ROTATION HEAT PUMP – the refrigerant free highly-efficient heat pump for industrial use

Project Information

Rotation Heat Pump

Grant agreement ID: 823463

DOI

10.3030/823463

Project closed

EC signature date 25 July 2018

Start date 1 August 2018

End date 31 March 2021

Funded under

• INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Innovation In SMEs

Total cost

€ 2 630 000,00

EU contribution

€ 1 750 000,00

Coordinated by

ECOP TECHNOLOGIES GMBH
Austria

Periodic Reporting for period 3 - Rotation Heat Pump (ROTATION HEAT PUMP – the refrigerant free highly-efficient heat pump for industrial use)

Reporting period: 2020-08-01 to 2021-03-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The Austrian tech company ecop Technologies GmbH concentrates on R&D and manufacturing of an innovative Rotation Heat Pump. The Rotation Heat Pump uses a disruptive technology, patented several times, with a completely new physical approach based on a 1-phase thermodynamic cyclic process instead of the thermodynamic 2-phase compression process of conventional heat pumps. This, for the first time, enables high-scale industrial use that existing conventional heat pumps cannot provide because their process is not suitable for high temperatures and fluctuating conditions of industrial settings. Furthermore, they usually require as working fluids refrigerants with a high global warming potential (GWP), while the Rotation Heat Pump uses an inert gas with GWP zero, widely available, inexpensive and not posing any security issues.
The objective of this innovation project is to bring the Rotation Heat Pump to the market – in the performance class of 700kW thermal. Transfer from TRL7 to 8 of the currently existing 700 kW technology includes enlarging the temperature range to 150°C, further develope the control system, raising energy efficiency and reducing production costs. Additional demo plants – one already existing in district heating – shall demonstrate further important use cases. Implementing a profound communication strategy and partnering with system integrators at EU level will pave the way to commercialization.

In summary, the findings from the project:
- It was shown and externally confirmed that with the rotation heat pump an efficient, environmentally friendly, extremely flexible and completely new type of heat pump was created, which represents one of the most important technologies for heat generation in industry up to 150°C in order to achieve the energy efficiency target of the European Commission
- Due to the implemented optimizations, the stability and the cost efficiency could be massively increased.
- Further development in real applications is needed to bring the rotation heat pump TYPE K7 to industrial readiness and continuous operation. For this purpose, demonstration plants will be implemented in selected industries in the next few years.
- Several users and distribution partners could be found to carry out the next step of commercialization - the implementation of demonstration plants.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

Since the project began, we could deliver a new machine (2nd prototype) to our pilot-customer and we could set it into operation with some interruptions so far. This machine is used as demo plant for customer visits.
While one machine is operating at our customer, we set up the production process based on all learnings from the 2nd prototype. The next machine (3rd prototype) was manufactured with a defined procedure in which every deviation is documented. This is the basis for the continuous improvement process, which is used for a new design release and plays a central role for the next step - the implementation of demonstration plants.
Upgrades of the K7 (ventilation system, heat exchanger, flow channels, ..) where implemented and we have seen good results out of this Updates. Some further upgrades are identified during the project, have been tested and will be implemented during the demonstration units.
The optimized design shows a great potential to reduce costs for RHP K7 to reduce ROI for customer. But the most important for the optimized design is the improvements of the durability because the actual design showed weaknesses in some components (especially the drive unit of ventilation system). Our tests with new components show much higher durability due to significant lower temperature of the components within the drive unit.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Our Technology is capable to meet all the needs of the market. We can provide a heat pump for temperatures of 150°C or even 180°C but not just capable to reach such temperatures but to do this with no dependency of any stable inputs and no dependency of any refrigerant constantly phased down by EU F-Gas regulation. The performance is confirmed by Fraunhofer ISE.
This flexibility combined with the high temperature, the high COP and environmentally friendly working fluid, this technology has the potential to force this market back into a fluid phase and becoming part of the new dominant design.
Industrial customers have those needs but actually there is no solution on the market except – burning gas.
We are also looking forward to a down scaling of our technology which is indeed possible. We made our first simulations for a feasibility. The vision seems to be at our doorstep, it is possible to scale this technology down, keep the USPs and be economically competitive. So, a rotation heat pump could be used for single households and even smaller for white goods and cars! Of course, it is still a long road to this vision but at last we found out that there is a possible way, and we need to follow our visions. But at the moment we have to be focused to bring the first product based on the technology - the RHP K7 for industrial applications in the temperature range up to 150°C.
This huge potential brings the potential for many new jobs in many different disciplines. Furthermore, this technology is absolutely environmentally friendly, so there is no need for a trade-off between saving CO2 by reducing gas but to use non-environmental friendly refrigerants.
At last this is a technology invented, designed and made in Europe which delivers the EU the potential to become technology leader of a new energy solution.

Rotation Heat Pump K7 at the customer