Energy Storage Tank Research Articles

Thermodynamics analysis and optimization of a novel liquid carbon dioxide energy storage coupled with a coal-fired power plant

In order to improve the performance of the liquid carbon dioxide energy storage (LCES) system, a coupled system including a coal-fired power plant and a LCES system is proposed in this paper. In the energy storage process, the condensate from the coal-fired power plant is used to absorb the heat of compression generated. In the energy release process, the condensate and feedwater are used to step-heat the high-pressure carbon dioxide entering the turbine inlet. The performance of the LCES subsystem is evaluated by the energy analysis, the conventional exergy analysis, and the advanced exergy analysis. Results show that the round-trip efficiency of the LCES subsystem can reach 60.52%, with an improvement of 2.35% compared with the single LCES system. The exergy efficiency of the LCES subsystem under the real cycle is 68.55% and under the unavoidable cycle is 84.16%, which indicates that the LCES subsystem has a great potential for improvement. The conventional exergy analysis indicates that the cold energy storage tank is the biggest exergy destruction component, accounting for 23.58% of the LCES subsystem exergy destruction. The split of the exergy destruction is carried out during the advanced exergy analysis, and the results show that the avoidable endogenous exergy destruction accounts for 47.44 % of all exergy destruction. The first turbine has the greatest avoidable endogenous exergy destruction, with 24.71%, indicating that it has the highest improvement potential. This paper may provide new ideas for the LCES system performance improvement.

Experimental Evaluation of a Pilot-Scale Thermocline Thermal Energy Storage Combining Latent and Sensible Materials

This work presents the experimental evaluation of pilot-scale thermocline that integrates a layer of phase change material (PCM) at the top of a sensible heat storage material in a thermocline thermal energy storage (TES) tank. The TES is integrated to the MicroSol-R parabolic trough pilot plant at the PROMES research facility in Odeillo, France. The tank is filled with alumina spheres as sensible heat storage. The PCM is NaNO3 encapsulated in stainless steel horizontal tubes that fill about 5.5% of the tank volume. The charge is evaluated at three mass flow rates 2600, 3000, and 3900 kg/h at two different operating temperature ranges 285-315 ºC and 295-330 ºC. The discharge is studied at three mass flow rates 1600, 2000, and 3000 kg/h from 315 to 220 ºC and 330 to 225 ºC. The performance of the TES is analyzed with two main indicators: the thermocline thickness and the efficiency during the charge and discharge. The results indicate that lower mass flow rates during the charging process result in smaller thermocline thickness. Similarly, during discharge, the thermocline thickness reduces with lower discharge rates. Efficiency evaluation during discharge suggests that an optimal flow rate could be achieved.

Theoretical and experimental analysis of the impact of a recuperative stage on the performance of an ORC-based solar microcogeneration unit

Microgeneration ORC-based units driven by solar energy, which enable combined heat and power generation (CHP), are a promising solution for decarbonizing the domestic sector. However, the intermittent availability of solar energy, coupled with the variability in user demand for domestic hot water (DHW), can lead the system to frequent off-design conditions and a less reliable energy supply. Consequently, increasing attention has recently been focused on the technological and design solutions for improving plant performance and ensuring its continuous operation. This paper presents the results of an experimental campaign carried out to investigate the possible advantages – in terms of efficiency and savings of thermal energy in the upper source – of introducing a recovery heat exchanger (RHX) in the basic configuration of a solar ORC-based system. Tests were conducted on a fully instrumented ORC-based plant with two 12 kW electric heaters providing the thermal power recovered through the solar collectors. The RHX is introduced into a recuperative branch that can be bypassed by closing a dedicated three-way valve. The study aims to investigate the behavior of the ORC unit in the absence of solar radiation (with the electric heaters switched off) when the recovery unit is powered only by the hot water stored in the Thermal Energy Storage (TES) tank. Another purpose of the present work is to evaluate the benefits introduced by the RHX in reducing the temperature decrease of the TES hot water and, consequently, maximizing the operating time of the ORC-based unit. In order to support the experimental analysis, a comprehensive theoretical model of the unit was developed and validated against experimental data. The model was used as a software platform to optimize the plant design and recuperative branch configuration. The theoretical model was developed in the GT-Suite™ environment thus integrating a mono and zero-thermo-fluid-dynamic approach. In this way, a physical representation of the entire ORC-based unit is performed allowing also to define an optimal control strategy for maximizing plant performance under severe off-design and transient conditions.

CFD analysis and optimization of thermal stratification in a Thermal Diode Tank (TDT)

Thermal stratification is a common and natural phenomenon in energy storage tanks. This paper presents a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis of thermal stratification within a novel cold energy storage, termed a Thermal Diode Tank (TDT). The TDT is a well-insulated water tank equipped with heat pipes for unidirectional heat transfer from water to the ambient air. When integrated into a Refrigeration and Air-conditioning (RAC) system, it provides cooling water to reduce the condensing temperature. The research problem revolves around the impact of thermal stratification on TDT performance and the identification of the optimal TDT structure when thermal stratification is present. Therefore, this study aims to employ CFD to simulate temperature profiles within a TDT, both with and without an obstacle. With validated models, parametric analysis has been conducted to determine the optimal TDT structure. Several design parameters have been investigated, including tank orientation, heat transfer capacity, the ratio of obstacle axial height to TDT height (ho/H), and the ratio of obstacle hole diameter to TDT diameter (do/D). Key findings reveal that a vertical tank orientation is more conducive to improving the TDT assisted RAC system performance than a horizontal one. Increasing the TDT's heat transfer capacity also positively contributes to the system performance. Parameters of an optimal TDT structure include a ho/H ratio of approximately 0.43 and a do/D ratio of 0.4. It is found that the do/D ratio should be at least 0.15 to obtain positive stratification. Furthermore, the presence of thermal stratification can increase the system's Coefficient of Performance (COP) by up to 10 %.

Visualization study on double-diffusive convection during a rollover in liquid energy storage tanks

The growing global energy consumption and the transition to the renewable era highlight the urgent need for safe and energy-efficient liquid energy storage tanks. Rollover has been a severe hazard to the efficiency and safety of the storage tank accompanied by significantly enhanced mass and heat transport across the stratified layers, and rapid evaporation and mixing of the layers happen. However there is a lack of experiments sophistically designed for cryogenic storage applications, which leads to a lack of visualized and quantitative experimental data to understand the physics of rollover in energy storage tanks. In this study, a Z-type Schlieren system is established to visually reveal the double-diffusive convection patterns in a cylindrical experimental chamber. The concentrations of salt-water solutions are adjusted to simulate the density difference between the multi-component cryogenic fluids. Cross-correlation algorithm is adopted to analyze the transient velocity distributions in the stratified system. The rollover process is divided into four stages, namely the initial, transition, mixing, and stable stages. Effects of heat flux, concentration difference, and heating location on the rollover characteristics are parametrically investigated. Correlations are proposed with rescaled buoyancy ratio and density gradient, and satisfactory agreement with experimental data is achieved.

Enhancing energy efficiency of air conditioning system through optimization of PCM-based cold energy storage tank: A data center case study

Phase change material (PCM)-based cold energy storage systems (CESS) offer a promising solution for improving energy efficiency and cost-effectiveness in air conditioning systems. However, their limited heat transfer efficiency hinders widespread adoption. This study focuses on investigating the impact of key factors, including plate size, arrangement, and fin structure, on the charging and discharging processes of a PCM-based CES tank. The findings highlight the significant influence of PCM plate configuration and inlet flow rate on heat transfer performance in the storage tank. Notably, reducing the height of PCM plate from 50 mm to 10 mm while maintaining a consistent volume resulted in a remarkable reduction in charging/discharging time by 84.6 % and 87.9 %, respectively. Response surface models were developed to establish correlations between the number of fins, plate height, and inlet flow rate with the charging/discharging time of PCM plates, enabling the identification of the optimal solution for achieving faster charging/discharging times. Moreover, a case study in a data center retrofit project was conducted to evaluate the thermal performance of different PCM plate configurations. Despite the higher initial investment, the optimized solution demonstrated a higher effective utilization rate of the PCM-based CESS, leading to substantial energy savings and reduced carbon emissions.

Numerical Research on Thermodynamic Properties of a Thermocline in Thermal Energy Storage Tank Based on Modified One-Dimensional Dimensionless Model

The application of thermal energy storage (TES) has been proved effective to improve the energy utilization efficiency of renewable energy and industrial waste heat energy. In this paper, a modified one-dimensional dimensionless model for the thermocline thermal energy storage tank is derived to simulate the system more accurately. An adaptive strategy for solving region compartmentalization is proposed for reducing computing time. Based on the proposed model, the effects of three different parameters on the performance of the thermocline tank are studied. The results show that increasing the inlet velocity can reduce the thickness of the thermocline and improve the system efficiency. Increasing the temperature difference between hot and cold water leads to a thicker thermocline, but the thermal energy stored in the tank increases. Increasing the tank height has no effect on the motion characteristic of thermocline, but the system efficiency can be increased.

Charging characteristics of finned thermal energy storage tube under variable rotation

Solar photovoltaic-thermal (PVT) systems effectively offset the drawbacks of intermittent solar and low photovoltaic conversion efficiency. Thermal energy storage (TES) tanks of PVT systems with high charging efficiency and consistent thermal safety might achieve efficient utilization of solar energy for building. A new variable rotational strategy has been proposed to optimize the charging characteristics for TES tubes, taking into consideration the non-uniformity of melting. A series of simulations based on the volume-averaged model are conducted to investigate the thermal energy storage property of TES tubes under variable rotary mechanism. Qualitative and quantitative comparisons are made between variable rotation (ω = 1.5–0.5, 1.5–1.0, 1.5–2.0 rad·s−1), constant rotation (ω = 1.5 rad·s−1), and stationary systems. The focus of the comparison is melting efficiency, temperature distribution, and natural convection. The results indicate that rotation effectively shortens charging time, with a 57.62% and 15.73% reduction with variable rotary mechanisms of 1.5–1.0 rad·s−1 when compared with stationary and constant rotating tubes. Meanwhile, in the final moment, the greatest medium-temperature (55–65 °C) proportion of 90.58% and less low-temperature (25–55 °C) and high-temperature (65–70 °C) paraffin occupation of 4.67% and 4.75% could be obtained, reflecting the completed latent heat storage and stable thermal safety. The optimal variable rotation achieves improvements of 47.84% and 106.73% in time-integral Grashof number (Gr) and heat storage rate, compared with traditional stationary tubes.

Benefits through Space Heating and Thermal Storage with Demand Response Control for a District-Heated Office Building

Demand response techniques can be effective at reducing heating costs for building owners. However, few studies have considered the dynamic marginal costs for district heating production and taken advantage of them for building-level demand response. In this study, a district heating network in the Finnish city of Espoo was modeled to define dynamic district heat prices. The benefits of two demand response control approaches for a Finnish office building, the demand response control of space heating and a thermal energy storage tank, were evaluated by comparing them to each other and utilizing them together. A 5 m3 storage tank was installed in a substation of a conventional high-temperature district heating network. A new demand response control strategy was designed to make the most of the storage tank capacity, considering dynamic district heat prices and the maximum allowed return water temperature. The results indicate that the demand response control of space heating and the storage tank cut district heat energy costs by 9.6% and 3.4%, respectively. When employing the two approaches simultaneously, 12.8% savings of district heat energy costs were attained. Additionally, thermal energy storage provides more potential for peak power limiting. The maximum heating power decreases by 43% and the power fee reduces by 41.2%. Therefore, the total cost, including the district heat energy cost and the power fee, can be cut up to 22.4% without compromising thermal comfort and heat supply temperatures to ventilation systems.

Performance Evaluation and Optimal Design Analysis of Continuous-Operation Solar-Driven Cooling Absorption Systems With Thermal Energy Storage

Abstract A solar absorption cooling system consisting of a flat plate collector, thermal energy storage tank, and absorption chiller is analyzed in this work. A dimensionless model is developed from the energy balance on each component and the chiller’s characteristic performance curves. The model is used to determine the interaction and influence of different parameters such as tank size, solar collector area, chiller size, cooling load, cooling temperature, heat loss, and mass flow rates on the performance. From the analysis, smaller solar collector areas are required for lower cooling loads and smaller tank volumes. A specific cooling load of 1 × 10−5 will require a specific solar collector area between two and six times larger, depending on the initial tank temperature, than the area required for a baseline system that considers typical commercial design and operation parameters. A similar behavior was observed for the specific tank volume. For the baseline system, the minimum specific area of the collector of 9.57 is achieved for an initial tank temperature of 1.19. For a cooling load of 1 × 10−5, the optimum initial tank temperature will be 1.11 that results in a minimum specific solar collector area of 25.26. A specific tank volume of 4 × 10−4 will also have an optimum initial tank temperature of 1.11 that minimizes the specific solar collector area to a value of 28.18. The approach and analysis in this work can be used to determine design parameters for solar absorption cooling systems based on a proper relation among system’s dimensions to achieve optimum operation.

Thermal energy simulation of the building with heating tube embedded in the wall in the presence of different PCM materials

A large part of energy consumption around the world is spent on buildings. Improving and optimizing the thermal performance of buildings can reduce energy consumption. Phase change materials inside an envelope can act as a latent thermal energy storage tank and also prevent energy loss. In the present study, we have investigated the effects of adding PCM inside the wall of buildings, and a tube for heating is embedded inside the wall. The performance of the system has been evaluated based on computational fluid dynamics simulation in Open Foam software. PIMPLE algorithm and finite volume method were used to solve the governing equations. Three different arrangements of tubes are considered at the upper, middle, and bottom of the wall introduced as UTA, MTA, and BTA, respectively. Furthermore, it is assumed that the heat flux is in the range of solar heat flux that enters the system from the embedded tube. Three different tube arrangements, three heat fluxes, and two different types of PCMs have been investigated in this study to find the best integration of the system. The simulation results revealed that for Lauric acid, by increasing the heat flux from 200 to 400 Wm2, the melting time decreases from 9 to 2 h. Also, for Paraffin the melting start time reaches 2.5h from 10 h. Also, Lauric acid can store or discharge thermal energy for the long term. The highest percentage of stored energy is related to Lauric acid, which saves 13.8 % of the total input heat flux as latent energy and Paraffin stores up to 11.8 % of latent heat energy.

Evaluation of operational strategy of cooling and thermal energy storage tanks in optimal design of multi generation system

In this study, optimal design of solar combined cooling, heating, power, freshwater (FW) and hydrogen (CCHPWH) generation system using parabolic trough collectors (PTC), proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer and multi-effect evaporation with thermal vapor compression (MEE-TVC) is investigated. The CCHPWH + PTC system according to thermal energy storage (TES) tank with constant partial load (CPL) for chillers (case 1) and CCHPWH + TES + PTC including cooling energy storage (CES) tank system with variable partial load (VPL) strategy for chillers (case 2) in hot climate are compared to each other, and with CCHPWH system with CPL strategy (case 3) and with VPL strategy (case 4), respectively. The optimal results illustrated 0.64% reduction in the TAC of CCHPWH + TES + PTC + CES system with VPL strategy as compared to CCHPWH + TES + PTC system with CPL strategy. Notably, it was observed 4.55% and 4.67% decrement in the TAC of CCHPWH + TES + PTC + CES system with VPL strategy and CCHPWH + TES + PTC system with CPL strategy as compared to CCHPWH system with VPL and CPL strategy, respectively. As well as, energy and exergy efficiency of the CCHPWH + TES + PTC + CES system with VPL strategy in the optimal mood increased 11.85% and 19.05% in comparison with CCHPWH + TES + PTC with CPL strategy. Eventually, proposed cases were optimized and discussed from energy, exergy, economic, environmental.

Enhancing the performance of solar water heating systems: Application of double-layer phase change materials

An efficiently designed thermal energy storage (TES) tank is critical for enhancing the efficiency of solar water heating systems (SWHSs). This study describes the development of a hybrid sensible-latent TES tank in which a double-layer phase change material (PCM) with different melting points is integrated. To study its performance, a mathematical model of the SWHS with the hybrid tank was established in TRNSYS software. The results showed that when the volume of tank per unit area of solar collectors was in the range of 33.3–66.7 L/m2, the heat collection of the hybrid tank increased by 7.0%–15.6% and the heat supply increased by 7.6%–16.9% compared to that of the tank without the PCM. However, the effect of adding the PCM to the tank diminished when the volume of the tank was increased. The hybrid tank with the double-layer PCM achieved a twofold benefit of extending the heat supply time and maintaining a relatively high supply temperature compared to the tank with only a single-layer PCM. The effect of the hybrid tank on the thermal performance of the SWHS was prominent for the full-day and nighttime heating modes but was not significantly observed for the daytime heating mode.

Design-based system performance assessment of a combined power and freshwater cogeneration system

In this research, the design and use of combined systems for the simultaneous production of water, heat, and energy have been proposed, and, to fulfill the water, electricity, and heat demands of a hotel, modeling of the multi-effect evaporative desalination (MED) and combined heat and power (CHP) generation system was done. Then, the design of these two systems was administered in a combined way. This design was applied in order to evaluate the economy of the combined system compared to separate systems. The performed scenario was executed every 24 h during the two seasons of the year. The genetic algorithm was used to optimize this system, and it was considered the objective function to minimize the annual costs. The results showed that the nominal capacity of the gas turbine and backup boiler in the CHP + MED + thermal energy storage (TES) system was (14%) larger and (8.2%) smaller, respectively, compared to the CHP+ MED system. In addition, by using the energy storage tank in the combined CHP + MED system, 5.1% of the annual costs were reduced.

Operating performance of a Joule-Brayton pumped thermal energy storage system integrated with a concentrated solar power plant

The expected performance of an innovative Pumped Thermal Energy Storage (PTES) system based on a closed-loop Brayton-Joule cycle and integrated with a Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) plant are analysed in this study. The integrated PTES–CSP plant includes five machines (two compressors and three turbines), a central receiver tower system, three water coolers and three Thermal Energy Storage (TES) tanks, while argon and granite pebbles are chosen as working fluid and storage media, respectively. A sizing of the main components of the integrated plant has been firstly carried out for the design of an integrated PTES-CSP plant with a nominal net power of 5 MW and a nominal storage capacity of 6 equivalent hours of operation. Specific mathematical models have been developed in MATLAB-Simulink to simulate the PTES and CSP subsystem in different operating conditions, and to evaluate the thermocline profile evolution within the three storage tanks during/charging and discharging processes. A control strategy has finally been developed to determine the operating modes of the plant based on the grid service request, the solar availability, and the TES levels. The performance of the system during a summer and a winter day have been analysed considering the integration of the PTES subsystem in the Italian energy market for arbitrage. Results have demonstrated the technical feasibility of the hybridization of a PTES system with a CSP plant and the ability of the integrated system to participate to energy arbitrage, although a lower exergy roundtrip efficiency (about 54 %) has been observed with respect to the sole PTES system (about 60 %).

Design and Development of a Conceptual Solar Energy Laboratory for District Heating Applications

The decarbonization of the district heating (DH) sector is receiving attention worldwide. Solar energy and heat pump technologies are widely considered in existing and new DH networks. There is a need to understand the influence of solar energy on district heating experimentally. However, only a few university laboratories are focused on district heating aspects. Further, the concept of such laboratories is not adequately disseminated in the scientific literature. The main objective of this paper is to develop a conceptual design of a solar energy laboratory with a focus on district heating systems. The proposed concept forms part of the preliminary study carried out by a research group at the Tallinn University of Technology. First, a brief literature review on solar energy laboratory development is provided. Then, the conceptual design of such a laboratory is presented, along with a case study. Regardless of project size, the main components of a district heating-based solar energy laboratory are solar collectors, thermal energy storage (TES) tanks, and a control system. The proposed laboratory is expected to serve multiple roles, such as a practical laboratory to provide interdisciplinary courses for students, a research and experimental platform for researchers, and a cradle to achieve the campus green initiative. It is roughly estimated that the thermal energy output from the proposed laboratory would meet around 25% of the heat demand of the institutional building during the summer season (May, June, July, and August). It is expected that the present study will be a reference material for the development of innovative energy laboratories in educational institutions.

Integration of a conical frustum PCM system for enhanced thermal energy storage in a diesel engine cogeneration system

An effective heat storage system was achieved by fabricating a 400-L cylindrical thermal energy storage (TES) tank equipped with 9 conical frustum containers. These conical frustum containers with PCM (CFC-PCM) contain paraffin wax in the upper third of the tank and water as the heat transfer fluid (HTF) in the circulation process. The TES tank was integrated with a 40 kW diesel generator, and experiments were conducted by operating the engine at six different loads. During the charging process, heat was recovered from the engine exhaust gases and jacket cooling water. The performance parameters were evaluated and reported based on the transient behavior of a hybrid sensible/latent TES tank under the charging process. The results showed that at 72.55% of the engine peak load, the energy utilization factor (EUF) and the exergy efficiency of the system were 91.17% and 81.22%, respectively. Although adding PCM to water only resulted in a 3% enhancement in heat storage capacity, it improved the durability of heat charging by providing thermal stratification and increasing charging efficiency compared to the reference state in some of the studied cases.

Thermal analysis of a cascaded latent thermal storage tank in a solar domestic water heating system

AbstractTo enhance the thermal characteristics of a solar collector storage system, this study investigates the performance of a rectangular thermal energy storage (TES) tank by incorporating cascade phase change materials (cascade‐PCMs). Three different commercially available PCMs (RT44HC, RT54HC, and RT62HC) with distinct melting temperatures are employed. These cascade‐PCMs are utilized as slabs in vertical rectangular modules, which are integrated into the water TES tank. The heat transfer fluid (HTF) in the flat‐plate solar collector captures solar energy and transfers it to the TES tank, where it is stored as latent thermal energy. A two‐dimensional (2D) numerical model, utilizing the enthalpy‐porosity approach and conservation equations, is developed to analyze the melting and heat transfer processes within the TES tank. The model is validated against previous experimental and numerical data. Performance evaluation of the cascade‐PCMs tank is conducted during a 9‐h charging period (from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm) under Marrakesh weather conditions in Morocco. An optimization study is carried out to determine the optimal height of each cascade‐PCM. The results suggest that an optimal design with heights of 23, 16, and 11 cm for RT44HC, RT54HC, and RT62HC respectively, offers improved melting and storage quality. The thermal characteristics of the TES tank incorporating cascade‐PCMs are compared to those of a TES tank filled with a single phase change material (single‐PCM) during the charging period. The findings indicate that the cascade‐PCMs achieve complete melting, while the single‐PCM only reaches a melting fraction of 0.903 at the end of the charging process. Furthermore, the optimal configuration of the cascade‐PCMs storage tank exhibits slightly higher sensible and latent thermal energy storage capacity compared to the single‐PCM tank. The combination of the solar collector with the cascade‐PCMs storage tank results in a 3.47% higher average collection efficiency when compared to the single‐PCM tank.

Performance analysis of triple glazing water flow window systems during winter season

Water is circulated in the space between glazing as part of the Water Flow Window (WFW) technology. This idea may have an impact on the energy consumption of HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) equipment. WFW is commonly used to remove excess heat; the excess heat can be stored. The purpose of this study is to compare the performance of triple glazing WFW under environmental conditions of Turkey during the winter. To compare the electrical energy consumption of the HVAC devices of testing cabinets, three identical testing cabinets with three different glazing types; standard (air-filled) window, WFW system with energy storage tank and domestic water supported WFW system are employed. The Thermal Energy Storage (TES) tank is a water tank that contains two distinct Phase Change Materials (PCM). PCMs are positioned all around and crammed inside water-filled pistol-style tubes. The TES tank volume is 5.675 L (42% water, 46% RT18 HC, 12% RT22 HC). The windows' surface area is approximately 0.3 m2. Visualization of the melting process in the TES tank is obtained with the numerical study. Results show that the consumption ratio of cooling devices can fall under 21% for daytime and heating devices can fall under 79% for nighttime.

Comparison between Air-Exposed and Underground Thermal Energy Storage for Solar Cooling Applications

Solar energy is one of the main alternatives for the decarbonization of the electricity sector and the reduction of the existing energy deficit in some regions of the world. However, one of its main limitations lies in its storage, since this energy source is intermittent. This paper evaluates the potential of an underground thermal energy storage tank supplied by solar thermal collectors to provide hot water for the activation of a single-effect absorption cooling system. A simulator was developed in TRNSYS 17 software. Experimentally on-site measured data of soil temperature were used in order to increase the accuracy of the simulation. The results show that the underground tank reduces thermal energy losses by 27.6% during the entire hot period compared with the air-exposed tank. The electrical energy savings due to the reduction in pumping time during the entire hot period was 639 kWh, which represents 23.6% of the electrical energy consumption of the solar collector pump. It can be concluded that using an underground thermal energy storage tank is a feasible option in areas with high levels of solar radiation, especially in areas where ambient temperature drops significantly during night hours and/or when access to electrical energy is limited.