Project description
Formic acid for efficient residential heat pumps
The ERC-funded REACHER project is developing new reactive working fluids for thermal power systems, residential and industrial heat pumps. Carboxylic acids, such as formic and acetic acid, have been identified as potential suitable candidates for heat pumps. These fluids could improve the efficiency of residential heat pumps while maintaining excellent environmental properties. The ERC-funded CREATIVE project aims to develop the model of a residential heat pump prototype based formic acid to validate its beneficial chemical reaction effects. Since the heat pump compressor is the most critical component, CREATIVE will perform preliminary tests to assess the feasibility of compressing formic acid with available compression technologies, using air as working fluid under the sub-atmospheric pressure characterising the operation with formic acid.
Objective
Aiming to contribute to a substantial increase in the sustainability of thermal power plants, heat pumps, and climatization systems, the ERC-StG-REACHER is introducing new working fluids for the thermodynamic cycle underlying these systems. These new fluids are mixtures of dimers “A2” and monomers “A” undergoing a reversible dimerization reaction, A2 ⇄ 2 A, evolving instantaneously and spontaneously in the unit operations of the machine. REACHER has introduced about 200 of these reactive fluids. Among them, the family of carboxylic acids (e.g. formic, acetic, propionic acid) seems very promising as working fluids for residential heat pumps: other than owing excellent environmental properties, their use promises an outstanding 17-43% relative efficiency improvement compared to state-of-the-art heat pumps. In this context, the main objective of the ERC-PoC-CREATIVE is to perform the first step towards the realisation of a residential heat pump prototype operating with formic acid, enabling the validation of the -theoretically observed- positive chemical reaction effects. This step consists of preliminary verifying the feasible compression of formic acid with a finely controlled series of available compression technologies, using air as working fluid in the sub-atmospheric pressure conditions characterising operation with formic acid. Within CREATIVE, these results will further allow the design of a pilot operating with formic acid to test, in a future PoC, the compressors preliminarily selected and pre-tested with air, in CREATIVE. The realisation and design of the experimental setups for the formic acid compression feasibility assessment are supported by thermodynamic calculations carried out in CREATIVE, using tools developed in REACHER. This PoC is supported by the expertise of two industrial partners, and involves the Host Institution’s Technology Transfer Office which will handle IP management and explore valorisation pathways for the key exploitable results.
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC-POC - HORIZON ERC Proof of Concept Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2024-POC
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
54052 Nancy Cedex
France
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.