Experimental studies of a thermochemical store for automobile engines

An experimental evaluation of a thermochemical energy store using inorganic oxides as the storage material has been carried out. The experimental data achieved an average deviation of 17 per cent from the theoretical values and accounted for about 8 per cent of uncertainties in the primary data. Given the configuration of the rig and the experimental conditions and errors, the experiment has proved that it is feasible to utilize a fixed bed thermochemical energy store for preheating an engine during cold starting. However, for practical application purposes, it may be desirable to redesign the reaction bed in order to achieve effective mass and heat transfer. Immediate action is therefore required to accelerate the penetration of such a system into the transport sector.