Imagine a thermal battery that can be tuned like a radio to work at exactly the temperature you need. Instead of using bulky tanks of water, it uses special salts that store heat through a chemical reaction. This allows you to capture waste heat and save it for later without it leaking away over time.
Current thermal energy storage is too rigid; materials must be custom-designed for every single application. This makes the R&D process expensive and slow, preventing the widespread use of waste heat recovery.
A TCES-prototype featuring tunable phase diagram materials and flexible heat exchangers using triply minimal surfaces (TPMS) structures.
If you are a system integrator dealing with the intermittency of renewable heat sources — this project developed a TCES-prototype that allows for flexible in- and output temperatures. This enables a precise fit between the storage system and the specific temperature demand of a home.
If you are an operator dealing with peak demand loads — this project developed a technology for peak shaving and thermal energy communities. It helps bridge the gap between when heat is available and when it is actually needed.
If you are a specialist dealing with the 8900 PJ of unused low temperature waste heat in Europe — this project developed tunable thermochemical materials. This allows for the efficient capture and long-term storage of low-grade heat.
The technology aims to reduce development costs by 90% because the R&D process does not have to be repeated for every new application.
Based on available project data, the project is currently developing a proof-of-concept TCES-prototype for domestic use cases rather than full industrial scale.
Based on available project data, specific licensing terms are not provided, but the results will be integrated into the technology of partner Cellcius (CEL).
The project is developing revolutionary systems with electricity adapted thermodynamic cycles to better align with renewable energy sources.
The project period runs from 2024-02-01 to 2028-01-31, with the proof-of-concept to be realized at the end of the project.
The consortium is well-balanced for technology transfer, featuring a 29% industry ratio with 2 industrial partners and 1 SME. It combines high-level academic research from 4 universities/research centers across 5 countries (BE, DE, ES, IT, NL) with a dedicated heat battery developer (Cellcius), ensuring a direct path from computational material science to a physical product.
Contact the Technical University of Eindhoven (TUE) regarding the 4TunaTES project.
Contact us to connect with the 4TunaTES consortium for early adoption of tunable TCES materials.
