SBIR Phase II: Improved Cold Thermal Energy Storage for Refrigeration Applications

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This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project proposes the commercialization of anew type of industrial refrigeration system for cooling raw milk in Indian villages, without theuse of backup diesel generators. The innovation lies in a novel thermal battery pack conceptdeveloped by Promethean Power Systems with a Phase I grant from the National ScienceFoundation. The battery solves a chronic unreliable electricity problem by converting andstoring electrical energy in the form of thermal energy through a process of freezing and meltinga material. The battery needs just five hours of grid electricity to charge and, once charged,provides constant cooling power on demand when the grid is off.The broader impact/commercial potential of this project will be the introduction of clean energytechnologies in refrigeration applications, eliminating costly spoilage of foods and providingclean energy alternatives to developing economies that currently rely on fossil-based fuels fortheir continued growth. In developing countries, billions of dollars of perishable foods arewasted annually because of inadequate cold-chain supply networks. A major obstacle in settingup a cold-chain network is the lack of reliable grid electricity to run refrigeration systems invillages and farming areas. In such conditions, diesel generators are often used as backup, a nonidealsolution with high cost and environmental impact. Promethean?s thermal battery eliminatesdiesel generators and makes village refrigeration systems economically viable. This couldrevolutionize dairy industries around the world, especially in India, the largest producer andconsumer of milk in the world, where nearly 400 million people depend on milk for their dailyprotein. Although Promethean?s first commercialization efforts are in India where thermalbatteries are needed the most, these efforts will benefit US economy by providing a large andgrowing market to US products and affirming America?s leading role in spreading innovativeideas throughout the world.