Abstract:
This thesis describes about a simulation of air-rock bed thermal storage tank by using an electric heater as a heat source instead of solar collector. This included the theoretical and experimental study. Computer program TRNSYS is used as a mathematical model for air-rock bed storage. Also a thermal storage tank was set up in order to compare experimental results and computer program results. Computer program TRNSYS is a program for simulating the solar energy systems. TRNSYS is composed of executive program and a number of component subroutines. General component subroutines have been written for types of solar energy systems eg., collectors, storage tank etc. Computer programs were used to predict the outlet air temperature from the storage tank at any time and also gave the optimum size of thermal storage tank. Thermal storage tank has a cylindrical shape with 0.76 metres diameter. It contained structural rocks (Lime stone) 0.70 and 1.05 metres in height. The rocks were placed randomly into the bed resulting in void fraction of 0.46. The rocks were separted by mechanical sieve into three sizes: 1"/2 - 3"/4 , - 1 and -1 1/2. Inlet air temperature to the bed was kept constant a 60 °C and the air flow rates of 202.32 and 238.9, 267.2 m3/hr were used. Comparison between the results of the experiments and computer program showed that, during charged period the temperature of the bed at any time was about 0-3 °C different from the theoretical results. While discharged period, outlet air temperature from the bed at any time differed from the computer program within the range of 4 °C. An economic evaluation indicated that the thermal storage tank gave an energy cost of 2.54 Baht/kw-hr. for the solar collector cost of 2500 Baht/m2. If the cost of solar collector changed to 2000 Baht/m2 and 1500 Baht/m2 the thermal storage tank will give the cost of energy 2.30, 2.07 Baht/kw-hr. respectively. The storage tank has life cycle 12 years, loan interest rate 15% per year, the cost of electricity 2.10 Baht/kw-hr. Charged period for thermal storage tank was 8 hours. During discharged period, the storage tank has given energy about 43 MJ. within 7 hours.