Wed, 16 Sep 2026 16:19:17 +0100 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/ Lussumo Vanilla 1.0.3 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=15820&Focus=269630#Comment_269630 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=15820&Focus=269630#Comment_269630 Tue, 31 Jul 2018 12:59:57 +0100 gyrogear
http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=15801&page=1

"(...) maybe with some freezer blocks or bottles of salty water to act as stores of cold?"

This bought my eye, as I am currently configuring my crawlspace as a solar-thermal heat store (using warm air...).
The essential part of the storage will be the concrete structure and (hopefully) the ground. In addition I intend to use a couple of 1000-liter static water batteries (plastic dustbins filled with water).

I have apparently ingested the fact that a tonne of water through one kelvin represents 1.16 kWh of storage capacity.

I am now wondering whether the water ought, in fact to be BRINE - cannot seem to find any info about specific heat of brine via web searches, and my O-level physics was several decades ago...


In addition I have planned for a third storage comprising a 3x3 matrix of nine 240-liter tanks (wheely bins) buried up to their shoulders, the central bin being circulated through a PEX HEX comprising 75 meters of tube inside a hot-air tunnel. The idea being to inject heat into soil... The question is, if BRINE is OK for static storage, would it be OK in a circulated system, or would it corrode the circulator?

Any assistance much appreciated as usual !

gg]]> https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=15820&Focus=269631#Comment_269631 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=15820&Focus=269631#Comment_269631 Tue, 31 Jul 2018 13:25:26 +0100 WillInAberdeen
If you want to store heat, you ideally want a cheap substance that melts and freezes at a nice warm room temperature. Unfortunately there aren't many common substances that fit that bill, so you may be better just using a lot of water.]]> https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=15820&Focus=269635#Comment_269635 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=15820&Focus=269635#Comment_269635 Tue, 31 Jul 2018 14:39:07 +0100 gyrogear
Now : where to get hold of a few tons of candlefat going cheap !
Or maybe try my local abattoir

gg]]> https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=15820&Focus=269636#Comment_269636 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=15820&Focus=269636#Comment_269636 Tue, 31 Jul 2018 14:42:35 +0100 tony https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=15820&Focus=269637#Comment_269637 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=15820&Focus=269637#Comment_269637 Tue, 31 Jul 2018 15:17:08 +0100 gyrogear
(and just get on with the dig instead... )

gg]]> https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=15820&Focus=269639#Comment_269639 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=15820&Focus=269639#Comment_269639 Tue, 31 Jul 2018 16:32:07 +0100 tony https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=15820&Focus=269640#Comment_269640 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=15820&Focus=269640#Comment_269640 Tue, 31 Jul 2018 16:42:08 +0100 gyrogear

If mine works as well as yours, I'll be a well happy lad !

gg]]> https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=15820&Focus=269653#Comment_269653 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=15820&Focus=269653#Comment_269653 Tue, 31 Jul 2018 23:52:49 +0100 DamonHD http://www.earth.org.uk/milk-tanker-thermal-store.html

Also magnetite (see later).

But note Sunamp's 3x-denser-than-water phase-change storage, commercially available now.

Rgds

Damon]]> https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=15820&Focus=269657#Comment_269657 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=15820&Focus=269657#Comment_269657 Wed, 01 Aug 2018 10:49:38 +0100 gyrogear
However, I doubt a milk tanker would fit inside my crawlspace, and as for 15 tonnes of magnetite, it would take a very long bucket-chain not to mention several weekends

gg]]>