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Specialty Chemistry Forums => Citizen Chemist => Topic started by: won_gong on April 07, 2005, 11:44:31 AM

Title: Heat storing reaction
Post by: won_gong on April 07, 2005, 11:44:31 AM

Hi,

I'm a first/second year chem student.  I'm more intrested in organic or biochem, then things like the chemistry of transition elements etc.  My friend has a degree in mech eng and is working on a project and asked my advice, and I don't really know where to begin on how you would answer his question.

I haven't fully gone over the details with him, so I'm a little short on info for you.  He has a quantity of heat in a system (i think from copper passive solar cells) that he wants to store chemically.  Right now, the best that can be done is to heat an insulated vat of water.  His idea is that if he can use heat to drive a reaction (endothermic) that its activation energy is 50-120 degrees C that results in products that are easy to seperate.  When the heat was wanted back out of the system, the products would be recombined and the released heat used (I imagine to heat water for domestic use or something).

Is this possible?
If not, why?
How would you search the literature (eg sci finder) to find such a reaction?
Have people tried this befor?

I don't really have much of a clue where to begin and would appriciate any ideas on how to get started on a project like this.

thanks

Title: Re:Heat storing reaction
Post by: Donaldson Tan on April 07, 2005, 07:50:43 PM

why does your description remind me of a rechargeable battery?

Title: Re:Heat storing reaction
Post by: won_gong on April 08, 2005, 12:04:52 AM

The energy generated by the solar units is heat, not electricity.  what type of recharable batteries charge heat?

Title: Re:Heat storing reaction
Post by: Donaldson Tan on April 08, 2005, 03:41:20 PM

it's the same concept as the battery, except we can manipulate electricity safely. industrial production of TNT is a method of storing heat in a chemical compound. i will look for suitable compounds in the diazonium family

Title: Re:Heat storing reaction
Post by: billnotgatez on April 16, 2005, 07:40:49 PM

Water stores heat fairly well if you keep it in a thermos device. That heat can be used later and recharged by solar energy during the day.
Solar energy is converted to hydrocarbons by plant life, which can be burned for energy. That makes it a method of storage.
There are compounds that melt at room temperature. Therefor they act as a storage device for heat energy since they give off heat when they solidify


Regards,
Bill