New Thermochemical Salt Hydrate System for Energy Storage in Buildings

This paper introduces an innovative design for an "inorganic salt-expanded graphite" composite thermochemical system. The storage unit is made of a perforated, compressed, expanded graphite block impregnated with molten CaCl2 center dot 6H2O; the humid air passes through the holes that allow the moisture to diffuse and react with the salt. The prepared block underwent 90 hydration-dehydration cycles. Although most of the performed cycles were carried out with salt overhydration and deliquescence, the treated samples have remained mechanically and thermally stable with no drop in energy density. The volumetric energy density of the composite ranged from 135.5 to 277.6 kWh/m3, depending on airflow rate and absolute humidity. To ensure composite material cycling stability, the energy density of the block was measured during hydration at similar conditions of absolute humidity, inlet temperature, and airflow rate (0.01 kgwater/kgair, 20 degrees C, 400 l/min). The average energy density at these conditions was sustained at 219 kWh/m3. The block integrity was monitored by visual inspection after removing it from the reactor chamber every few cycles. Both the composite material and its manufacturing process are simple and easy to scale up for future commercialization.