Thermodynamic Evaluation of the Potential of a Sorption Storage System for Renewables and Waste Heat Integration

This work investigates the potential of a sorption-based thermal energy storage (TES) system for enhancing the integration of renewable energy and waste heat recovery in key sectors—industry, transport, and buildings. Sorption-based TES systems, which utilize reversible sorbent-sorbate reactions to store and release thermal energy, offer long-term storage capabilities with minimal losses. A thermodynamic model, supported by experimental data, evaluates the efficiency of various working pairs under different operating conditions. Key findings demonstrate that water-based solutions (e.g., zeolite and silica gel composites) perform well for residential and transport applications, while methanol-based solutions, such as LiCl-silica/methanol, maintain higher efficiency in industrial contexts. Short-term storage shows higher energy efficiencies compared to long-term applications, and the choice of working pairs significantly influences performance. Industrial applications face unique challenges due to extreme operating conditions, limiting the viable solutions to water-based working pairs. This research highlights the capability of sorption-based TES systems to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve energy efficiency, and facilitate a transition to sustainable energy practices. The findings contribute to developing cost-effective and reliable solutions for energy storage and renewable integration in various applications.