SBIR Phase I: Delivering Confidence and Reliability in Thermal Batteries for Utilities Using an Aggressively Cycled Test Loop for Pumps, Pipes, Joints and Valves

小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力集中在开发一种储能技术，该技术将电能储存为热能，并在需要时使用热光电(TPV)将其转换回电能。如果成功，这项创新将有助于美国向完全可再生的电网过渡。该公司正在开发仅有的能够提供单位能量成本(CPE)的电池技术之一，这将使电网能够使用可再生能源。这项创新还将减少电力生产过程中二氧化碳(CO2)的产生，并可能对运输和工业过程起到同样的作用。该解决方案还将通过提高美国的经济制造业竞争力和改善能源安全来支持美国的国防，并使公用事业客户能够从显著的成本节约中受益。该项目的智力优势集中在开发一种热电池系统，该系统从任何来源获取电能，并将其转化为廉价石墨块中的极高温显热。创新的特点是它能够分离功率和能量，使任何放电持续时间在1-100小时之间。目前，没有其他系统能够以如此低的成本实现如此大和可变的排放水平。该公司将建造两个测试台来测试泵、管道、接头和阀门，然后在激进的热循环条件下测试热光电模块。技术目标是：(1)建立感应炉系统，对材料和部件进行预筛选；(2)确定大型供应商提供的哪些等级的石墨可以满足未来商业演示的规格；(3)对密封方法进行预筛选；(4)量化粘结剂的反应强度，并确定如何将其用于产品；以及(5)验证系统安装的密封性足够好，以便不会延误未来的测试回路工作。原型的硬件将被放大，关键部件将进行压力测试。该公司已经开发了一个功能齐全的小规模集成系统，1-10千瓦时(kWh-e)，作为概念验证工作。在建立1兆瓦时电力(MWh-e)规模的演示之前，必须先证明测试回路中全尺寸硬件的可靠性。该公司正在开发能够提供每单位能源成本(CPE)25美元/千瓦时-e的仅有的电池技术之一，该技术将使可再生能源完全渗透到电网中。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is focused on developing an energy storage technology that stores electricity as heat and converts its back to electricity whenever needed using thermophotovoltaics (TPV). If successful, the innovation will help transition the United States (US) towards a fully renewable electrical grid. The company is developing one of the only battery technologies able to deliver a cost per unit energy (CPE) for energy storage that will enable the use of renewables by the electrical grid. The innovation will also reduce the production of carbon dioxide (CO2) during the production of electricity and may do the same for transportation and industrial processes. The solution will also support the US’s national defense by increasing the economic manufacturing competitiveness of the US and improving energy security, as well as enabling utility customers to benefit from significant cost savings.The intellectual merit of this project is focused on the development of a thermal battery system that takes electricity from any source and converts it to extremely high-temperature sensible heat in inexpensive graphite blocks. The innovative feature is its ability to decouple power and energy, enabling any discharge duration between 1-100 hours. Currently, no other system can achieve such great and variable discharge levels at such low cost. The company will build two test rigs to test the pumps, pipes, joints, and valves, and then to test the thermophotovoltaics modules under aggressive thermal cycling conditions. The technical objectives are to: (1) set up the induction furnace system to prescreen materials and components; (2) determine which grades of graphite from large-scale suppliers can meet the specifications of future commercial demonstrations; (3) pre-screen approaches to sealing; (4) quantify the reaction strength of the bonding agent and determine how it can be used in products; and, (5) verify that the system installed seals sufficiently well so that future test loop work will not be delayed. The prototype’s hardware will be scaled-up and the critical components will be stress-tested. The company has already developed a fully-functioning, integrated system at a small scale, 1-10 kilowatt-hour-electric (kWh-e), that works as a proof-of-concept. The reliability of the full-scale hardware in the test loop must be demonstrated prior to building a 1 megawatt-hour-electric (MWh-e) scale demonstration. The company is developing one of the only battery technologies able to deliver a cost per unit energy (CPE) of $25/kWh-e for energy storage which will enable the full penetration of renewables onto the electrical grid.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.