Periodic Reporting for period 1 - SUNSON (Concentrated Solar energy storage at Ultra-high temperatures aNd Solid-state cONversion)
Berichtszeitraum: 2022-12-01 bis 2024-05-31
The SUNSON (“Sun’s Son”) project is an ambitious European initiative focused on revolutionizing the concentrated solar power (CSP) sector by achieving operating temperatures in excess of 1200°C. This represents more than double the temperatures currently achieved by existing CSP plants, positioning SUNSON at the forefront of renewable energy technology. The primary aim of SUNSON is to develop a new generation of highly compact and efficient CSP plants, thereby enhancing the flexibility and efficiency of the renewable energy sector. This breakthrough is essential for addressing the significant challenge of economic and efficient energy storage and conversion, particularly during periods of intermittent demand.
To meet these ambitious objectives, SUNSON integrates several advanced technologies into a single, modular system known as the SUNSON-BOX. This system combines solar concentrators with cutting-edge optics, advanced phase change materials (PCMs) for thermal storage, and thermophotovoltaic converters for electricity generation. By decoupling energy production from demand, the SUNSON-BOX allows for the storage of solar energy as heat, which can later be converted to electricity as needed. This flexibility is crucial for integrating variable renewable energy sources into the grid and ensuring a reliable power supply.
The SUNSON project addresses a critical limitation in the renewable energy field—the lack of cost-effective and efficient solutions for energy storage and conversion. By operating at ultrahigh temperatures, SUNSON’s technology promises higher efficiency ratios and significantly greater storage capacity compared to current molten salt-based systems. This results in a substantial reduction in overall system size and associated costs, making the technology both economically viable and highly scalable.
The key Innovations and Technological Breakthroughs of the project are:
- Solar to Heat to Power Prototype: SUNSON aims to design and develop a prototype that demonstrates the feasibility of this novel power generation technology, establishing a scientific proof-of-concept for future advancements.
- Advanced Thermal Storage System: The project will create a thermal storage system using phase change materials that can be seamlessly integrated into the SUNSON-BOX, providing efficient and compact energy storage.
- Flagship Demonstration: A key objective is the demonstration of the SUNSON-BOX, showcasing the integration of CSP, phase change materials, and thermophotovoltaic conversion in a single, compact system.
- SUNSON-TOOL Development: To optimize the integration of renewable energy sources, the project will develop the SUNSON-TOOL, a powerful computing tool incorporating artificial intelligence algorithms. This tool will enhance design, feasibility, and replicability, making the technology more accessible and adaptable.
- Holistic Sustainability Assessment: The project will conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the environmental, technical, social, and economic feasibility of the SUNSON solutions, ensuring their sustainability and viability.
- Knowledge Dissemination: SUNSON is committed to the exploitation, dissemination, and communication of the innovations and results generated, ensuring that the knowledge gained is shared widely and effectively.
By providing a more flexible and efficient solution for solar energy storage and conversion, SUNSON will enhance the reliability and integration of renewable energy into the grid, reducing reliance on fossil fuels and contributing to a cleaner energy future. Moreover, the SUNSON-BOX’s ability to produce electricity on demand and supply excess heat for industrial processes, domestic hot water, and heating applications will lead to increased energy efficiency and cost savings. Finally, the technology’s high-temperature capabilities hold potential for future applications in hydrogen production, further supporting the transition to renewable energy sources.
To meet these ambitious objectives, SUNSON integrates several advanced technologies into a single, modular system known as the SUNSON-BOX. This system combines solar concentrators with cutting-edge optics, advanced phase change materials (PCMs) for thermal storage, and thermophotovoltaic converters for electricity generation. By decoupling energy production from demand, the SUNSON-BOX allows for the storage of solar energy as heat, which can later be converted to electricity as needed. This flexibility is crucial for integrating variable renewable energy sources into the grid and ensuring a reliable power supply.
The SUNSON project addresses a critical limitation in the renewable energy field—the lack of cost-effective and efficient solutions for energy storage and conversion. By operating at ultrahigh temperatures, SUNSON’s technology promises higher efficiency ratios and significantly greater storage capacity compared to current molten salt-based systems. This results in a substantial reduction in overall system size and associated costs, making the technology both economically viable and highly scalable.
The key Innovations and Technological Breakthroughs of the project are:
- Solar to Heat to Power Prototype: SUNSON aims to design and develop a prototype that demonstrates the feasibility of this novel power generation technology, establishing a scientific proof-of-concept for future advancements.
- Advanced Thermal Storage System: The project will create a thermal storage system using phase change materials that can be seamlessly integrated into the SUNSON-BOX, providing efficient and compact energy storage.
- Flagship Demonstration: A key objective is the demonstration of the SUNSON-BOX, showcasing the integration of CSP, phase change materials, and thermophotovoltaic conversion in a single, compact system.
- SUNSON-TOOL Development: To optimize the integration of renewable energy sources, the project will develop the SUNSON-TOOL, a powerful computing tool incorporating artificial intelligence algorithms. This tool will enhance design, feasibility, and replicability, making the technology more accessible and adaptable.
- Holistic Sustainability Assessment: The project will conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the environmental, technical, social, and economic feasibility of the SUNSON solutions, ensuring their sustainability and viability.
- Knowledge Dissemination: SUNSON is committed to the exploitation, dissemination, and communication of the innovations and results generated, ensuring that the knowledge gained is shared widely and effectively.
By providing a more flexible and efficient solution for solar energy storage and conversion, SUNSON will enhance the reliability and integration of renewable energy into the grid, reducing reliance on fossil fuels and contributing to a cleaner energy future. Moreover, the SUNSON-BOX’s ability to produce electricity on demand and supply excess heat for industrial processes, domestic hot water, and heating applications will lead to increased energy efficiency and cost savings. Finally, the technology’s high-temperature capabilities hold potential for future applications in hydrogen production, further supporting the transition to renewable energy sources.
In the first 18 months of the SUNSON project, significant technical and scientific advancements have been made. A primary objective is the development of a solar-to-heat-to-power (S2H2P) prototype, integrating optics for concentrating solar power (CSP), phase change materials (PCM) for thermal energy storage, and thermophotovoltaics (TPV) for energy conversion.
Innovative thin-film metal wrap through (MWT) InGaAs TPV cells have been designed, targeting over 1 W/cm² at 1200ºC with a 25% conversion efficiency, and conventional thin film InGaAs cells showed potential to exceed these targets.
The project has also developed an advanced optics configuration, completing the conceptual design of a beam-splitting optics system with confirmed feasibility through ray-tracing simulations.
Additionally, a suitable thermal storage system using phase change materials (PCMs) has been created, identifying Si-rich alloys with high enthalpy of fusion and thermal conductivity. The melting casing for PCM materials, made of dense graphite coated with hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), showed excellent performance in initial tests.
Detailed simulations using COMSOL® Multiphysics optimized the PCM system's design. The detailed engineering design of the SUNSON-BOX's flagship demonstration, integrating CSP, PCM storage, and TPV conversion, has been finalized, and its construction will start during the next period.
The project is also developing the SUNSON-TOOL, a digital intelligence support system for optimizing renewable energy integration, using AI-based algorithms.
Sustainability efforts included conducting a Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) and initiating a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to evaluate environmental impacts, along with a Life Cycle Costing (LCC) analysis to assess economic viability.
Innovative thin-film metal wrap through (MWT) InGaAs TPV cells have been designed, targeting over 1 W/cm² at 1200ºC with a 25% conversion efficiency, and conventional thin film InGaAs cells showed potential to exceed these targets.
The project has also developed an advanced optics configuration, completing the conceptual design of a beam-splitting optics system with confirmed feasibility through ray-tracing simulations.
Additionally, a suitable thermal storage system using phase change materials (PCMs) has been created, identifying Si-rich alloys with high enthalpy of fusion and thermal conductivity. The melting casing for PCM materials, made of dense graphite coated with hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), showed excellent performance in initial tests.
Detailed simulations using COMSOL® Multiphysics optimized the PCM system's design. The detailed engineering design of the SUNSON-BOX's flagship demonstration, integrating CSP, PCM storage, and TPV conversion, has been finalized, and its construction will start during the next period.
The project is also developing the SUNSON-TOOL, a digital intelligence support system for optimizing renewable energy integration, using AI-based algorithms.
Sustainability efforts included conducting a Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) and initiating a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to evaluate environmental impacts, along with a Life Cycle Costing (LCC) analysis to assess economic viability.
So far, there are no results that go beyond the state of the art. The results are expected for the next period.