The specialist area of thermal power plant components is dedicated to the development of high-temperature solid fuel storage systems, innovative solutions for their electrical heating and ceramic high-temperature heat exchangers. These components are suitable for processes with temperatures of up to 1000°C and above.
The components developed in the research area utilise ceramic materials and gases as heat transfer media. They are ideal for use where high and maximum temperatures are required and a space-saving design with high power densities is required.
Test facility HOTREG
3-5 tonnes of solid fuel storage for operation with hot air up to 1000°C
The overarching goals are to make power plant processes more flexible and to decarbonise industrial processes. A particular focus is on large-scale storage solutions that are robust enough to withstand harsh everyday industrial conditions and are very cost-effective with storage costs of less than €15/kWh.
The good adaptability of the solutions enables numerous applications in energy-intensive industries and can make a significant contribution to the decarbonisation of process heat by replacing fossil fuels with sustainable and timely electric heat. The flexibilisation of electricity procurement also promotes the economic viability of the solutions.
Expertise
The work is always focussed on the user process in order to optimally align the capabilities of the components with its requirements. The focus is on the design and evaluation of electricity-heat-electricity systems ("Carnot batteries") based on the Brayton process, CAES, LAES systems and other power plant processes as well as various industrial processes.
Technical solutions include heat accumulators based on moulded stone or fills, air heaters with resistive or inductive heating and ceramic heat exchangers made of fills or cellular structures that use the new possibilities of 3D printing.
All technology solutions are validated in experimental operation on a relevant scale. The HOTREG test facility is available for tests on a 5-tonne scale for the operation of solid fuel heat storage systems. Experimental operation for air heaters enables outputs of up to around 100 kW.
Component development includes all relevant aspects: thermal, fluidic, thermomechanical and, if necessary, electrothermal calculations lead to specifically customised designs. The competences for these multidisciplinary tasks are fully covered and continuously expanded, with a focus on the thermomechanics of debris and inductively heated, air-cooled structures.
Thermo-mechanical analysis
Thermo-mechanical analysis of a solids storage tank
