Energy is increasingly being supplied from renewable sources. It is therefore becoming increasingly important to provide electricity flexibly so that it is always available exactly when it is needed. In the heating sector, a corresponding reorganisation is being sought. The future dismantling of fossil-fuelled combined heat and power generation increases the urgency for efficient solutions here.
Inductively heated honeycomb on the test bench at the Institute of Engineering Thermodynamics
The test stand is used to develop new power-to-heat technologies based on the induction heating process. As part of the project described, a 1000°C induction heater is being set up here and tested in high-temperature operation.
Efficient and operationally flexible solutions for power-to-heat technologies and alternative fuels in centralised and decentralised applications are therefore necessary for the upcoming switch to heat generated using renewable energies.
Two favoured technologies of different performance classes are based on
micro gas turbines with a systemically integrated and electrically heated solid fuel heat storage system and
Thanks to its decentralised approach and fuel-flexible combustion systems, the micro gas turbine with integrated electrically heated solid fuel heat storage opens up great market potential for commercial combined heat and power applications as well as applications in residential areas.
Large-scale Brayton process-based Carnot batteries, on the other hand, offer greater flexibility and efficiency for industrial applications and grid stability due to their typical power plant size.
Successful further development of these two technologies towards experimental testing and investigation of system dynamics is therefore at the heart of the JouleFlex project. For the storage-supported micro gas turbine, this includes the development of a load-flexible combustion chamber, an inductive high-temperature electric heater for the solid fuel storage system and holistic, experimental testing via virtual coupling of the subsystems. For the Brayton battery, the work includes analysing the dynamic aspects of components and systems to assess the potential for use, particularly for various target markets for combined heat, power and cooling.
MGT systems test rig at the DLR Institute of Combustion Technology
At its core, the test rig consists of a microturbine, a high-temperature air preheater and various mixing lines. It is used to emulate the coupling of a microturbine with various high-temperature processes.
Development of a combustion chamber with variable orifice geometry (integrated high-temperature valve mechanism for load-independent dynamic adjustment of the fuel/air ratio in the combustion chamber for low pollutant emissions over a wide operating range) to significantly reduce exhaust emissions over the entire load range of a microturbine and preheating range of the high-temperature heat accumulator
Development of an induction heater for operating temperatures of over 1000 °C with high power-to-heat efficiency
Development of compact high-temperature solid fuel heat accumulators for decentralised applications with low heat losses
Process simulations to investigate the most promising way of integrating high-temperature heat accumulators into microturbines and their mode of operation
Construction and operation of harmonised microturbine and inductively heated high-temperature storage test benches to demonstrate virtually coupled operation
Development of dynamic system models for Brayton process-based Carnot batteries for megawatt/gigawatt-scale applications
Identification of system configurations and operating strategies to evaluate the application potential of Carnot batteries for different target markets of combined heat, power and cooling.
