Session: 04-02: Particles and Materials for Energy Storage

Paper Number: 168578

168578 - Evaluation of Levelized Cost of Storage for Novel Rotating Particle Storage Technology 

Abstract: 

               Thermal energy storage (TES) provides a pathway for longer-duration storage needs while having the versatility to be paired with multiple thermal technologies. The proposed novel TES system, “Thermal Energy Storage And Exchange With Integrated Rotating Media Transport” (T.E. Sandewirm), stores and exchanges heat with particles instead of more commonly deployed molten salts and uses a rotating drum for particle conveyance rather than a multi-tank system. The stored particles can be heated up to 800C or higher, and the technology is configured to substitute a lift system with a mass-balanced cylindrical drum. Lower expected capital expenditure costs and increased energy efficiency result in a lower projected levelized cost of storage (LCOS) versus other TES devices. Although this concept is compatible with Gen 3 CSP particle receiver technologies, the T.E. Sandewirm design can pair with other thermal energy processes such as nuclear power plants, Carnot batteries, air-coupled pumped thermal energy storage (PTES), and sCO₂ Brayton cycles. This presentation showcases the potential techno-economic benefit a novel rotating particle storage technology can have on various power-supplying systems. Analyses of integrations with potential use cases, including Gen 3 CSP and NREL ENDURING pumped thermal energy storage, are explored to provide context to T.E. Sandewirm’s potential for TES applications.

                To better understand the economic benefits that could be realized from this technology, current research is focused on evaluating system techno-economics and optimizing LCOS. Models are implemented within a bespoke object-oriented Python framework and calculate thermal performance metrics. The technical performance values are then passed to detailed cost models, and both the technical and cost values are fed into financial models to compute metrics covering the expected lifetime of the project. These financial calculations draw upon established models, such as those used in the System Advisor Model (SAM), to provide other important metrics including Internal Rate of Return (IRR), Net Present Value (NPV), and Payback Period (PBP). Case studies are performed to determine optimal system parameters for target applications, starting with a Gen 3 CSP plant and direct grid energy storage. Preliminary expectations for Gen 3 CSP applications see increases in overall availability, reductions in thermal losses due to less exposed surface area, and lower particle storage container operating costs from a mass-balanced rotating system instead of a similar particle-lift system.

               System value is primarily evaluated by LCOS because it allows for a comparison of the T.E. Sandewirm techno-economic performance to other thermal energy storage devices. These results will be significant in determining its marketability and economic viability. Gathering metrics for a variety of use cases will further establish its potential versatility in a growing energy market with increasing demands for sustainability.

               Evaluating each use case also grants an opportunity to quantify the T.E. Sandewirm’s optimal parameters for each investigated system. The framework and methodology to calculate LCOS are adjusted to provide the most accurate model for each use case and then paired with sensitivity analyses on important operating conditions, such as particle temperature, heat exchanger temperature difference, power cycle, and system size. These results presented will provide valuable information that informs design decisions on unique infrastructure projects and further improves upon the benefits that could be realized with this technology.

Presenting Author: Jacob Fowler University of Wisconsin - Madison

Presenting Author Biography: Jacob Fowler is a first-year master's student in the Nuclear Engineering & Engineering Physics Department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and currently works for Dr. Wagner in the Energy Systems Optimization Laboratory on the optimization of thermal energy storage device techno-economics.