Final Commissioning and Experimental Performance Characterization of a Bench-scale Thermochemical Heat Storage System (SEU/SPG)

Thermal Energy Storage (TES) is an inevitable element in todays’ energy systems, in the battle against climate change.

Background

Thermal Energy Storage (TES) is an inevitable element in todays’ energy systems, in the battle against climate change. Thermochemical heat storage (TCS) is a very attractive TES technique offering very high energy storage densities, temperature flexibility and minimal losses at long-term TES. In this project, a full-scale experimental operation (after final commissioning steps) and performance characterization of a bench-scale TCS system for the reversible reaction (absorption/desorption) of SrCl2 and NH3 (SrCl2⋅NH3  SrCl2⋅8NH3), will be done. This rig was designed and has being built under the parent project ‘Neutrons for Heat storage’ (NHS), aiming for low-temperature heating applications (40-80 °C). This project is a collaboration between the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), Institute for Energy Technology (IFE) - Norway, KTH - Sweden, and Amminex Emissions Technology - Denmark. The system offers simultaneous operation with two identical reactors operating in absorption (heat release) and desorption (heat storage) modes each with a capacity of ~0.8 kWh. The system layout (first simplified version in [1] refined and adapted by Brynjarsson, 2021 [2], and Seetharaman, 2022 [3]) is shown in Figure 1, and looks in reality as in Figure 2 today. The system was partially commissioned for the very first absorption in one of the reactors (reactor B) by Seetharaman, 2022 [3] verifying the expected storage density is met (0.8-0.9 kWh). It is now ready for final full-commissioning (by finalizing e.g., a few pipe and controller connections in the desorption path) and complete experimental operation for performance evaluation.

Pre-requisites

• Knowledge and preferably experience in the involvement in real-life or experimental systems commissioning and/or operation. Additional merits if this experience comes concerning systems which have higher safety requirements.
• Fundamental knowledge on chemical kinetics, thermodynamics and heat transfer
Advantages of being engaged in the project:
• A wide variety of hands-on experience on experimental thermochemical heat storage systems (as an emerging TES technology with a lot of interest today)
• One of a kind experimental experience on handling gases, rather high temperatures and pressures and a solid training on the safety measures, valuable for any industrial atmosphere
• The potential to write a conference or even a journal scientific article based on the obtained results, together with the project team.