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An experimental investigation to assess the potential of using MgSO4 impregnation and Mg2+ ion exchange to enhance the performance of 13X molecular sieves for interseasonal domestic thermochemical energy storage
journal contribution
posted on 2017-04-19, 10:54 authored by Daniel Mahon, Gianfranco ClaudioGianfranco Claudio, Philip EamesPhilip EamesThe need to develop renewable heat sources for domestic space heating is a well known problem, for
solar thermal systems mismatch between generation and load is a major issue, and thermochemical
interseasonal heat storage offers a solution to this problem. Recent research has shown that using an
absorbent material as a host for salt hydrates can be advantageous in achieving a high energy density
material while alleviating the problematic practical characteristics, such as agglomeration, which salt
hydrates typically possess. In this paper results are presented for a 13X molecular sieve which was tested
to determine its potential for interseasonal domestic thermochemical energy storage alone and as a host
material for Magnesium Sulfate (MgSO4). Two different impregnation preparation methods have been
utilised in our experiments, (i) a wetness impregnation method and (ii) a new method in which 13X
molecular sieve powders and MgSO4 are formed into pellets with use of a binder. The materials produced
by each method were tested against each other and compared to a zeolite-Y material to assess which is
the best candidate material for thermal energy storage. The impact of ion exchange on the energy storage
potential of the 13X materials was also investigated. Analysis of the materials characteristics and thermal
performance was conducted using a Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC), Thermogravimetric
Analyser (TGA) coupled with a Residual Gas Analyser (RGA), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) with
Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy and a custom built fixed bed 200 g in-situ hydration and
dehydration chamber to assess the materials performance on a larger scale. The results demonstrate that
the thermochemical storage potential of the 13X molecular sieve was enhanced following a Mg2+ ion
exchange process, resulting in a maximum increased energy storage of approximately 14% (65 J/g) compared
to standard non treated 13X pellets.
Funding
This work was supported in full by the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) (grant number: EP/K011847/1), i-STUTE and a Loughborough University PhD studentship.
History
School
- Mechanical, Electrical and Manufacturing Engineering
Published in
Energy Conversion and ManagementVolume
150Pages
870 - 877Citation
MAHON, D., CLAUDIO, G. and EAMES, P.C., 2017. An experimental investigation to assess the potential of using MgSO 4 impregnation and Mg 2+ ion exchange to enhance the performance of 13X molecular sieves for interseasonal domestic thermochemical energy storage. Energy Conversion and Management, 150, pp.870-877.Publisher
© The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.Version
- VoR (Version of Record)
Publisher statement
This work is made available according to the conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence. Full details of this licence are available at: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Acceptance date
2017-03-28Publication date
2017-04-03Notes
This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).ISSN
0196-8904Publisher version
Language
- en