Abstract
•Cold thermal storage is used to store energy during off-peak load for later use.•Ice storage is the most effective method for storing energy.•The mechanics of ice formation on flooded tubes in power plant AC is introduced.•Cold thermal storage application presented as best choice for reducing peak loads.
Energy storage systems provide the methods and technologies used to store energy of various forms. Cold thermal storage is used to store energy during off-peak load conditions for later use during peak load conditions. A flooded tube for cold thermal storage was built to study the formation of ice experimentally. The flooded tube was subjected to stagnant water, stirred water, and recirculated water. The flooded tube with recirculated water showed the best performance. About 7.9 g/m2 s of ice was formed with a starting overall heat transfer coefficient of 1096 W/m2 K. Discharge cycles were analyzed, and it was determined that 7.1 kg of ice was sufficient to hold a load for 110 min for a 927 W unit.