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Assessment of the Effects of Copper Oxide Nanoparticles Addition to Solar Salt: Implications for Thermal Energy Storage

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Abstract

The incorporation of conductive nanoparticles into thermal energy storage media is one of the strategies to increase their thermal conductivity. This work unravels the impact of the addition of CuO nanoparticles on the thermal properties of solar salt, a high-temperature thermal energy storage material. The resultant CuO enhanced solar salt (CuOeSS) exhibited a maximum thermal conductivity improvement of 14.4 % at 40 °C when the concentration of CuO nanoparticles was 1 wt%. The prevalence of CuO nanoparticles as isolated aggregates resulted in a moderate thermal conductivity enhancement. The CuO nanoparticles greatly influenced α-KNO3 to β-KNO3 transition and reduced the expected positive influence on thermal conductivity at temperatures above 120 °C. The solid-phase specific heat was enhanced by 22.7 % for 2 wt% CuOeSS. Our results demonstrate the interplay between the different roles played by CuO nanoparticles, namely the thermal conductivity enhancement at lower temperatures and influencing the α-KNO3 to β-KNO3 transition at higher temperatures. The CuOeSS with 0.5 wt% CuO, which showed enhancement in both thermal conductivity and energy storage capacity, is a suitable energy storage material for applications in the temperature range of 100–245 °C.

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Funding

This work was financially supported by (i) Grant No: EMR/2016/007091, Science & Engineering Research Board, DST, India, (ii) Grant No: DST/TM/SERI/FR/152(G), DST, India, and (iii) PG Teaching Grants No: SR/NM/PG-16/2007 and SR/NM/PG-04/2015 of Nano Mission Council, Department of Science & Technology (DST), India. The authors thank SASTRA Deemed University for the infrastructural support extended during the work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. ABCDE Innovation Centre, Centre for Energy Storage & Conversion, Centre for Nanotechnology & Advanced Biomaterials (CeNTAB), School of Chemical & Biotechnology, SASTRA Deemed University, Thanjavur, 613401, India

    M. K. Saranprabhu, K. S. Suganthi & K. S. Rajan

Authors
  1. M. K. Saranprabhu
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  2. K. S. Suganthi
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  3. K. S. Rajan
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Contributions

MKS performed conceptualization, methodology, and data curation. KSS performed data curation, writing and original draft preparation, and validation. KSR performed visualization, discussion, investigation, writing, reviewing, and Editing of the manuscript, and supervision.

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Correspondence to K. S. Rajan.

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Saranprabhu, M.K., Suganthi, K.S. & Rajan, K.S. Assessment of the Effects of Copper Oxide Nanoparticles Addition to Solar Salt: Implications for Thermal Energy Storage. Int J Thermophys 43, 162 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10765-022-03085-y

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