Lian Blijlevens

Materials for heat storage

Energy storage is required in the energy transition to renewable fuels. Nowadays we have a mismatch in supply and demand for renewable energy. We produce more solar energy than we need in the summer and not enough in the winter. There is a clear mismatch in supply and demand and illustrated by Figure 1. Thermal energy storage is a promising solution for this seasonal mismatch, because 70% of the energy demand in the built environment is in the form of thermal energy. This thermal energy is used for things like space heating and hot tap water. The most promising method for thermal energy storage is storage in thermochemical materials. That is because this method has the highest storage capacity, low cost price, minimal energy loss and it is safe for men and environment.

Currently the most promising thermochemical materials are salt hydrates. The heat is stored through solid-solid transitions involving hydration and dehydration. In this project, in collaboration with TU/e, we aim to gain better understanding in the transition process from hydrate to dehydrate.

Solar energy mismatch

Figure 1: Mismatch between solar energy production and the demand for solar energy.


Foto lian

Lian Blijlevens, Ph.D. student, Department of Solid State Chemistry

Contact:

Address:
Heyendaalseweg 135
6525 AJ nijmegen

PO box 9010
6500 GL Nijmegen
The Netherlands

Telephone: +31 (0)24 3653365
m.blijlevens@science.ru.nl