Solar Thermoelectricity via Advanced Latent Heat Storage: Paper No. 050035

Michele Olsen, Gregory Glatzmaier, Azure Avery, Philip Parilla, Eric Toberer, David Ginley, J. Rea, C. Hardin, C. Oshman, J. Vaughn, T. Roark, J. Raade, R. Bradshaw, J. Sharp, R. Bonner, R. Weigand, D. Campo, N. Siegel, David Bobela

Research output: Contribution to conferencePaperpeer-review

11 Scopus Citations

Abstract

We report on a new modular, dispatchable, and cost-effective solar electricity-generating technology. Solar ThermoElectricity via Advanced Latent heat Storage (STEALS) integrates several state-of-the-art technologies to provide electricity on demand. In the envisioned STEALS system, concentrated sunlight is converted to heat at a solar absorber. The heat is then delivered to either a thermoelectric (TE) module for direct electricity generation, or to charge a phase change material for thermal energy storage, enabling subsequent generation during off-sun hours, or both for simultaneous electricity production and energy storage. The key to making STEALS a dispatchable technology lies in the development of a "thermal valve," which controls when heat is allowed to flow through the TE module, thus controlling when electricity is generated. The current project addresses each of the three major subcomponents, (i) the TE module, (ii) the thermal energy storage system, and (iii) the thermal valve. The project also includes system-level and techno- economic modeling of the envisioned integrated system and will culminate in the demonstration of a laboratory-scale STEALS prototype capable of generating 3kWe.

Original languageAmerican English
Number of pages8
DOIs
StatePublished - 31 May 2016
Event21st International Conference on Concentrating Solar Power and Chemical Energy Systems, SolarPACES 2015 - Cape Town, South Africa
Duration: 13 Oct 201516 Oct 2015

Conference

Conference21st International Conference on Concentrating Solar Power and Chemical Energy Systems, SolarPACES 2015
Country/TerritorySouth Africa
CityCape Town
Period13/10/1516/10/15

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2016 Author(s).

NREL Publication Number

  • NREL/CP-5K00-66643

Keywords

  • electric currents
  • energy storage
  • latent heat
  • materials modification

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