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Exploration of Kgalagadi Sand as a High-Temperature Heat Storage Material for the Growing Renewable Energy Market in Botswana

2026-06-03 · International Sustainable Energy Conference - Proceedings

One-line summary

A solar energy research paper on Exploration of Kgalagadi Sand as a High-Temperature Heat Storage Material for the Growing Renewable Energy Market in Botswana.

Engineering notes

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Chinese explanation / 中文解读

中文解读待补充:本站会优先为光伏效率、钙钛矿太阳能电池、储能技术、太阳能热利用、BIPV、并网技术等高价值论文补充中文说明。

Original abstract

This study presents an investigation of Botswana’s Kgalagadi Desert sand for its feasibility as a high-temperature sensible thermal energy storage material. The main objective of the study is to thermally characterise the sand by investigating its decomposition under thermal stress, the variation of its thermo-physical properties, agglomeration effects, phase transitions, and many others. The study used a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) for heat flow analysis, a thermogravimetric analyser (TGA) for thermal stability and mass loss determination, an X-ray Diffractometer (XRD) to determine the mineralogy of the sand, and an X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyser for the elemental composition. Results from the aforementioned tests showed that Kgalagadi sand is pure and silica-rich with relatively good thermo-physical properties, thus the sand is ideal for high-temperature thermal storage applications. The sand also maintains weight stability after cyclic high-temperature heat stresses, and it also does not suffer from agglomeration, likely due to its purity.

5.0Engineering value
7.0Research novelty
4.0Business relevance

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