The TESLAB facility is equipped with a 250 kWh molten salt thermal energy storage (MS TES) system, shown in Figure 1. This installation provides a flexible and controlled environment for the testing, validation, and optimization of key hardware components prior to field deployment. Typical experimental activities include the development of salt-to-air heat exchangers, steam generators, and advanced sensor technologies such as salt-level monitoring systems.
The MS TES unit integrates a dedicated in-house temperature monitoring system based on high-precision thermocouples, ensuring spatially resolved thermal characterization. Two bottom-mounted electric heaters, with a combined thermal power of 18 kW, enable controlled charging of the system. Heater operation is governed by a PI-controlled feedback system, allowing users to maintain stable temperatures according to defined operational setpoints.
The second room of the TESLAB, hosts a thermocline-type sensible heat storage system designed for advanced research on stratified energy storage. The setup comprises two independent closed-loop circuits for hot and cold fluids, each driven by a dedicated heat pump and an electric heater.
Thermal exchange occurs primarily through conduction within custom design & manufactured spiral heat exchangers located at the top and bottom of the storage tank. These heat exchangers are modular and can be replaced with alternative configurations, enabling researchers to investigate a wide range of heat transfer geometries, materials, and ow regimes. The storage tank itself is constructed from AISI 304 stainless steel, providing corrosion resistance and mechanical stability while permitting experimentation with diverse storage media.
Overall, the configuration is highly versatile, allowing reconfiguration to suit a variety of research objectives within the Energy, Environment and Water Research Center (EEWRC).
All control, data acquisition, and instrumentation systems are developed in-house using DATAFORTH MAQ20 modules, providing robust and flexible real-time control of laboratory operations.
Examples of these custom control architectures are shown in Figure a for the molten salt system and in Figure b for the thermocline storage configuration. The system integrates continuous monitoring of 15 thermocouples, mass flow rates from inverter-driven pumps, and temperature regulation of the submerged heating elements in the buffer tanks.
This comprehensive in-house control framework enables precise automation, high-fidelity data acquisition, and the seamless integration of new components for experimental validation and
prototype development.
(a) Molten Salt TES setup at TESLAB.
(b) MAX-T prototype during experimental validation.
