Storage of thermal energy in materials through packed and fluidized bed
In the field of multiphase flows in general and in particular in packed and fluidized beds, the research group has extensive research experience, with several publications in international journals and participation in different research projects.
In this line of research, a low temperature thermal energy storage system with granular phase change materials has been developed, a line of research that has led to 1 doctoral thesis and several publications in international journals. An experimental installation has been built, where the granular materials of phase change materials in a fluidized bed have been tested and various numerical models of the system have also been developed, which have also been integrated into the TRNSYS environment. The fluidized bed system achieves a homogeneous temperature in the bed and high heat transfer coefficients, which allows to introduce an internal heat exchanger in the same bed. The fluidized bed system achieves higher efficiencies than the same system in a packed bed.