Grant: Research Tools and Instruments

Heating and cooling systems account, directly and indirectly, for 30% of the total energy consumed around the world. Building floor area and space cooling demand are both projected to double by 2070. The transition to fully electric heating would overwhelm the existing grid capacity, especially considering the fast-paced electrification of the transport sector. Furthermore, as a greater proportion of intermittent renewable energy sources are integrated into energy grids, the mismatch with demand increases the need for cost-effective thermal storage suitable for time scales of minutes to weeks creating demand for new heating, cooling and thermal storage technologies. Sorption heat transformers are emerging, flexible systems suitable for heat pumping, air conditioning, and thermal storage technology capable of providing renewable heating/cooling year-round using low-grade heat. They have high energy storage density and are capable of long-term energy storage with minimal loss to the ambient environment. They offer the potential for large-scale (excess) electricity conversion to heat/cold (and storage) with no need for rare-earth minerals or environmentally harmful materials. Nevertheless, heat transformers are still at a concept stage and a holistic approach is required to improve their efficiency (3-fold), reliability, and cost for market viability. Equipment is requested to custom-build a Sorption Heat Transformer Test Station to evaluate prototype systems for sustainable cooling, heating and thermal storage operated under real conditions. The to-be-tested prototypes will use new sorbent composites coated on nature-inspired heat exchangers optimized to enhance heat and mass transfer, generating higher heating/cooling rates and energy storage densities. The test station enables measuring overall system performance (namely, the specific power for heating and cooling, the coefficient of performance, and energy storage density) and investigating practical issues that arise under the hygrothermal stress of sorption/regeneration, including cycling stability, adhesion of composite coatings, durability, corrosion resistance of heat exchangers, and the effect of fouling on heat exchangers surfaces, which are key challenges facing this emerging technology. This custom-build test station will be absolutely necessary to the applicants' research and training programs of more than 100 HQP. These include the recently awarded NSERC CREATE Hybrid Thermal Electric Microgrid program, as well as international collaborations on the integration of sustainable energy resources into district energy networks, development of sorption heat pumps for affordable heating and cooling of buildings, and development of materials for sustainable cooling. The proposed Sorption Heat Transformer Test Station will create research and training opportunities for world leading developments with impact in clean energy conversion, buildings, greenhouses, and transport sectors.