Descrizione del progetto
Concetto ibrido per la produzione di energia elettrica e termica
L’energia solare e l’accumulo efficienti sono fondamentali per l’energia sostenibile. Il progetto ASTERIx-CAESar, finanziato dall’UE, sta sviluppando una centrale solare termica altamente efficiente che incorpora una soluzione integrata di stoccaggio dell’elettricità. Integra l’energia solare a concentrazione con ricevitore centrale basata sull’aria con l’accumulo di energia ad aria compressa per massimizzare l’efficienza di conversione dell’energia e facilitare una gestione efficace dell’energia per le reti elettriche. Di conseguenza, consentirà di creare nuove strategie operative e modelli di business. Questo innovativo concetto ibrido sta gettando le basi per un’era futuristica in cui le centrali elettriche rinnovabili adattive genereranno sia energia elettrica che termica, fornendo calore di processo e supportando la desalinizzazione a osmosi inversa.
Obiettivo
Highly efficient energy conversion of solar power and storage will play a vital role in a future sustainable energy system. Thus, this project focuses on the development of a novel high-efficiency solar thermal power plant concept with an integrated electricity storage solution. The project combines air-based central receiver Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) and Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) to maximize conversion efficiency and power grid energy management, enabling a new operation strategy and business models. The hybrid concept initiates a futuristic era with adaptive renewable power plants, producing both electrical and thermal energy, including process heat supply and reverse osmosis desalination. Because cheap off-peak electricity is used to provide the air compression work of the topping Brayton cycle, the overall peak solar-to-electric energy conversion efficiency of the proposed power plant may reach up to 40% efficiency, which roughly doubles the peak efficiency with respect to state-of-the-art CSP technology. The project’s activity will cover the techno-economic-environmental optimisation of the innovative CSP-CAES plant using representative boundary conditions, provided by grid operators and specialised partners, as well as the development and extensive testing of key components needed for its implementation. The main development will cover: (i) an advanced high-efficiency solar receiver, (ii) optical sensors and AI-based control, (iii) optimized CAES with heat exchangers and compressor/expander detailed designs and (iv) innovative integration of desalination. The proposed technology is set forth by an interdisciplinary partnership spanning the entire CSP value chain. Targeting a TRL of 6-7, the ASTERIx-CAESar concept will be validated with a demonstration scale of 480 kWth prototype in a relevant environment.
Campo scientifico
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringsensorsoptical sensors
- engineering and technologychemical engineeringseparation technologiesdesalination
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectrical engineeringpower engineeringelectric power transmission
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsrenewable energysolar energysolar thermal
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsenergy conversion
Parole chiave
Programma(i)
Meccanismo di finanziamento
HORIZON-IA - HORIZON Innovation ActionsCoordinatore
31621 Sarriguren
Spagna