The first generation prototype system (illustrated in figure 2) was installed in the laboratory of AEE-INTEC in Gleisdorf/Austria. System simulations showed that for a long-term heat storage application (storage periods of several months) a system consisting of several adsorbers and one evaporator/condenser would yield the best performance. This was the reason to install a system assembled of two adsorbers. All containers have a nominal volume of 1.25 m3, filled with 1.1 m3 of silica gel, and are equipped with internal heat exchangers. For the adsorber heat exchangers, a spiral plate heat exchanger was chosen. The evaporator/condenser contains two plate fin heat exchangers of different size located in the upper (condenser) and lower (evaporator) part of the container.

The hydraulic system consists of two distribution manifolds. There are two heat sources (the solar plant and the electrical flow heater) and three heat sinks (low temperature heat delivery system in a test apartment, hot water boiler in the test facility and a rain water cistern) available. A solar thermal plant with an aperture area of 20.4 m2 is on-hand for the test plant as the primary source of energy, the electrical flow heater is used as additional energy source. Figure 3 shows the four individual components in schematic terms as well as the heat flows between components.

DHW storage
tank

Figure 2: Sorption storage tank plant at the AEE INTEC in Gleisdorf/Austria
(EV/CO: evaporator/condenser, DHW: domestic hot water).

Figure 3: Schematic presentation of hydraulic circuits.