Numerical modelling of salt hydrate based thermochemical reactor for industrial waste heat temperature boost

This study presents a one-dimensional transient numerical model of a thermochemical heat transformer (THT) designed for industrial waste heat temperature upgrade. The model simulates the reversible hydration–dehydration cycle of SrBr 2 , considering experimentally determined temperature and conversion dependent thermal properties of the material. A detailed thermal resistance network models the complex heat exchanger geometry within the reactor, enabling localized analysis of the thermal behavior. The model accurately predicts transient thermal power, energy density, and temperature profiles across the reactor during both charging (dehydration) and discharging (hydration), and is validated against experimental data from literature, with a maximum error within 2% for hydration and 4.8% for dehydration. A global sensitivity analysis highlights the dominant influence of heat transfer parameters, particularly the number of heat exchanger fins and material thermal conductivity, on the thermal performance of the reactor. These results provide valuable guidelines for optimizing thermochemical heat transformers for continuous industrial heat recovery and upgrade applications.