Students at the College of Engineering Innovate an Advanced Thermal Energy Storage System Powered by Solar Energy
Students from the Electromechanical Engineering Department at the College of Engineering, University of Samarra, have innovated a scientific project embodied in a \”Thermal Storage System Powered by Solar Energy,\” in realization of the university\’s vision to support sustainability.
The innovation was achieved by a team of fourth-stage students, represented by (Zaid Hassan Mohammed, Omar Mohammed Ahmed, and Mohammed Nizar Saleh), under the supervision of Dr. Oras Fadel Khalaf and Dr. Shaima Hisham Abdul Malik, reflecting the efforts of the university and its staff to provide innovative solutions that support clean energy technology.
The innovation relies on converting direct solar radiation energy into highly efficient thermal energy, which is utilized to heat water inside an advanced network of pipes. This energy is then retained inside a specially designed storage unit featuring three diverse engineering coils to study and evaluate the efficiency of different thermal storage media.
From the practical side, the first coil was allocated to test the performance of motor oil, while the second coil contained a composite mixture of motor oil and sand. The third coil contained a mixture of motor oil and gravel. Hot water then flows through copper pipes surrounded by those materials to ensure maintaining temperatures for as long as possible and to raise the overall efficiency of the system to serve various domestic and industrial applications.
It is noted that this research project represents a promising step towards rationalizing electricity consumption, reducing dependence on fossil fuels, and reducing harmful carbon emissions. Its scientific importance lies in providing a comprehensive comparative study to determine the best and most efficient thermal storage media, opening new horizons for developing alternative, sustainable, and more effective energy systems suitable for the future.
In turn, the Department of Media and Government Communication congratulates the research team of students and their supervisors on their distinguished research output, wishing them continued success in their scientific and professional careers.
