Solar-thermal energy conversion prediction of building envelope using thermochemical sorbent based on established reaction kinetics
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
In this paper, the dehydration (heat charge) and hydration (discharge) reaction kinetics of thermochemical sorbents synthesised in previous work by the author is established by using the isothermal method, with the aim of understanding their thermochemical conversion behaviour and developing reaction models for numerical simulations. The effects of temperature, reaction advancement, and vapour pressure are fully considered and employed in a thermochemical energy storage model. The derived dehydration reaction activation energies of the LiOH/LiCl@ expanded graphite (LiO2C1@EG and LiO3C1@EG) sorbents are 54.7 and 52.2 kJ/mol, respectively, which are lower than that of pure LiOH·H2O. To achieve the dual-function of space heating and air purification in an efficient manner, a novel solar building envelope combining thermochemical energy storage and photocatalysis is proposed and studied numerically based on the established reaction kinetics. Fresh air can be produced during solar harvesting. The porous wall, which is made of a composite sorbent, absorbs thermal energy to heat air near the wall and thus creates a chimney effect in the channel for continuous space heating. During discharge, the desorbed heat storage wall adsorbs the moist air and the hydration reaction enthalpy can be used again for air heating. The total efficiency including the equivalent formaldehyde degradation efficiency and the thermal efficiency is around 81% when the solar radiation is 600 W/m2. Results indicate that this passive building envelope can achieve a higher heat harvesting and utilisation efficiency in a more compact space compared to previous studies. Moreover, the influence of radiation intensity on air purification and thermal performance is investigated. The present work provides new insights and promotes the integration of passive solar building envelopes and thermochemical energy storage.
Date Issued
2022-01
Date Acceptance
2021-12-04
Citation
Energy Conversion and Management, 2022, 252, pp.1-17
ISSN
0196-8904
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Start Page
1
End Page
17
Journal / Book Title
Energy Conversion and Management
Volume
252
Copyright Statement
© 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. This manuscript is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Licence http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
Sponsor
Engineering & Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC)
Engineering & Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC)
Engineering & Physical Science Research Council (E
Identifier
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0196890421012930?via%3Dihub
Grant Number
EP/P004709/1
EP/R045518/1
UOB107926
Subjects
Energy
0906 Electrical and Electronic Engineering
0913 Mechanical Engineering
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
115117
Date Publish Online
2021-12-15