HIGH-TEMPERATURE HEAT-STORAGE USING NATURAL ROCK

In the study for a CRS power plant in the Swiss alps, METAROZ, a natural rock heat storage was proposed for use in the atmospheric air heat transfer circuit [1]. Analytical work performed subsequently at Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) demonstrated, that from a thermodynamic point of view such a storage unit would function as intended, [2], namely produce a discharging air temperature almost identical to the charging air temperature. A following study, sponsored by the Bundesamt fur Energiewirtschaft and performed by SOTEL, dealt with the practical problems of this type of storage [3].