Sand-Like Particles for High-Temperature Thermal Energy Storage Enabling a Resilient Renewal Energy Future

Abstract:

The transition to renewable energy has increased the need for reliable, large-scale storage to balance intermittent generation with continuous demand. Thermal energy storage (TES) offers a cost-effective solution by capturing excess energy as heat and releasing it when needed, supporting long-duration storage and grid stability. Unlike batteries, TES can scale to industrial levels, provide process heat, and deliver electricity through power cycles. Recent advances use abundant, low-cost materials such as sand-like particles serving as both heat transfer media and storage. This talk will highlight emerging TES technologies and their role in a resilient, decarbonized energy future.

Shin Young Jeong is an assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Central Florida, and a faculty member of the Center for Advanced Turbomachinery and Energy Research. Prior to that, he was a postdoctoral researcher at National Renewable Energy Laboratory from 2023 to 2025. At NREL, he was part of the group whose work is featured in the article Solution to Energy Storage May Be Beneath Your Feet. His research has focused on developing commercial-scale particle-based concentrating solar thermal power (CSP) and thermal energy storage (TES).

Jeong leads the Granular Energy Technology Lab, which focuses on understanding energy transport and heat transfer in granular media and bulk solids at elevated temperature for CSP and TES applications — advancing the transition to a clean, energy efficient future. His research spans material property characterization (thermal, optical, mechanical, electrical), granular flow modeling and testing, heat and mass transfer simulations, and the design and testing of particle-based subcomponents, including solar receivers, heat exchangers, heaters, storage systems and transport mechanisms. He also conducts system-level design and techno-economic analysis to guide scalable, cost-effective solutions.

Register here: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/537948