Project description
Building up of electricity and hydrogen out of low-grade waste heat
Converting heat flux into electrical power is not a new discovery. However, its application so far has not been as eco-friendly as you would have expected. The fact remains though that the thermoelectric generator (TEG) technology combines high reliability and low maintenance. The EU-funded H2E project introduces a TEG using a thermo-electrochemical-hydrogen production device (TEC-H) based on novel, resilient, inexpensive, non-toxic porous semiconductor materials. Its use will enable power generation with a decreased cost per unit. By valorising the so far unexploited low-grade waste heat in the temperature range below 100 °C, H2E aims to produce renewable electricity and green hydrogen.
Objective
Heat-to-power conversion can be achieved by thermoelectric generators (TEGs), devices that exploit the Seebeck effect to build up an electric potential across a stack of semiconductors subjected to a temperature difference. This physical effect has long been known, but widespread application has remained limited because of the low efficiency (less than 5%) and high cost of available semiconductors, often containing rare metals and featuring high toxicity and poor thermal stability. Compared to alternative technologies for valorisation of low-grade heat, e.g. the Organic Rankine Cycle, TEG technology has substantial advantages, including lower weight and absence of moving parts. This leads to high reliability and low-maintenance, crucial attributes for the chemical process industry. Using less expensive semiconductor materials and increasing efficiency are the main challenges to broaden the application field of TEGs. H2E proposes a new approach to enable improved TEGs using a thermo-electrochemical-hydrogen production device (TEC-H) based on recently discovered, robust, low cost, non-toxic porous semiconductor materials. These new semiconductors are implemented in an original design, mounting them in stacks to produce a TEC-H device that is modular and exhibits good scalability. The resulting disruptive increase in efficiency will enable power generation with a decreased cost per unit power. H2E will valorise low-grade waste heat in the temperature range below 100 °C, a range currently not exploited in industry. Besides industrial waste heat, also low-grade geothermal heat represents huge potential. H2E aims to innovate the production of two end products: renewable electricity and green hydrogen - by water splitting. H2E will contribute to a more energy-efficient and low-carbon future, in line with Europe’s long-term strategy to become climate-neutral by 2050 as set by the European Commission in The European Green Deal.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
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CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
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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.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
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.
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-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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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) HORIZON-MSCA-2021-PF-01
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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.
3000 Leuven
Belgium
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.