The generation of domestic hot water from SIM (Salt in Matrix) technologies

该项目的主要目标和目的：供热约占英国总能源消耗的一半，其中434太瓦时(约57%)通过空间供暖和热水使用在家庭中消耗。这种能源的主要来源是天然气的燃烧，由于资源枯竭、快速接近气候变化目标以及英国禁止在新建住宅中安装燃气锅炉，这种方法从长远来看是不可持续的。20%到50%的工业废热被排放到大气中，损失了大量能量，这些能量可能会被重新利用，为工艺或空间供暖应用提供热量。可持续和特定的IKC目前正在与英国钢铁行业合作，通过热化学存储(TCS)和释放技术来捕获和再利用这些废热，这些技术可以通过提供家庭供暖和有限的一次能源生产需求来影响上述问题。这些存储材料，如SIM(盐分在基质中)技术，作为一种季节性存储选择已经研究了多年，它们通过化学盐的脱水和再水化来运行，利用相关的吸热和放热反应来提供热能的存储和释放，目前的输出集中于热空气的输送。要解决的研究问题：当前项目的重点将是调查和优化新型SIM材料的排放，以允许生产符合英国国内情景的热水。这将包括材料特性和评估，以及开发产生热水的新系统。研究工程师将：执行不同湿度输入、流速和材料成分的SIM材料的短期和长期放电测试使用水合和干燥空气输入的组合调查脉冲周期调查开发的材料集产生家庭热水利用显微镜、X射线衍射仪和其他合适的技术表征因输入参数变化而导致的材料变化利用显微镜、X射线衍射仪和其他合适的技术支持正在进行的工业项目，寻求捕获和利用工业废热。将IT置于EPSRC职权范围内的新工程：目前的热化学存储研究仅专注于建筑取暖所需的热量生产。这可能会提供低碳供暖，但忽略了国内对热水的需求，热水通常占冬季热能需求的10%，夏季几乎占100%。该项目将确定在家庭环境中使用热化学材料提供热水的可行性。这将把总热能密度和峰值温度要求映射到单个盐类水合物，确定满足热力学、经济和实用(如腐蚀性、毒性、丰度)要求的新型单一和复合盐体系。将使用理论和实验方法来确定合适的材料/材料组合。该项目还将通过设计能够将能量从多孔固相热化学材料转移到液态水相的热交换器来提供工程上的新颖性。这将需要用最少的工作传送液来实现，以便保持热响应、传送效率和设计紧凑性。在开发合适的解决方案时，需要开发新的实验方法和设备，并结合可用于更彻底地探索过程包络的模拟技术。

KEY OBJECTIVES AND AIMS OF THE PROJECT:The provision of heat accounts for approximately half of the total energy consumed in the UK, with 434 TWh (~57%) of this total consumed within domestic homes via space heating and hot water usage. The primary source for this energy is the combustion of gas, a methodology which unsustainable in the long term due to depleting resources, rapid approaching climate change targets and a ban on the installation of gas boilers in UK new build homes. Between 20 and 50% of industrial waste heat is vented to the atmosphere, losing a huge amount of energy that could potentially be reused to provide heat for process or space heating applications. SUSTAIN and SPECIFIC IKC are currently working with the UK steel industry to capture and reuse this waste heat via Thermochemical storage (TCS) and release technologies, that could be used to impact on the above issues through the provision of domestic heating with limited primary energy production requirements. These storage materials, such as SIM (Salt in Matrix) technologies, have been researched for a number of years as an Inter-seasonal storage option, operate via the dehydration and rehydration of the chemical salt, utilising the associated endo- and exothermic reactions to provide the storage and release of thermal energy with the output currently focused upon the delivery of hot air. THE RESEARCH QUESTION TO BE ADDRESSED:The focus of the current project will be to investigate and optimise the discharge of novel SIM material sets to allow the production of hot water compatible with a UK domestic scenario. This will cover both the material characterisation and assessment along with the development of novel systems to generate hot water. The research engineer will:Perform short- and long-term discharge tests of SIM materials varying moisture inputs, flow rates and material constituentsInvestigate pulsed cycles using combinations of hydrated and dry air inputsInvestigate the generation of domestic hot water from the developed material setsCharacterise the material changes as a result of the varying input parameters using microscopy, XRD and other suitable techniques Support ongoing industrial projects looking to capture and utilise industrial waste heat.THE NOVEL ENGINEERING THAT PLACES IT WITHIN EPSRC REMIT:Current thermochemical storage research has focused on the production of heat for building heating only. This would potentially provide low carbon heating, but ignores the domestic demand for hot water which typically can make up 10% of the thermal energy demand in winter and almost 100 % in the summer. The project will determine the feasibility of using thermochemical materials for the provision of hot water in a domestic setting. This will map total thermal energy density and peak temperature requirements to individual salt hydrates, identifying novel single and composite salt systems which meet the thermodynamic, economic and practical (e.g. corrosion, toxicity, abundance) requirements. Both theoretical and experimental methods will be used to determine suitable material / material combinations. The project will also provide engineering novelty through the design of heat exchangers capable of transferring energy from the porous solid phase thermochemical material to the liquid water phase. This will need o be achieved with a minimum of working transfer fluid, in order to maintain thermal response, efficiency of transfer and compactness of design. In developing a suitable solution, new experimental methods and apparatus will need to be developed and this will be coupled with simulation techniques which can be used to explore the process envelope more thoroughly.