[Gasification] Glaubers Salts for Thermal Storage

[Mark Ludlow]

Greg,

I am thinking of sodium sulfate--what you get when you mix sodium hydroxide
(lye) and sulfuric acid. You can dissolve it at a 1:2 ratio with water if
the water is warmed but as it starts to freeze at 90F it gives off 83 BTU/lb
of heat for every lb. that freezes. If you have 5-tons of it and some way to
heat it to its liquid phase and extract the heat, you could recover 830,000
BTUs of heat, just from the change of liquid to solid. Of course it takes an
equal amount of energy to make it liquid again. 8.3 therms is worth about
$12 in natural gas terms so it's fairly effective as a moderate temperature
thermal battery for home heating. Plus, it's cheap. The expense is in the
heat exchangers that transfer heat between the salt and your working fluid
(likely water/glycol in AK). Lots of things have been tried; many work, more
or less.

I misspoke when I said it was corrosive. It's not.

I think it would work well when your district heating system is down for
tinkering, Greg.

Mark

-----Original Message-----
From: gasification-bounces at listserv.repp.org
[mailto:gasification-bounces at listserv.repp.org] On Behalf Of Greg Manning
Sent: Thursday, April 03, 2008 10:38 PM
To: 'Discussion of biomass pyrolysis and gasification'
Subject: Re: [Gasification] Glaubers Salts for Thermal Storage


 Correct me if I'm wrong, but we use this as "tractor salts" for rear tires,
it can't freeze, and is as dense as rock by itself.

 "Calcium & Water"

Greg Manning





-----Original Message-----
From: gasification-bounces at listserv.repp.org
[mailto:gasification-bounces at listserv.repp.org]On Behalf Of Tom Miles
Sent: Thursday, April 03, 2008 11:34 PM
To: 'Discussion of biomass pyrolysis and gasification'
Subject: [Gasification] Glaubers Salts for Thermal Storage


Can someone respond to an inquiry about Glauber's slats for thermal storage?
I received the following today:



"We are getting ready to install thermal storage to augment our gasifying
wood boiler and solar hot water systems, and I was wondering if you could
give me a thumbnail sketch of the viability for Glauber's salt as opposed to
water.  Any special considerations that you are aware of?  Can you point me
to any successful residential applications that you know of?  Thanks a lot
for you help. "



The application is in the interior of Alaska.



Regards,



Tom Miles







_______________________________________________
Gasification mailing list
Gasification at listserv.repp.org
http://listserv.repp.org/mailman/listinfo/gasification_listserv.repp.org
http://gasifiers.bioenergylists.org
http://info.bioenergylists.org
No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG.
Version: 7.5.519 / Virus Database: 269.22.5/1357 - Release Date: 4/3/2008
10:48 AM

No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG.
Version: 7.5.519 / Virus Database: 269.22.5/1357 - Release Date: 4/3/2008
10:48 AM



_______________________________________________
Gasification mailing list
Gasification at listserv.repp.org
http://listserv.repp.org/mailman/listinfo/gasification_listserv.repp.org
http://gasifiers.bioenergylists.org
http://info.bioenergylists.org