Thermodynamic optimization of a stratified thermal storage device
- Resource Type
- Authors
- Jan Wrobel; Michael W. Jack
- Source
- Applied Thermal Engineering. 29:2344-2349
- Subject
- Exergy
Optimal design
Materials science
Dynamical modeling
Energy Engineering and Power Technology
Stratification (water)
Thermodynamics
Mechanics
Thermal stratification
Thermal energy storage
Electrical conductor
Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering
Overall efficiency
- Language
- ISSN
- 1359-4311
Thermodynamic optimization combines exergy analysis with dynamical modeling to determine optimal design parameters. In this work we apply exergy analysis to an analytically solvable model of a single-medium stratified thermal storage device. We consider a simple one-dimensional model that includes conductive losses to the environment. Competition between mixing and conductive losses gives rise to a thermodynamically optimum charging time for the system. The model can treat the full range of stratification from the fully-mixed limit to perfect stratification and we are therefore able to determine the effect of stratification on the thermodynamic optimum. We show that stratification increases the overall efficiency and shortens the thermodynamically optimum charging time.