What is molten salt thermal energy storage?

This energy storage can be accomplished using molten salt thermal energy storage. Salt has a high temperature range and low viscosity, and there is existing experience in solar energy applications. Molten salt can be used in the NHES to store process heat from the nuclear plant, which can later be used when energy requirements increase.

What is molten salt storage in concentrating solar power plants?

At the end of 2019 the worldwide power generation capacity from molten salt storage in concentrating solar power (CSP) plants was 21 GWh el. This article gives an overview of molten salt storage in CSP and new potential fields for decarbonization such as industrial processes, conventional power plants and electrical energy storage.

What types of facilities use thermal energy storage with molten salts?

There are several types of facilities that use thermal energy storage with molten salts, such as concentrated solar power plants (CSP plants) or nuclear hybrid energy systems (NHES). A CSP plant is a power production facility that uses a broad array of reflectors or lenses to concentrate solar energy onto a small receiver.

How does a molten salt receiver work?

Molten salt in the receiver is heated by solar energy and directed to thermal energy storage or a power cycle. Fig. 4 shows a schematic of a CSP plant containing thermal energy storage systems and a power cycle (U.S. Department of Energy, 2014).

Are molten salts a good thermal storage media?

Molten salts exhibiting high specific heat capacity, wide operational temperature range and little corrosive, are considered as very promising HTF and thermal storage media in solar thermal power plants, fuel cell, and nuclear fuel reprocessing etc.

Why is molten salt a viable energy source?

Molten salt is therefore an option when geography prevents hydropumping and requires higher energy density storage. Molten salt can function as a large-scale thermal storage method that would allow other energy sources, such as nuclear and solar, to become more feasible by smoothing out the fluctuations in demand and weather.