Potential of the Use of Sodium Chloride (NaCl) in Thermal Energy Storage Applications

Energy storage is a group of technologies that decrease the gap between energy supply and energy demand. Thermal energy storage (TES) reduces this gap at not only different temperatures but also at different places or power. Design criteria include the integration of the storage system into the whole application system, maximum load, and high-energy density. Since energy density is given by the material used, the selection of the storage material is key to the success of any energy storage system. In this paper, the potential of sodium chloride (NaCl) to be used in TES, both using sensible TES and latent TES, is evaluated for low-temperature applications and for high-temperature ones. This material is found to have high potential for successful applications, both in buildings and in industry.