The most inexpensive way for LARGE Solar Storage

[Johan_1955]

Combing the forces is giving the most, just like in nature:
http://energy.gov/eere/articles/making-algal-biofuel-production-more-efficient-less-expensive

[Peter K]

mechster your original concept of 390 C is in line with what I'm doing, it doesn't scare me like big expensive water tanks, it's twice as much temp as a regular kitchen oven making diner & you see how little insulation they use. As far as space, solar energy is real but low density so the larger area you gather the energy with smaller managable Heliostats by one person, the overall size can expand as time permits.
To circulate the Hot air is just a fan, this could range from a Turbo salvaged from a car or most likely say a 6" steel pipe with elbow. drill a hole in elbow to clear a shaft with bearings outside, the shaft has steel fan blade in pipe, motor with bearings kept cool outside. the hole for the shaft is on the low pressure side of the fan so no hot air will leak out.
You could add a fan speed control with temp difference from heat exchanger to storage.

Peter

[mechster]

Peter K

Thank you for your informative post.  You're making me want to go and set this in motion today!  I already sketched the whole thing out and sized the bed, but I'm actually in the process of designing a house, so I'm looking ahead to projects I'll be doing and making space for them.  Once I get stuck on something, it's tough to back off and finish up the house design. 

That fan placement would be perfect, do you have it placed just before the manifold?

I also was thinking I could use a car radiator to capture the heat when I need it for heating the domestic hot water heater.  And later on I'll expand the storage to maybe be used for the in floor heating in the entire house.  The coldest it gets on the Island is -2, so maybe it is doable.

Hope I'm not taking up your time.

There is actually an informative review that I read about PCM's (phase change materials), I'm thinking of using them for my DHW storage and in floor heating storage.  They apparently can hold 8 times more energy storage than that of water.  That would cut my storage tanks down to about 1/4 of the size I need and maintain a constant temperature.

Here is the review http://www.academia.edu/4688840/Review_on_thermal_energy_storage_with_phase_change_materials_and_applications

Thanks Again

Mechster

[MarkE]

PCM salts have been used sucessfully mostly in Europe.  They are a bit expensive, and you need to make a design choice:

Use the salts with a pair of heat exchangers or only one.  The latter route is simpler, but is best suited when you want the room temperature to be close to the phase change temperature.  That works best when you are only trying to go one direction:  Provide winter heating or summer cooling.  The phase change temperature that is desirable in each situation is different.

[lancaIV]

Latent heat storage : http://www.wuerzburg.ihk.de/fileadmin/user_upload/pdf/Innovation_Umwelt/Vortraege/Dr._Hauer-Thermische_Energiespeicher.pdf

                          This kind of energy storage is really expensive !


                   Ideal solar building architecture: Sokrates, passive house                                     http://www.dennisrhollowayarchitect.com/gifs/SunTempered/MethodologyDesign/SocratesZenophon.jpg
        low energy architecture :  http://www.building.co.uk/dazzling-achievement/3088489.article
                                                  St.George school , Wallasay

                                                   
           House tect with black colored,metal particles mixed, zement plates/panels inert a tube net

           Less expensive solar heat storage : Trombe-wall (ANWAR,France)
https://www.google.de/search?q=trombe+wall+architecture&biw=1024&bih=612&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=T8AMVKS6JcrE7AbDt4DQDA&ved=0CCAQsAQ

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/147070744054553395/

           Solar air heating collectors  ( f.e. TM "Sunmate"  )


          and as ambiental energy collector heat pump :
                          Jacques Bernier AXERGIE                                                                                        https://web.archive.org/web/20110827103139/http://www.larbombas.pt/
                       ("open source" technology, Pat. from 1987)     

floor radiant heat panel : http://www.radia-therm.de



Sincerely
              OCWL