Numerical investigations of a continuous thermochemical heat storage reactor

This study focuses on the influence of the inlet pressure and vapour fraction of the air on the reaction behaviour and the reactor performance (power, temperature). This study also investigates the influence of the reaction front on the pressure drop in the reactor. It highlights the presence of a sharp reaction front between one part of the reactor (bottom) where the solid is completely hydrated and the other part (top) where the solid has not reacted yet. This sharp front is strongly dependent on the inlet air conditions. Also, there is an inertia phenomenon at the entrance of the unreacted solid, which is influenced by inlet air pressure, creating a particular air velocity field.