Experimental and numerical analyses in a thermal energy storage column packed with cross-linked polymer rods

Experimental and numerical analyses were carried out to obtain essential da ta for a thermal energy storage system for off-peak electric power utilizat ion. Cross-linked polymer rods were packed in the column as a latent heat s torage material, and ethylene glycol was used as a heat transfer medium. In the experiments, the transient response of the outlet temperature of the heat transfer medium was measured with changes in the operating conditions . The operating conditions include the initial temperature in the column, t he inlet temperature, the mass how rate of the heat transfer medium, and th e length of the thermal energy storage material. In the numerical analyses, the transient outlet temperature of the heat tra nsfer medium is calculated by means of a finite difference method using the empirical formula of polymer rods-to-fluid heat transfer coefficient: obta ined from separate experiments. The numerical results exhibit good agreemen t with the experimental results.