Hygroscopic Salt Composite for Thermal Energy Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing energy storage systems face challenges in long-term thermal energy storage and reliable release, particularly due to morphological changes in hygroscopic salts during dehydration/hydration cycles, which affect the system's reliability and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A composite material is developed by incorporating hygroscopic salts within porous materials, ensuring homogeneous dispersion and maintaining accessibility for water vapor exchange, thereby supporting high water adsorption and desorption capabilities and preventing salt deposition that could block pores.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If hygroscopic salt is used for thermal energy storage, then energy storage capacity is improved, but morphological changes during dehydration/hydration cycles reduce system reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent embeds hygroscopic salt particles within a porous support material matrix. The porous structure provides a stable framework that maintains system integrity while allowing the salt to undergo dehydration and hydration cycles. The pores facilitate water vapor transport to and from the salt particles, enabling continuous operation without morphological degradation that would otherwise compromise reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite material system combining hygroscopic salt with a porous support material. This composite structure leverages the high energy storage capacity of the salt while the porous material provides structural stability and prevents salt dissolution or aggregation. The synergistic combination resolves the contradiction by maintaining both high energy storage capability and long-term operational reliability.
2Quantity of substance
If salt is dispersed homogeneously in porous material, then water adsorption capacity is improved, but pore accessibility may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs local quality by creating zones of different salt concentrations within the porous material. The salt is dispersed homogeneously at the macroscopic level to maximize overall adsorption capacity, while locally maintaining sufficient pore space and connectivity to ensure water vapor accessibility. This spatial distribution strategy allows high salt loading without completely blocking pore pathways.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention addresses the accessibility problem by transitioning from a two-dimensional surface dispersion to a three-dimensional distributed network within the porous matrix. Salt particles are dispersed throughout the volume of the porous material rather than just on the surface, creating multiple pathways and reducing diffusion distances for water vapor while maintaining homogeneous overall distribution.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The composite material achieves stable and efficient energy storage and release over multiple cycles, maintaining performance for extended periods, with significant water adsorption and desorption capacities, suitable for thermal energy storage and release applications.
Implementation Method 1
a composite material comprising a hygroscopic salt arranged within a porous material
Implementation Method 2
facilitating accessibility for exchange of water vapour between the salt and its surrounding atmosphere
Implementation Method 3
contacting a dehydrated form of the hygroscopic salt with water vapour releases hydration energy in the form of heat
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
A composite material, notably for seasonal storage of energy in a domestic heating system, comprises grains having at least one of the following pairings of hygroscopic salt arranged within a porous material (table) with the hygroscopic metal concentration in the central zone of the grain being at least 0.7 times that in the peripheral zone.