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Finland's Innovative Sand Battery

Finland has installed the world's first sand battery to store heat from renewable sources like solar and wind power. Sand is an effective storage medium as it can absorb and retain a large amount of heat, withstand high temperatures without degrading, and insulate well to prevent heat loss. The Finnish sand battery charges by using renewable electricity to heat sand to 600°C, stores the heat for months, and provides warm air to power district heating systems and keep buildings warm in winter. Sand batteries offer advantages over lithium batteries by providing long-term heat storage from an abundant and inexpensive material.

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387 views3 pages

Finland's Innovative Sand Battery

Finland has installed the world's first sand battery to store heat from renewable sources like solar and wind power. Sand is an effective storage medium as it can absorb and retain a large amount of heat, withstand high temperatures without degrading, and insulate well to prevent heat loss. The Finnish sand battery charges by using renewable electricity to heat sand to 600°C, stores the heat for months, and provides warm air to power district heating systems and keep buildings warm in winter. Sand batteries offer advantages over lithium batteries by providing long-term heat storage from an abundant and inexpensive material.

Uploaded by

manager.general42
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
  • World's First Sand Battery: This section introduces the concept of the world's first sand battery and its potential uses for storing heat energy.
  • Mechanism of Sand Battery: Explains how the sand battery is charged and used, and discusses its application in energy sustainability.
  • Benefits of Sand Battery: Discusses the advantages of using sand batteries over traditional lithium batteries, including cost-effectiveness and efficiency.

World’s First Sand Battery:

 Finland has installed the world’s first sand battery that can store heat from
renewable energy sources for months and could be used to keep homes warm in
winter.

Sand Battery:
 Sand or sand-like materials are used as the store medium in a high-temperature
thermal energy storage system known as a "sand battery“.
 Here sand acts as a heat reservoir for energy. Its primary function is to serve as a
high-power and high-capacity energy storage system.

Reasons for Using Sand:


⯍ Sand has a high specific heat capacity, meaning it can absorb and store a significant
amount of heat energy. This property is the reason why sand remains warm long after the
sun has set.

⯍ Sand is a poor conductor of heat but a good insulator. When heated, it retains heat
quite effectively as it prevents heat loss to the environment.

⯍ Sand is able to withstand very high temperatures without decomposing or reacting


chemically. This makes it ideal for storing heat generated by sources such as solar or wind
power.

⯍ Sand is a widely available and low-cost material, making it an economical choice for a
large-scale thermal storage medium.

⯍ Sand is non-toxic, doesn't produce harmful emissions when heated, and can be safely
disposed of or reused, making it environmentally friendly.

⯍ Sand can be used in small quantities or in large volumes, making it a versatile and
scalable solution for heat storage.

Case of Finland:
⯍ Finland is known for its severe and lengthy winters, with temperatures often falling
below freezing for several months. Heat energy is therefore vital for maintaining comfortable
indoor.

⯍ Finland has an extensive district heating system, which supplies heat to homes and
businesses across the country. This system requires a large and reliable source of heat
energy.

⯍ Heat energy is also used extensively in various industrial processes in Finland, such
as in the pulp and paper industry.
⯍ Due to the recent geopolitical tensions and the dependence on foreign sources for energy
supplies, the ability to generate and store heat energy domestically is a key factor in
enhancing Finland's energy security.

Mechanism of Sand Battery:


 Charging: The sand battery is heated with clean electricity (wind or solar energy) and
the heat is stored for later use.

[Charging Battery: Using renewable sources, air is heated to 600°C in the electrical
air heater. The hot air is blown inside the sand battery through a pipe. The battery is
considered charged when the sand at the core of the battery reaches 600°C]

 Storage: The sand can keep the heat without loss potentially for months.

 Utilization: The Stored heat is used to power the district heating system keeping
homes, offices and swimming pools warm all year round.

[Discharging Battery: Using fans, air is pushed into the pipe inside the battery
casing. Once the air reaches, 200-500°C, it is sent to the air-to-water heat exchanger,
where it is used to boil water. The boiling water is sent to the district heating network
which is used to keep buildings and public water systems warm and provide hot
water for various industrial processes]

Benefits of Sand Battery:


1. The battery, made of sand collected from construction sites, can solve the problem of
round-the-year energy supply, a known limitation of renewable energy sources that
can be harnessed intermittently.
2. The sand can keep the heat without loss potentially for months.
3. Sand storage system presents advantages over traditional lithium batteries.
4. Cheaper and easier to get, sand can be heated up to 500 degrees Celsius, storing a
lot of heat in a small space.

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