Lämpösäilytystä

Lämpösäilytys, known in English as thermal storage, refers to technologies that allow heat to be stored for later use. This stored heat can be generated from various sources, including solar energy, industrial waste heat, or electricity generated during off-peak hours. The primary goal of thermal storage is to improve energy efficiency and provide a more reliable and sustainable energy supply.

There are several methods of thermal storage. Sensible heat storage involves changing the temperature of a material without changing its phase. Common materials include water, rock, or concrete. Latent heat storage utilizes the heat absorbed or released during a phase change, such as the melting or freezing of a substance. Phase change materials (PCMs) are often used for this purpose. Thermochemical storage involves reversible chemical reactions that store and release thermal energy.

Applications of thermal storage are diverse. In buildings, it can be used for space heating and cooling, reducing reliance on conventional heating and cooling systems and lowering energy costs. Solar thermal systems often incorporate thermal storage to provide heat even when the sun is not shining. In industrial processes, waste heat can be captured and stored for reuse, improving overall efficiency. Furthermore, thermal storage plays a role in grid-scale energy management, helping to balance supply and demand by storing excess electricity as heat. The development of advanced thermal storage technologies continues to be an active area of research, aiming to increase storage capacity, reduce costs, and improve system performance.