LAUSR

This study numerically investigates the charging and discharging processes of a three-stages cascaded latent heat thermal energy storage unit using three molten salts as the phase change materials (PCMs). Each stage of the unit is a vertical shell-and-tube heat exchanger, whose shell side is filled with the PCM and air. The liquid fractions, temperatures, and accumulated thermal energy of the PCMs during the fully charging and discharging processes, as well as the effects of the HTF inlet temperature, are analyzed. The results show that lower melting temperature of the PCM causes faster charging rate and more released heat in the cascaded LHTES system. Compared with the non-cascaded LHTES systems, the cascaded LHTES systems can possess better flexibility via the selection of the PCMs.