UCLA

Currently, intermittent energy sources can be coupled to thermal energy storage (TES) systems in order to store excess energy so that it can later be dispatched for times of high energy demand. Elemental sulfur is a promising candidate storage fluid for high temperature TES systems due to its high energy density, moderate vapor pressure, high thermal stability, and low cost. The objective of this effort is to use a transient, two-dimensional numerical model to investigate the design and performance of a thermal energy storage (TES) system that uses sulfur stored isochorically in an intermodal shell and tube thermal battery configuration. Parametric studies are conducted to determine the effect of design and operating parameters on the overall utilization of energy stored within the system, exergetic efficiency, and weld length per utilized capacity.

The study shows that there is a preferred tube diameter based on the competing effects of exergetic efficiency – which should be maximized – and total weld length of tubes in a system – which should be minimized. Based on the systematic parametric studies, recommendations on the design of an elemental sulfur based TES system using standard intermodal containment shell geometry are made.