This study presents a comparative thermodynamic assessment of molten salt thermal energy storage (MSTES) integrated with a 330 MW subcritical coal-fired power plant. Different charging and discharging configurations based on main steam, reheat steam, and hybrid steam extraction are evaluated using HITEC salt. Thermodynamic performance is rigorously assessed via exergy analysis and equivalent round-trip efficiency. The findings indicate that system configuration exerts a substantial influence on performance: the HITEC scheme H-C5-D1 achieves an optimal balance, attaining a round-trip efficiency of 44.0% and a peak-shaving capacity of 33.4 MW. Exergy analysis identifies molten salt heat exchangers as the main source of exergy destruction, governed primarily by the steam-salt temperature difference and throttling effects. HITEC salt is advantageous in medium- and low-temperature applications. Increasing main-steam utilization in hybrid schemes enhances round-trip efficiency and storage capacity, though this comes at the cost of increased heat exchanger investment. Overall, the MSTES system significantly enhances both operational flexibility and thermal efficiency of coal-fired units.
Zhang et al. (Sat,) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: