I found a website with a bit more technical writing on it:

https://techxplore.com/news/2022-04-battery-quickly-millions-homes-gas-free.html

I haven't seen the efficiency of it anywhere, and I think it needs a source of heat of >100C - the big win I think being having no standby losses at all.  I don't see how it helps in a self contained single domestic setting versus a  storage heater / DHW tank / thermal store / phase change material.  Storage heaters have a bad rep for loosing heat too quickly, but I'm confident they could be a lot better with vacuum panels and a better form factor.

They are considering free sources of 150C heat to charge it up, transporting it losslessly (except for the transport!), and using it in a house.

@robl

The simple ideas are often the best.

Looking at the physical size, the energy density would appear to be in the region of that for battery storage, though of course battery storage can be used to power other devices rather than just heating. Dependent upon the availability and cost of the required salt crystals, such a system could be cheaper than battery storage.

Looking into the future we may see homes with salt batteries powered by solar thermal panels and also electrical batteries power by solar PV systems, which in combination could provide the vast majority of the homes energy needs throughout much of the year. It may even be possible to use energy stored in salt batteries to preheat the air going into an ASHP, thereby improving the overall efficiency on cold Winter nights.

I particularly like the idea of using waste industrial heat energy to dry the salt, which then could be stored for use during the Winter heating season.

I did a bit of reading on the subject and the biggest challenge with using salt is ‘releasing’ the heat that has been created because apparently salt likes to hang onto heat. So it’ll be interesting to see how they get around that. 

Innovation like this can only be positive and maybe it can branch out into the verticals that Derek has mentioned.

My ASHP installers, CAPLOR, have a salt battery system set up at their HQ in Herefordshire.  I was shown it recently.

Posted by: @mikefitz

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My ASHP installers, CAPLOR, have a salt battery system set up at their HQ in Herefordshire.  I was shown it recently.

Hi Mike,

Please supply details if you can.

Caplor have been involved in Green energy for many years and have experimented with solar, wind and ASHP's.  The owner (an ex student of mine) has experimented with different sources.

If you wish to know something specific let me know and I can ask.

Mike

Posted by: @mikefitz

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Caplor have been involved in Green energy for many years and have experimented with solar, wind and ASHP's.  The owner (an ex student of mine) has experimented with different sources.

 

If you wish to know something specific let me know and I can ask.

Mike

Hi Mike,

I am planning to install some battery storage next year, so not desperate.

Rather than buy equipment from China, to fund their military, I would prefer to get equipment from the UK, or at least European.