Periodic Reporting for period 1 - RHPK7 (RΕΗΕΑΤ: REcycled industrial HEAT)
Berichtszeitraum: 2024-12-01 bis 2025-10-31
Heat is responsible for 74% of energy consumption in industry. 90% of this energy comes from fossil fuels, making industry the leading contributing economic sector to global GHG emissions. With the introduction of tariffs for CO2 emissions as well as high energy prices (i.e. gas is the dominant source of heat in the industrial sector, but at the same time one of the most expensive and non-carbon neutral resources) process heat is nowadays a major cost factor for many industries. In addition, there is a legal obligation under EU rules to implement improvements in energy efficiency and decarbonize (e.g. EU Green Deal). To that direction, industrial heat recovery is a key factor in order to achieve fossil fuels’ independence to achieve the climate goals.
ecop has developed the Rotation Heat Pump RHP K7 (700 kWth), the first highefficient and environmentally friendly industrial Heat Pump (HP), providing a valid alternative to fossil fuels’ heat production.
RHP K7 specifically closes the gap for renewable industrial heat for temperature range up to 200°C. Our unique design results in a number of benefits:
• Production of CO2-free, sustainable industrial heat without dependence on fossil fuels
• Efficient use of waste heat: High efficiency at every temperature level
• Contribution to climate targets and decarbonization: Eco & climate friendly working gas
• Savings in energy costs
ecop has developed the Rotation Heat Pump RHP K7 (700 kWth), the first highefficient and environmentally friendly industrial Heat Pump (HP), providing a valid alternative to fossil fuels’ heat production.
RHP K7 specifically closes the gap for renewable industrial heat for temperature range up to 200°C. Our unique design results in a number of benefits:
• Production of CO2-free, sustainable industrial heat without dependence on fossil fuels
• Efficient use of waste heat: High efficiency at every temperature level
• Contribution to climate targets and decarbonization: Eco & climate friendly working gas
• Savings in energy costs
In this project, a completely new, greatly improved rotor for the rotary heat pump based on MCDB (Microchannel diffusion bonding) technology will be developed and prototyped.
MCDB is a fabrication technique used to join layers of metal — often in heat exchangers or microreactors — without using adhesives or welding. The process involves placing the layers with precisely etched microchannels in contact under high temperature and pressure, allowing atoms to diffuse across the interface and form a solid-state bond. This creates a seamless, leak-free structure that maintains the integrity of the microchannels and ensures excellent thermal and mechanical performance.
Ecop has recognized that MCDB technology is suitable for manufacturing a significantly improved rotor for heat pump technology, which, due to its high strength, is capable of achieving temperature lifts of 100K and more.
In this project, the new rotor, the water and gas connections of the heat pump, and the housing were completely redesigned. MCDB technology was used for the first time to realize the entire thermodynamic cycle in a microchannel diffusion bonded block.
At first, the thermodynamic design of the block needed to be developed and evaluated by extensive CFD simulations and the creation of a digital twin.
Afterwards, the thermodynamic design was realized, whereas the construction of the rotor needed to be calculated extensively by FEM simulations in order to guarantee the safety of the structure.
Each and every design change needed to be evaluated by both, CFD and FEM sumualtion which made the development process very lengthy.
At the same time, water distribution, ventilation, including the design of an even more powerful ventilation motor of 300kW, and a completely new housing was designed.
At the end, although the design concepts of the machine with exception of the rotor remained the same, the nearly the entire machine was newly designed.
To better understand the influence of etching and bonding for the final rotor geometry and production process, a PoC of a rotor block was manufactured and intensively measured (dimensions, leakage and material tests). As the results were as expected, the first rotor, composed of a total of 5 diffusion-bonded sub-blocks, was realized. The production was very complicated as the rework of the blocks needed to be done very carefully.
At the same time, all the other assembly groups of the machine were developed and assembled.
MCDB is a fabrication technique used to join layers of metal — often in heat exchangers or microreactors — without using adhesives or welding. The process involves placing the layers with precisely etched microchannels in contact under high temperature and pressure, allowing atoms to diffuse across the interface and form a solid-state bond. This creates a seamless, leak-free structure that maintains the integrity of the microchannels and ensures excellent thermal and mechanical performance.
Ecop has recognized that MCDB technology is suitable for manufacturing a significantly improved rotor for heat pump technology, which, due to its high strength, is capable of achieving temperature lifts of 100K and more.
In this project, the new rotor, the water and gas connections of the heat pump, and the housing were completely redesigned. MCDB technology was used for the first time to realize the entire thermodynamic cycle in a microchannel diffusion bonded block.
At first, the thermodynamic design of the block needed to be developed and evaluated by extensive CFD simulations and the creation of a digital twin.
Afterwards, the thermodynamic design was realized, whereas the construction of the rotor needed to be calculated extensively by FEM simulations in order to guarantee the safety of the structure.
Each and every design change needed to be evaluated by both, CFD and FEM sumualtion which made the development process very lengthy.
At the same time, water distribution, ventilation, including the design of an even more powerful ventilation motor of 300kW, and a completely new housing was designed.
At the end, although the design concepts of the machine with exception of the rotor remained the same, the nearly the entire machine was newly designed.
To better understand the influence of etching and bonding for the final rotor geometry and production process, a PoC of a rotor block was manufactured and intensively measured (dimensions, leakage and material tests). As the results were as expected, the first rotor, composed of a total of 5 diffusion-bonded sub-blocks, was realized. The production was very complicated as the rework of the blocks needed to be done very carefully.
At the same time, all the other assembly groups of the machine were developed and assembled.
Our first of the kind, self-developed and internationally patented technology (68 active patents) innovative rotation principle (counter-clockwise Joule thermodynamic process generated by means of centrifuge) enables the heat recovery (use of waste heat) in various energy intensive sectors as well as district heating applications, thus enabling companies to transform their operations in line with the EU Energy Directives.