Thermo-Physical Characterization of Waste-Glass-Induced Packed Bed Material as Thermal Energy Storage Device for Compressed Air Energy Storage System

The article presents the preparation and testing of packed bed (PB) material to be used as a thermal energy storage (TES) device. The proposed TES device will be used to store the high thermal energy attained during air compression in a compressed air energy storage (CAES) system. The article examines the utilization of mortar-based admixture by incorporating waste glass powder (WGP), graphite powder (GP), and waste glass sand (WGS). The selection of these constituents as a primary ingredient for the PB material has been made based on their availability, cost, and sustainability. The thermo-physical assessment of samples with different proportions of aggregates outlined two categories of PB: the first category of PB with low volumetric heat capacity (CP) for short/quick TES and the second category of PB with high CP for large/longer TES. The study also showcases the importance of GP in enhancing the CP of mortar-based TES devices as a result of high porosity.