Topology Optimization for Additive manufacturing of thermal storage heat exchangers with PCMs (TopAddPCM)

英国已经承诺了一项雄心勃勃的脱碳计划：到2050年将二氧化碳排放量减少80%，这是我们能源系统的一次巨大转变。预计到2030年，电力部门将实现脱碳。然而，如果不解决热量脱碳问题，实现这些目标将是不可能的。英国一半以上的最终能源消耗来自供暖和制冷，占二氧化碳排放量的30%左右。这就需要引进低碳替代能源，尤其是风能和太阳能。然而，这种转变带来了重大挑战，包括供需不平衡、能源网络拥挤以及归根结底需要一个更灵活的能源系统。热能储存（TES）有可能通过捕获多余的热量、时变的热量需求和增加可再生能源的使用，为这些挑战提供解决方案。在TES技术中，潜热储能（LHTES）被认为是最有前途的技术之一；LHTES使用相变材料（PCM），并在相变材料从固体到液体的相变过程中储存/释放热能。由于我们有效储存热能的能力在很大程度上取决于包围pcm的热交换器的设计，因此设计优于当前最先进的新型LHTES热交换器已经引起了极大的关注。为了设计未来的LHTES热交换器，迫切需要考虑先进的设计方法，并结合适当的制造技术。提出的研究-涉及储能，计算方法，传热传质和制造技术-旨在i)建立使用拓扑优化方法设计pcm储能系统的通用路线，ii)将设计路线与金属增材制造方法联系起来。因此，该项目将提供一种创新的数值设计方法，并将产生实验证据，从而允许对所提出的方法进行稳健的验证。该提案与英国能源领域的研究和工业高度相关；特别是i)它将帮助研究人员更快、更准确地开发热能储存系统；通过这样做，它将使低碳技术的更快部署成为可能；ii)它将支持英国在储能领域保持领先地位——这是英国政府工业战略确定的支柱技术之一；iii)它将在新的热储能背景下测试增材制造；因此，它将为增材制造产品提供一个新的市场领域的机会。

UK has committed to an ambitious decarbonisation plan: reduce CO2 emissions by 80% by 2050 - a dramatic transformation of our energy system. Decarbonisation of the electricity sector is expected by 2030. However, meeting the targets will be impossible if decarbonisation of heat is not tackled. More than half of UK finial energy use is due to heating and cooling, which accounts for about 30% of CO2 emissions. This will require the introduction of low carbon alternatives - wind and solar energy in particular. However, such a shift poses major challenges including the imbalance between supply and demand, congestion of energy networks and in ultimate analysis the need of a more flexible energy system. Thermal energy storage (TES) has the potential to provide a solution to these challenges by capturing excess heat, time-shifting heat demand and increasing the use of renewable sources. Among the TES technologies, latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) is seen as one of the most promising; LHTES uses phase change materials (PCMs) and it stores/releases thermal energy during a solid to liquid phase transition of the PCM. As our ability of storing thermal energy efficiently depends significantly on the design of the heat exchangers enclosing the PCMs, a great attention has been drawn to designing new LHTES heat exchangers that outperform current state-of-the art ones. To devise the LHTES heat exchangers of the future, thinking of advanced design methods - coupled with proper manufacturing techniques - is urgently necessary. The proposed research - involving energy storage, computational methods, heat & mass transfer and manufacturing technologies - aims to i) establish a generalized route to designing thermal energy storage systems with PCMs using topology optimization methods and to ii) link the designing route with metal additive manufacturing methods. This project will therefore offer an innovative numerical design methodology and will generate experimental evidences that will allow a robust validation of the proposed method.This proposal is highly relevant for the UK research and industry in the energy sector; in particular i) It will help researchers to develop thermal energy storage systems faster and more accurately; in doing so it will enable faster deployment of low carbon technologies ii) it will support UK in maintaining a leading role in the field of energy storage - one of the pillar technologies identified by the UK's government industrial strategy iii) it will test additive manufacturing in the novel context of thermal energy storage; therefore it will offer the opportunity of a new market sector for additive manufacturing products.