Solar Power on Demand: Making Energy Available 24/7

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Linde GmbH, Head Office Munich

Linde AG, Linde Gases Division

But these thermal hotbeds could be of interest to many applications beyond solar power plants. “Latent heat storage systems also offer great potential for conventional power plants, which also work with steam and heat. This technology would be ideal, for instance, for an industrial power plant that might want to separate the delivery of power and heat,” maintains the Linde engineer. In addition, many industrial processes generate off-heat. This could be captured with salts and reused.

Future forward

The experts at Linde, Bertrams Heatec and DLR are already looking beyond the DSG Store project at their next challenge. “Now that DLR has shown that the system works in laboratory tests and a demonstration project, we are keen to further optimize both individual components and the concept overall,” reveals Hübner. This will include computer simulations to optimize the heat transfer process, the development of industrial manufacturing blueprints for the latent heat storage system and the construction of a test module. Linde’s Innovation Management team will be coordinating the project.

As Hübner points out, “The bundled know-how of Bertrams Heatec and Linde Engineering means we can rely on the best possible support—covering everything from heat transfer and process blueprinting through tank design to industrial-scale fabrication of tubes equipped with aluminum fins. The depth of Linde’s synergized know-how across the Group never ceases to amaze me.”

Hübner is understandably enthusiastic – he is currently working on his PhD and this is his area of specialization. At the end of 2013, the interdisciplinary team bringing together research and industry received a vote of confidence. “In December, we were awarded funding from the Germany Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety—so now we can really press ahead,” asserts Hübner.

The experts are now working flat out on the advancement of this new thermal storage system and alignment of the process technology with the concrete needs of solar power plants. Their ultimate aim is to make sure that solar power can flow at any time of the day or night.

* First published in PROCESS Worldwide Subcontinent Edition

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