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• Balance of Systems

Molten Salt-Carbon Nanotube Thermal Storage

Texas Engineering Experiment Station (TEES), under the Thermal Storage FOA, created a composite thermal energy storage material by embedding nanoparticles in a molten salt base material.

Approach

TEES measured the specific heat using modulated digital scanning calorimetry and created a system performance and economic model to assess the utility of the composite material in a concentrating solar power application.

Innovation

By embedding ceramic nanoparticles in a molten salt, TEES increased the specific heat of the TES material from 1.55 Joules per gram Kelvin (J/g-k) to 1.9 J/g-K.

Publications, Patents, and Awards

• Singh, N., Shin, D., and Banerjee, D., 2010, "Nano-Scale Effects in Multi-Phase Flows and Heat Transfer" (Book Chapter), in MEMS and Nanotechnologies: From Science-to-Electronic Systems, to be published by CRC Press (May, 2012), Editor: Kaul, A.B. (Jet Propulsion Lab).
• Shin, D., and Banerjee, D., "Effects of silica nanoparticles on enhancing the specific heat capacity of carbonate salt eutectic (work in progress)," International Journal of Structural Change in Solids – Mechanics and Applications, Vol. 2, No. 2, pp. 25-31, November, 2010.
• Shin, D., and Banerjee, D., "Enhanced Specific Heat of Silica Nanofluid," ASME Journal of Heat Transfer, doi:10.1115/1.4002600, Volume 133, Issue 2, 024501 (4 pages), February, 2011.
• Shin, D., and Banerjee, D., "Enhancement of specific heat of high-temperature silica nanofluids synthesized in alkali chloride salt eutectics for solar thermal-energy storage applications," International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, doi:10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2010.11.017, 2011, Volume 54, Issues 5-6, Pages 1064-1070, February 2011.
• Singh, N., Unnikrishnan, V., Banerjee, D., and Reddy, J. N., "Analysis of Thermal Interfacial Resistance between Nanofins and Various Coolants," International Journal of Computational Methods in Engineering Science and Mechanics, Vol. 12, Issue 5, pp. 254-260, DOI:10.1080/15502287.2011.582475, December, 2011.
• Shin, D., and Banerjee, D., "Enhanced specific heat capacity of nanomaterials synthesized by dispersing silica nanoparticles in eutectic mixtures," ASME Journal of Heat Transfer (accepted, in print), January, 2012.
• Jo, B., and Banerjee, D., "Enhanced Specific Heat Capacity of Nanocomposites using Organic Nanoparticles," Paper No. IMECE2011-64001, ASME 2011 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, Hyatt Regency Denver & Colorado Convention Center, November 11-17, 2011.
• Yu, J., Kang, S., Jeon, S., and Banerjee, D., "Investigation of Convective Heat Transfer of Aqueous Nanofluids in Microchannels integrated with Temperature Nanosensors," Paper No. IMECE2011-64082, ASME 2011 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, Hyatt Regency Denver & Colorado Convention Center, November 11-17, 2011.
• Jo, B., Jung, S., Shin, D., and Banerjee, D., "Anomalous Rheological Behavior of Complex Fluids (Nanofluids)," Paper No. IMECE2011-64091, ASME 2011 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, Hyatt Regency Denver & Colorado Convention Center, November 11-17, 2011.
• Jung, S., and Banerjee, D., "A simple analytical model for specific heat of nanofluid with tube shaped and disc shaped nanoparticles," Paper No. AJTEC2011-44372, ASME/JSME 8th Thermal Engineering Joint Conference, Honolulu, Hawaii, March 13-17, 2011.
• Jo, B., and Banerjee, D., "Interfacial Thermal Resistance between a Carbon Nanoparticle and Molten Salt Eutectic: Effect of material properties, particle shapes and sizes," Paper No. AJTEC2011-44373, ASME/JSME 8th Thermal Engineering Joint Conference, Honolulu, Hawaii, March 13-17, 2011.
• Kang, S., Jeon, S., and Banerjee, D., "Experimental Study of Thermal Performance of Nanofluids During Flow in Microchannels using Surface Temperature-Nano-Sensors," Paper No. AJTEC2011-44374, ASME/JSME 8th Thermal Engineering Joint Conference, Honolulu, Hawaii, March 13-17, 2011.
• Shin, D., and Banerjee, D., "Experimental Investigation of molten salt nanofluid for solar thermal energy application," Paper No. AJTEC2011-44375, ASME/JSME 8th Thermal Engineering Joint Conference, Honolulu, Hawaii, March 13-17, 2011.
• Shin, D., and Banerjee, D., "Enhancement of Heat Capacity of Molten Salt Eutectics Using Inorganic Nanoparticles for Solar Thermal Energy Applications," Proceedings of the 35th International Conference & Exposition on Advanced Ceramics & Composites (ICACC 2011), Organized by the Engineering Ceramics Division of The American Ceramic Society, January 23 - 28, 2011, Hilton Daytona Beach Resort and Ocean Center, Daytona Beach, Florida.
• Jung, S.. and Banerjee, D., "Enhancement of Heat Capacity of Nitrate Salts Using Mica Nanoparticles," Proceedings of the 35th International Conference & Exposition on Advanced Ceramics & Composites (ICACC 2011), Organized by the Engineering Ceramics Division of The American Ceramic Society, January 23 - 28, 2011, Hilton Daytona Beach Resort and Ocean Center, Daytona Beach, Florida.
• Jo, B., and Banerjee, D., "Enhanced Viscosity of Aqueous Silica Nanofluids," Proceedings of the 35th International Conference & Exposition on Advanced Ceramics & Composites (ICACC 2011), Organized by the Engineering Ceramics Division of The American Ceramic Society, January 23 - 28, 2011, Hilton Daytona Beach Resort and Ocean Center, Daytona Beach, Florida.
• Jung, S., Jo, B., Shin, D., and Banerjee, D., "Experimental Validation of a Simple Analytical Model for Specific Heat Capacity of Aqueous Nanofluids," Paper No. SAE-10PSC-0134, SAE Power Systems Conference, November 2-4, Fort Worth, Texas, 2010.
• Jeon, S., Kang, S., and Banerjee, D., "Investigation of Thermal Characteristics of Nanofluids during Flow in a Micro-channel using an Array of Surface Temperature-nano-sensors," Paper No. SAE-10PSC-0135, SAE Power Systems Conference, November 2-4, Fort Worth, Texas, 2010.
• Shin, D., and Banerjee, D., "Enhanced specific heat capacity of molten salt-metal oxide nanofluid as heat transfer fluid for solar thermal applications," Paper No. SAE-10PSC-0136, SAE Power Systems Conference, November 2-4, Fort Worth, Texas, 2010.
• Singh, N., and Banerjee, D., "Thermal Analysis of Carbon Nanotubes suspended in PAO Mixtures," Paper No. SAE-10PSC-0137, SAE Power Systems Conference, November 2-4, Fort Worth, Texas, 2010.
• Singh, N., and Banerjee, D., "Investigation of Thermal Interfacial Resistance on Nano-Structures Using Molecular Dynamics," Paper No. IHTC14-22930, 14th International Heat Transfer Conference, August 8-13, Washington, D.C., 2010.
• Shin, D., Jo, B., Kwak, H.*, and Banerjee, D., "Investigation of High Temperature Nanofluids for Solar Thermal Power Conversion and Storage Applications," Paper No. IHTC14-23296, 14th International Heat Transfer Conference, August 8-13, Washington, D.C., 2010.
• Shin, D., and Banerjee, D., "Enhanced Thermal Properties of PCM Based Nanofluid For Solar Thermal Energy Storage," Paper No. ES2010-90293, ASME 4th International Conference on Energy Sustainability, May 17-22, Phoenix, AZ, 2010.
• Kwak, H., Shin, D., and Banerjee, D., "Enhanced Sensible Heat Capacity of Molten Salt Based Nanofluid For Solar Thermal Energy Storage Application," Paper No. ES2010-90295, ASME 4th International Conference on Energy Sustainability, May 17-22, Phoenix, AZ, 2010.
• Jo, B., and Banerjee, D., "Study of High Temperature Nanofluids using Carbon Nanotubes (CNT) for Solar Thermal Storage Applications," Paper No. ES2010-90299, ASME 4th International Conference on Energy Sustainability, May 17-22, Phoenix, AZ, 2010.
• Shin, D., and Banerjee, D., "Investigation of Nanofluids for Solar Thermal Storage Applications," Paper No. ES2009-90465, ASME Energy Sustainability Conference, July 20-25, San Francisco, CA, 2009.

Learn about other DOE competitive awards for concentrating solar power research that are in progress.