OBJECTIVES
HELIOTROPE presents a carefully designed concept aimed at addressing eight specific technical and non-technical objectives (SOs), which are interconnected with the project’s results (PRs), key performance indicators (KPIs), and work packages (WPs)
presented hereafter.
Thermal energy storage medium
Novel hight temperature storage mediums.
Chlorides (750ºC) and carbonates (800ºC).
New structural componets for the termal storage systems and its temperature increase
Development of materials and coating systems against molten salt corrosion, and novel absorver coatings.Thermal energy storage cycling performance
Compatibility testing of new molten salts, materials and coating receiver cycling performance in relevant environments. Pilot plant validation.Socio-economic and environmental impacts
Cost, social, human helath, global value chains and circularity by design considerations.Thermal energy storage preventive maintenance
Online corrosion monitoring system and cathodic-protection testing of the thermal energy storage systems.Additionally, focus on developing handling and melting processes for the salts and select the most promising option based on criteria including long-term stability, heat capacity, corrosion, environmental and sustainability analysis, and cost considerations.
Moreover, to have a safe, and reliable plant and further increase its life extension, cathodic protection by impressed currents for the materials and coating systems in contact with molten salts (ionic electrolytes) will be developed, as a dual protection system, with the goal to achieve near-zero corrosion rates. The new systems will be thoroughly characterised and tested by exposure to the corresponding molten salts under static, dynamic, and cyclic conditions.
The developed coatings’ high-temperature stability and efficiency will undergo testing at both laboratory and pilot scales. Numerical simulations will be conducted to analyse heat transfer coefficients, pressure drop, and salt temperatures within the receiver systems. Furthermore, the flux density limit of the receiver will be optimised based on calculated corrosion rates of the coating. To assess corrosion effects under various environmental conditions, software will be developed to analyse film and bulk temperatures in the receiver tubes using real flux mapping from the solar field. New testing protocols will be also developed to predict the lifetime of the receiver coating, reproducing its main failure mechanisms.
This evaluation will provide a quantitative estimate of the economic benefits and potential cost savings (>8 c€/kWth) associated with the implementation of these innovative molten salt systems.
In a sensible heat capacity storage system working at temperatures up to 800ºC a predictive maintenance system based on electrochemical sensors will be developed, for future data mining algorithms, to decrease drastically OPEX in the thermal energy storage system.
Assist in the selection of high-temperature molten salts, metallic alloys and coatings considering at the design phase: a) the safety (avoiding the use of toxic substances for humans or environment) , b) the sustainability (from an economic, environmental, and social point of view, taking into account energy and resources efficiency), c) the circularity (cyclability, repairability, recyclability and reuse potential) and the availability of materials within the global value chain minimising sourcing distance.
To guarantee an efficient and prosperous accomplishment of the technical objectives that have been previously defined and to increase the possibilities of dissemination, upscaling, and exploitation of the suggested solutions in Europe and beyond, relevant stakeholders will be engaged throughout the entire project. Various methods, such as targeted workshops, interviews, and surveys, will be utilised to achieve this objective
Through targeted dissemination activities, and link with the EU-related projects and established partnerships with key industry players and relevant associations to leverage their networks and disseminate project results effectively, identifying potential applications and commercialisation opportunities for the novel thermal energy storage technology and facilitating knowledge transfer to industry partners and interested parties.