Design and investigation of the novel ZnCl2 based ternary chloride salts with low-temperature for sensible energy storage

A thermodynamic description of LiCl-NaCl-CaCl2-ZnCl2 system was critically developed based on computational thermodynamic principles. The Gibbs energy of liquid phases for LiCl-NaCl-CaCl2-ZnCl2 were described by the substitutional solution model (SSM) and the associate solution model (ASM). Thermodynamic database was successfully established for designing the composition and predicting thermodynamics by Kohler-Toop interpolation rule. The predicted molten salt mixtures were further analyzed by DSC. The results show that the LiClNaCl-ZnCl2 and NaCl-CaCl2-ZnCl2 ternary systems with suitable predicted components were expected to be used as thermal storage media. Additional thermophysical properties like the specific heat capacities, densities and thermal stability of ternary systems were also obtained and structures of the melts were determined successfully. It could be expected that the design of the compositions with superior thermophysical properties would exhibit extensive potential in concentrating solar power applications.