Design and analysis of concentrating solar power plants with fixed-bed reactors for thermochemical energy storage

Abstract

Concentrating solar power (CSP) integrated with thermochemical energy storage (TCES) has the potential to deliver cost-effective and dispatchable renewable power. In this work, a system-level analysis of CSP with fixed-bed reactors for TCES is provided. First, we simulate fixed-bed reactors at various operating conditions and build effective surrogate models. Second, we develop an optimization model for the design and operation of CSP plants under seasonal solar variability. Using the proposed model, we compare the performance of three types (redox, hydroxide, and carbonate) of solid-gas TCES systems. Results show that, with careful design, TCES can potentially improve the plant performance over two-tank molten salt storage. Finally, the impacts of key process parameters and reaction properties are analyzed to provide guidance for future TCES development.