Segmented thermal storage

Standard methods of charging solar thermal energy into rock bed storage for space heating tend to reduce stratification because of decreasing collector temperatures in the afternoon. This creates inaccessible regions of higher temperature rocks and may reduce the amount of energy within the bed. Stratification of the segmented bed has the advantages of supplying the highest temperature air to the dwelling and the lowest temperature air to the collector. A method of preserving the stratification by segmenting the storage bed was numerically studied. Discharging was not studied. Segmenting a standard rock bed and routing the flow to segments cooler than the inlet air during charging was shown to preserve stratification throughout the bed. The simulated segmented bed contained 1% less maximum energy than an otherwise identical standard bed for an approximated solar day. This was a consequence of the segment control temperature locations. 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved