Developing a Model for Quantifying Heat Loss From a Molten Salt Thermal Storage System
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52825/solarpaces.v3i.2390Keywords:
Thermal Energy Storage, Heat Transfer, MATLAB/SimulinkAbstract
Thermal energy storage (TES) systems are integral to concentrated solar power (CSP) plants. A major design consideration for TES systems is the tank's storage temperature. The tank cools over time due to heat loss through its boundaries. This paper presents a model for tracking and quantifying heat loss through the tank's floor, walls, and roof. The heat transfer mechanisms incorporated in the model are convection, conduction, and radiation. The performance of the developed model is validated against previous studies and used to understand the effect of the fluid level on tank losses. The model serves as a tool to compare different thermal energy storage (TES) system designs and gain insights into which minimises the heat loss. The paper details the modelling assumptions, methodology, and validation results. The model is intended for comparative assessment during conceptual design, enabling rapid evaluation of TES configurations where relative differences matter more than absolute precision.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Mu-een Khan, Stephen R Clark, Craig McGregor
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Accepted 2026-02-05
Published 2026-03-11