Thermal performance of a two-phase thermosyphon energy storage system

This article presents an energy storage system, which can be readily integrated with the building structure. It stores heat supplied by solar energy via the two-phase closed loop thermosyphon to storage tank and releases stored heat in energy storage material via two-phase closed thermosyphon to the heat exchanger through the flow of transport fluid. The functions of such energy storage system have three operating modes, i.e., heat charge, heat discharge, and simultaneous charge and discharge. The thermal performance of the system with alcohol and water as working fluid is experimentally investigated. The results show that the storage system employing alcohol as working fluid in the loop thermosyphon provides better performance; the system gives optimum heat charge and discharge performance under 35–40% fill ratio, regardless whether the working fluid is water or alcohol. The system displays optimum charge efficiency of 73% and optimum discharge efficiency of 85% with alcohol as working fluid. 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.