The Thermal Systems with Phase Change department specialises in the research and development of energy conversion and thermal energy storage processes for applications in industrial process engineering and power plant technology. The focus is on the development of high-performance phase change storage systems in the temperature range from 150°C to 450°C.
ALass - Active latent heat storage
100kW demonstrator with transported phase change material
Together with our industrial partner STEAG, now Iqony, we have implemented and demonstrated a PCM (phase change material) storage system on an industrial scale (1.9 MWh), which is integrated into a combined heat and power plant.
A key advantage of our systems is their high energy density at an almost constant temperature level, which makes them particularly efficient for applications that require stable heat dissipation.
Our research includes the generation of both saturated and superheated vapour through thermal or electrical charging. A special feature of our active systems and operating concepts is the possibility of decoupling power and storage capacity. This means that power output and storage capacity can be optimised independently of each other, resulting in greater system flexibility and efficiency.
Expertise
Our aim is to design and optimise the storage system so that it meets the desired operating characteristics and these can be demonstrated on a large scale. This expertise enables us to develop powerful and economical solutions for steam generation and other high-performance applications.
At component level, we are working on heat-conducting structures such as the finned double-tube heat exchanger. This enables the operation of Rankine batteries with different working fluids.
At the same time, we dedicate ourselves to the numerical simulation of convection processes during phase change. These simulations allow us to develop precise phase change storage models that are customised to the specific requirements of our projects at various levels of detail. These models serve as the basis for optimising and adapting the storage technologies that we use in real energy systems.
We are therefore modelling, developing and testing innovative power-to-heat and power-to-heat-to-power processes. These technologies are crucial for utilising surplus energy and feeding it back into the energy system. We are thus not only increasing the flexibility of modern energy storage solutions, but also their overall efficiency, which is of crucial importance at a time of growing energy demand.
However, our work does not end in the laboratory. Our team plans, builds and operates prototypes of energy storage systems and the associated test infrastructure. These prototypes serve as test platforms for the further development and optimisation of our technologies and enable practical testing under real conditions.
Chester
The world's first Carnot battery based on the Rankine cycle
