From heat to cold with THEAC-25®, the Thermo Acoustic Energy Converter.

Project Information

THEAC 25

Grant agreement ID: 836780

DOI

10.3030/836780

Project closed

EC signature date 4 December 2018

Start date 1 January 2019

End date 30 April 2019

Funded under

• INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Innovation In SMEs

Total cost

€ 71 429,00

EU contribution

€ 50 000,00

Coordinated by

SOUNDENERGY BV
Netherlands

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - THEAC 25 (From heat to cold with THEAC-25®, the Thermo Acoustic Energy Converter.)

Reporting period: 2019-01-01 to 2019-04-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The objective of this study has been to evaluate the feasibility of the THEAC technology for industrial cooling via thermoacoustic methods using waste heat energy. As well as considering the technical aspects of the THEAC 25 prototype, including manufacturing scale-up, we have evaluated the market potential for alternatively sized units for our portfolio.

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

Commercially, we have conducted an extensive market analysis, gathering detailed information about the types of sites and their geographical distribution. We have identified and talked with several worldwide located companies that are interested in buying a THEAC for their installations. We have clarified that the highest impact will be achieved by initially focus on specific applications, where there is a perfect match between available waste heat and demand for cooling.
Our freedom to operate analysis revealed no IPR obstacles to our project.
We analysis the financial viability of the project, evaluating the potential customers’ willingness ot pay and defining the pricing strategy
Technically, we have identified our potential customers’ need and defined the minimum viable product. Three pilot programmes have been negotiated with potential customers. In collaboration with suppliers, we have validated the supply chain for scaled-up production. We have defined a work plan to take the product to market and performed a risk analysis for that plan.

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)

SOUND ENERGY has developed a cooling device than totally eliminates the use of greenhouse gases as refrigerants that has been an unsolved challenge for decades in the cooling industry. Furthermore, the device has a high energy efficiency and low maintenance costs, as there are no moving parts. Also, it can run on either waste heat from industrial processes or solar heat, which will reduce the electricity consumption for cooling.

Second generation of the thermo acoustic cooling device, THEAC-25