Modeling and Simulation for Thermal Energy Storage System Design**

2015年，人类消耗的能源中超过81%来自化石燃料，化石燃料产生的温室气体排放导致全球变暖。减少它们的消耗并支持可再生能源，如水力发电、风能或太阳能，已经变得至关重要。不幸的是，大多数可再生能源是间歇性的，不一定与电力消耗周期相一致。因此，必须开发储能系统，以便在可再生能源可用时捕获它们，并在需要时分配它们。位于蒙特利尔的Sigma Energy Storage公司目前正在研究一种新型的热能储存系统，该系统通过现场发现的岩石堆积体中的热空气流动来充电。储存的热量可以在以后的放电阶段用于发电。这种充填岩床储热系统为现有的储能系统提供了一种具有吸引力和成本效益的替代方案。Sigma Energy Storage和Polytechnique montracim之间拟议的合作目标涉及热传递两相瞬态计算模型的开发、实施和分析，这些模型将在热能储存系统的初步设计阶段使用。更具体地说，要求模型快速、健壮和准确，以便适合设计优化。该项目的主要成果将包括一项可行性研究，评估能够经济有效地储存和提取能源的参数范围。参数化研究将在一维和三维空间中使用已建立的数学和数值模型。开发可靠、高性能的计算模型将有助于Sigma Energy Storage设计出最优配置的充填岩床储能系统。这种技术将有助于减少化石燃料的消耗，并充分利用间歇性可再生能源，为加拿大和世界其他地方带来最大的经济和环境影响。

More than 81% of the energy consumed by humans in 2015 came from fossil fuels, which generate greenhouse gas emissions responsible for worldwide global warming. It has become vital to reduce their consumption and favor renewable energies, such as hydroelectricity, wind, or solar energies. Unfortunately, most sources of renewable energies are intermittent and not necessarily in phase with the electricity consumption cycle. It is therefore essential to develop energy storage systems to capture renewable energies when they are available and distribute them when needed. The company Sigma Energy Storage in Montreal is currently investigating novel thermal energy storage systems which are charged by hot air flow through packed aggregates of rocks found on-site. The stored heat can be later used during a discharging phase for the generation of electricity. Such a packed-rock bed thermal energy storage system offers an attractive and cost-efficient alternative to existing energy storage systems. The objective of the proposed collaboration between Sigma Energy Storage and Polytechnique Montréal is concerned with the development, implementation, and analysis of heat transfer two-phase transient computational models to be later used in the preliminary design phase of thermal energy storage systems. More specifically, requirements are that the model be fast, robust, and accurate so that it is suitable for design optimization. The major outcome of the project will consist of a feasibility study assessing the range of parameters over which energy can be stored and extracted cost-effectively. The parametric study will be done with the use of established mathematical and numerical models in one and three space dimensions. The development of reliable and performant computational models will help Sigma Energy Storage with the design of optimal configurations of packed-rock bed thermal energy storage systems. Such technology will help in turn reduce fossil fuel consumption and take full advantage of intermittent renewable energies for maximum economic and environmental impact in Canada and elsewhere in the world.