Energy and exergy analyses of cold thermal storage systems

This study deals with the assessment of the thermodynamic performance of co ld thermal storage systems using exergy and energy analyses. Several cases are considered, including some storages which are homogeneous, and others w hich undergo phase changes. In some cases the storages are stratified. A fu ll cycle of charging, storing and discharging is considered for each case. Four cold thermal storage cases are presented in an illustrative example. T he results demonstrate that. exergy analysis provides more realistic and ac curate assessments of the efficiency and performance of cold thermal storag e systems than those given by the more conventional energy analysis. In add ition, exergy analysis is conceptually more direct since it treats cold as a valuable commodity. It is concluded that the potential usefulness of exer gy analysis in addressing and solving cold thermal storage problems is subs tantial. Copyright (C) 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.