Sorptive heat storage using activated carbon

Activated carbon can be produced from a large variety of carbonaceous source materials. Different methods have also been established for the process steps of carbonization and activation for use in commercial applications. In the project HyAcitv researchers optimize activated carbons and in a further step, molded articles are produced for use in open sorption systems. The application of these moldings is demonstrated in a laboratory storage system. .

Increasing efficiency of power plants and electric arc steelworks

How can energy efficiency in industry and thermal power

plants be increased by using thermal energy storages? Researchers are studying

the integration of thermal storage in different industrial and CHP processes.

The focus is on high temperature storages with a storage temperature above 200

°C. A highlight of the project TESIN is the development, design, build,

commissioning and operation of a latent heat storage unit in the operating CHP

plant in Wellesweiler, Saarland of STEAG New Energies. ... more

Pourable PCM for high temperatures

Dresden researchers develop small pourable and pumpable heat storage capsules for the temperature range from 130 to 350 ° C. The hollow spheres are made from metal alloys. Depending on the application, the diameters vary from 2 to 6 mm. The capsules contain salt mixtures for latent heat storage. ... more

Metal hydrides store faster with graphite

Many metal alloys can reversibly bind large amounts of hydrogen, forming metal hydrides. The chemical reaction releases large amounts of heat. Metal hydrides are therefore suitable not only for hydrogen storage but also as thermochemical heat storage. Metal hydride storages achieve extremely high charging and discharging performances by a combination of metal hydrides with thermally conductive graphite in a composite material. ... more

More efficiency through bulk movement

Chemical heat storage with Calziumoxid is being tested by Scientists of the DLR in the project BERTI. As a special feature, the laboratory unit of Stuttgart researchers has a wandering reaction bed. As a result the heat capacity of the storage and its heat output can be designed independently of one another. ... more

How to store heat for weeks

Scientists are developed solar cylinders, which can store solar heat for weeks. For this purpose they combineed a patented latent heat storage material with super insulation. Compared to equally sized conventional water storages, the solar cylinders have three times the storage capacity and have only one tenth of the heat losses. ... more

Sorption heat storage for the industry

In MoGeSoWa researchers developed an efficient, cost-effective modular heat storage. The aim was, to increase the energy efficiency of combined heat and power plants. ... more

Increasing the energy density of thermal storages

Scientists optimise materials and components for soprtion-based thermal energy storages of high energy density. Sorption reservoirs for buildings currently achieve an energy density of about 130 kWh / m³. In the project MAKSORE the researchers want to achieve an effective usable volumetric energy density of at least 180 kWh / m³. ... more

Segmental design reduces costs of storage tanks

Large-scale hot water storage tanks have proved to be reliable and efficient heat storage for cogeneration as well as for solar thermal plants and industrial processes. As part of the research project OBSERW, scientists try to reduce the construction costs of such storage tanks. To accomplish this goal they develop a segmental design for aboveground storage tanks from 500 to 8.000 m³ volumetric capacity. ... more

Gas and fuel from wind

Can wind be stored? Siemens, Linde, RheinMain University of Applied Sciences and the Mainz municipal utility company want to enable that during periods with no wind at “Energiepark Mainz” (Mainz Energy Park). For this purpose the researchers are producing hydrogen from wind energy. From 2015, it is intended to produce hydrogen using a Power-to-Gas plant at the newly developed Mainz Energy Park. ... more