Solid state sensible heat storage technology for industrial applications – A review

Cost effective methods of storing heat can be an enabling technology to promote utilization of solar thermal and heat recovery systems for industrial applications. The technology can reduce the use of conventional heat sources like coal and gas by offering a competent option of producing industrial process heat. Solid state sensible thermal energy storage (TES) systems have emerged as a viable method of heat storage especially with the prospect of using natural stones as heat storage media which are cheap, locally available, and harmless to the environmental. This study reviews research work on solid state sensible heat storage systems focusing on the solid materials being used for heat storage applications. Also, the review covers numerical and experimental investigations that have been done to evaluate different design parameters and thermal performance of solid-state TES systems. In addition, the environmental impact of adopting this heat storage technology is also discussed. The study has revealed that, there are areas that still need further research, and these include, experimental characterization of thermal properties of natural solid materials with potential for heat storage purposes, investigations on improving thermal performance as well as durability of solid-state sensible TES systems.