Researchers use sand to store solar power

Scientists in Abu Dhabi started working on a pilot project

In Abu Dhabi, researchers are testing a pilot device that can store solar energy in sand to improve the efficiency of power plants, reports SciDevNet.

Sand is drained from a higher basin into a lower one, using gravity, and heating sand grains during the transition. "Two pilot models of the system have been tested in an effort to prove its efficiency and applicability on a large scale in big projects,ÔÇØ said Nicolas Calvet, assistant professor at the Masdar institute's department of mechanical engineering.

Further testing involve researching the thermal stability of sand and its specific heat-absorption capacity. Calvet added that "The hourglass idea inspired the system, as it uses two reservoirs connected to one another vertically across a narrow passage that allows the movement of 'cold' grains of sand from the upper reservoir to the lower 'hot' one."