Comprehensive Review on Packed Bed Thermal Energy Storage Systems

Due to cataclysmic effects of fossil fuels on the environment and global climate change which they are directly responsible for, a new technologic race has emerged. The race has to be completely fossil-free, and there is a need of minimizing carbon footprint. As the transition from fossil fuels to alternative energy sources expedites, we realize the countless loopholes that need to be filled before any of these sources can be commercially or industry realized on a scale that can make a difference. One such setback is the intermittent nature of the most promising candidate: solar energy. Thermal energy storage (TES) systems provide a way out of this. A great deal of research has been carried on energy storages, from time immemorial. This paper focuses on the evolution of thermal energy storage systems based on packed beds, which find extensive usage in the most useful solar installations we currently have on the planet: concentrated solar plants (CSPs).