Are thermal energy storage systems insulated?

Conclusions Today, thermal energy storage systems are typically insulated using conventional materials such as mineral wools due to their reliability, ease of installation, and low cost. The main drawback of these materials is their relatively high thermal conductivity, which results in a large insulation thickness.

How do you evaluate thermal performance of insulation materials?

The thermal performance of insulation materials can be evaluated by comparing either the thermal conductivity (λ) or the material thickness (L) required to provide a given thermal resistance (R -value = L / λ).

How much space does thermal insulation take?

The space taken by thermal insulation can be expected to represent a significant fraction of the total volume occupied by the storage when using conventional materials – as high as 61% for a 10 m 3 storage insulated with glass wool, as shown in Fig. 5. For a 100 m 3 storage, the volume fraction of a glass wool insulation layer would be 38%.

Why do small-scale storage systems need thermal insulation?

The economic hurdle of small-scale systems highlights the importance of developing cost-effective thermal insulation solutions that allow the storage structure to be built of low-cost materials and, more importantly, to reduce the space required by large storage systems incorporated inside buildings. 3. Thermal insulation methods and materials

What is thermal insulation?

Thermal insulation is aspect in the optimization of thermal energy storage (TES) systems integrated inside buildings. Properties, characteristics, and reference costs are presented for insulation materials suitable for TES up to 90 °C.

What is the thermal conductivity of conventional insulation materials?

As shown in Fig. 3, conventional insulation materials can offer thermal conductivities in the range 19–46 mW m –1 K –1, and their characteristic low cost makes them the preferred option in many building and TES applications in today’s market.