Main research themes
Thermal batteries take advantage of the large latent heat during the phase transition of phase change materials (PCMs) or enthalpy from revisable chemical reactions. They can facilitate heating & cooling decarbonisation, carbon capture, sustainable fuels production (hydrogen, methanol, and ammonia) and chemical energy storage (long-duration and large-scale) of intermittent renewables.
Thermal batteries can facilitate residential and industrial electrification and a faster transition to net zero. They can make UK homes, buildings, and industries more energy-efficient and sustainable while reducing carbon emissions and optimising renewables. They can also directly contribute to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals by providing universal access to affordable and sustainable energy in those poorest areas.
1. Thermal Battery assisted Solid Hydrogen Storage
Challenges:
Mg-based hydrides are among the highest gravimetric hydrogen storage density which can theoretically reach up to 7.6 wt.%. Other advantages include lightweight, excellent heat resistivity and good recyclability, as well as abundant availability and low price. However, the following issues need to be solved:
Excessively strong chemical bonds result in the difficulty of releasing hydrogen, typically requiring high temperatures of 300-350oC to overcome the thermodynamic energy and kinetics barriers.
Heat needs to be removed to accelerate the exothermic hydration process while a large amount of heat is needed for the endothermic dehydrogenation process. This causes low overall efficiency and high operation costs which prevents the practical implementation of solid hydrogen storage.
Limited surface area which causes poor penetration of hydrogen.
Our Solution:
2. Synergistic process for carbon capture, waste heat recovery and hydrogen/chemicals production.
Challenges:
For most industrial processes, CO2 is emitted through flue gas.
The majority (70%) of the UK industrial energy demand is for heat, however, significant heat losses occur through the flue gas. Currently, the steel and chemical sectors can waste up to 50% of the heat used.
With over 90% of the hydrogen produced by methane reforming, the large energy penalty is still a big challenge.
Novel approaches are needed to address key differences between sectors, such as steel and chemical industries.
Our Solution:
3. Low-carbon Heating and Cooling
Challenges:
Heating and cooling for homes, industry, and commercial premises, is a major source of carbon dioxide emissions.
Heating and cooling account for around half of the world’s end-use energy and 40% of its energy-related global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
Heating and cooling are hard to decarbonise because their generation and use are diverse and highly decentralised.
Renewable energy technologies are now proven to be effective and affordable for a growing range of applications, making them crucial to reach low-carbon heating and cooling. However, the intermittent nature of such renewable technologies means that energy from these sources will not be continuously available.
Our Solution:
Thermal batteries use the phase transition of phase change materials (PCMs) or revisable chemical reactions which can store thermal energy from renewables and release it at different times or spaces. Taking advantage of the large latent heat during phase transition or enthalpy from chemical reactions, thermal batteries can balance the intermittent renewables and constant heating & cooling demand.
4. Thermal Batteries powered Chemical Looping for Sustainable Fuel Production
Our work involves composite redox pairs, advanced hydrides, catalysts and synergy of thermal, chemical, catalytic reactors and processes.