposites using Organic Nanoparticles," Paper No. IMECE2011-64001, in Conference Proceedings of the ASME 2011 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, Denver, CO, November 11-17, 2011, pp. 1099-1106, ISBN: 978-0-7918-5496-9.
• J. Yu, S. Kang, S. Jeon, and D. Banerjee, "Investigation of Convective Heat Transfer of Aqueous Nanofluids in Microchannels Integrated with Temperature Nanosensors," Paper No. IMECE2011-64082, in Conference Proceedings of the ASME 2011 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, Denver, CO, November 11-17, 2011, ISBN: 978-0-7918-5492-1.
• B. Jo, S. Jung, D. Shin, and D. Banerjee, "Anomalous Rheological Behavior of Complex Fluids (Nanofluids)," Paper No. IMECE2011-64091, in Conference Proceedings of the ASME 2011 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, Denver, CO, November 11-17, 2011, pp. 223-228, ISBN: 978-0-7918-5492-1.
• S. Jung and D. Banerjee, "A Simple Analytical Model for Specific Heat of Nanofluid with Tube Shaped and Disc Shaped Nanoparticles," Paper No. AJTEC2011-44372, in Proceedings of the ASME/JSME 8th Thermal Engineering Joint Conference, Honolulu, HI, March 13-17, 2011, pp. T30023-T30023-6, ISBN: 978-0-7918-3892-1.
• B. Jo and D. Banerjee, "Interfacial Thermal Resistance between a Carbon Nanoparticle and Molten Salt Eutectic: Effect of Material Properties, Particle Shapes and Sizes," Paper No. AJTEC2011-44373, in Proceedings of the ASME/JSME 8th Thermal Engineering Joint Conference, Honolulu, HI, March 13-17, 2011, pp. T30084-T30084-7, ISBN: 78-0-7918-3892-1.
• S. Kang, S. Jeon, and D. Banerjee, "Experimental Study of Thermal Performance of Nanofluids During Flow in Microchannels Using Surface Temperature-Nano-Sensors," Paper No. AJTEC2011-44374, in Proceedings of the ASME/JSME 8th Thermal Engineering Joint Conference, Honolulu, HI, March 13-17, 2011, pp.T10125-T10126-6, ISBN: 978-0-7918-3892-1.
• D. Shin and D. Banerjee, "Experimental Investigation of Molten Salt Nanofluid for Solar Thermal Energy Application," Paper No. AJTEC2011-44375, in Proceedings of the ASME/JSME 8th Thermal Engineering Joint Conference, Honolulu, HI, March 13-17, 2011, pp. T30024-T30024-6, ISBN: 978-0-7918-3892-1.
• D. Shin and D. Banerjee, "Enhancement of Heat Capacity of Molten Salt Eutectics Using Inorganic Nanoparticles for Solar Thermal Energy Applications," in Proceedings of the 35th International Conference & Exposition on Advanced Ceramics & Composites (ICACC 2011), Organized by the Engineering Ceramics Division of The American Ceramic Society, Daytona Beach, FL, January 23-28, 2011.
• S. Jung and D. Banerjee, "Enhancement of Heat Capacity of Nitrate Salts Using Mica Nanoparticles," in Proceedings of the 35th International Conference & Exposition on Advanced Ceramics & Composites (ICACC 2011), Organized by the Engineering Ceramics Division of The American Ceramic Society, Daytona Beach, FL, January 23-28, 2011.
• B. Jo and D. Banerjee, "Enhanced Viscosity of Aqueous Silica Nanofluids," in Proceedings of the 35th International Conference & Exposition on Advanced Ceramics & Composites (ICACC 2011), Organized by the Engineering Ceramics Division of The American Ceramic Society, January 23-28, 2011, Hilton Daytona Beach Resort and Ocean Center, Daytona Beach, FL.
• S. Jung, B. Jo, D. Shin, and D. Banerjee, "Experimental Validation of a Simple Analytical Model for Specific Heat Capacity of Aqueous Nanofluids," Paper No. SAE-10PSC-0134, in Proceedings of the SAE Power Systems Conference, Fort Worth, TX, November 2-4, 2010.
• S. Jeon, S. Kang, and D. Banerjee, "Investigation of Thermal Characteristics of Nanofluids During Flow in a Micro-channel Using an Array of Surface Temperature-nanosensors," Paper No. SAE-10PSC-0135, in Proceedings of the SAE Power Systems Conference, Fort Worth, TX, November 2-4, 2010.
• D. Shin and D. Banerjee, "Enhanced Specific Heat Capacity of Molten Salt: Metal Oxide Nanofluid as Heat Transfer Fluid for Solar Thermal Applications," Paper No. SAE-10PSC-0136, in Proceedings of the SAE Power Systems Conference, Fort Worth, TX, November 2-4, 2010.
• N. Singh and D. Banerjee, "Thermal Analysis of Carbon Nanotubes Suspended in PAO Mixtures," Paper No. SAE-10PSC-0137, in Proceedings of the SAE Power Systems Conference, Fort Worth, TX, November 2-4, 2010.
• N. Singh and D. Banerjee, "Investigation of Thermal Interfacial Resistance on Nanostructures Using Molecular Dynamics," Paper No. IHTC14-22930, in Proceedings of the 14th International Heat Transfer Conference, Washington, DC, August 8-13, 2010.
• D. Shin, B. Jo, H. Kwak, and D. Banerjee, "Investigation of High Temperature Nanofluids for Solar Thermal Power Conversion and Storage Applications," Paper No. IHTC14-23296, in Proceedings of the 14th International Heat Transfer Conference, Washington, DC, August 8-13, 2010, pp. 583-591, ISBN: 978-0-7918-4942-2.
• D. Shin and D. Banerjee, "Enhanced Thermal Properties of PCM Based Nanofluid For Solar Thermal Energy Storage," Paper No. ES2010-90293, in Proceedings of the ASME 4th International Conference on Energy Sustainability, Phoenix, AZ, May 17-22, 2010.
• H. Kwak, D. Shin, and D. Banerjee, "Enhanced Sensible Heat Capacity of Molten Salt Based Nanofluid For Solar Thermal Energy Storage Application," Paper No. ES2010-90295, in Proceedings of the ASME 4th International Conference on Energy Sustainability, Phoenix, AZ, May 17-22, 2010.
• B. Jo and D. Banerjee, "Study of High Temperature Nanofluids Using Carbon Nanotubes (CNT) for Solar Thermal Storage Applications," Paper No. ES2010-90299, in Proceedings of the ASME 4th International Conference on Energy Sustainability, Phoenix, AZ, May 17-22, 2010, pp. 741-748, ISBN: 978-0-7918-4395-6.
• D. Shin and D. Banerjee, "Investigation of Nanofluids for Solar Thermal Storage Applications," Paper No. ES2009-90465, in Proceedings of ASME 3rd International Conference on Energy Sustainability, San Francisco, CA, July 20-25, 2009, pp. 819-822, ISBN: 978-0-7918-4889-0.

Learn about other concentrating solar power research.