Mobilized thermal energy storage: Materials, containers and economic evaluation

The transportation of thermal energy is essential for users who are located far away from heat sources. The networks connecting them achieve the goal in efficient heat delivery and reasonable cost, especially for the users with large heat demands. However, it is difficult to satisfy the heat supply of the detached or emergent users with the existing pipelines. Therefore, a promising alternative, called mobilized thermal energy storage (M-TES), was proposed to deliver the heat flexibly without the restriction of networks. In this paper, a review of studies on M-TES is conducted in terms of materials, containers and economic evaluation. The potential candidates of materials, such as sugar alcohols, hydrated salts, alkalies and zeolite are reviewed and compared based on their thermophysical properties, price, advantages and disadvantages. Various containers, including the shell-and-tube, encapsulated, direct-contact, detachable and sorptive types, are discussed from the aspects of configuration, performance and utilization. Furthermore, the studies on the economic evaluation of M-TES systems are summarized and discussed based on the analysis of the economic indicators, including initial cost, operating cost, revenue, subsidy and energy cost. Finally, the challenges and future perspectives for developing M-TES are presented.