Project title: Heat2Battery
Our society faces an inevitable transition to clean energy—the only uncertainty lies in its timing. Currently, an alarming 72% of energy is lost during conversion from primary sources to final use, highlighting critical inefficiencies in our systems. Utilizing this waste heat by transforming it to electrical energy could significantly reduce the global energy consumption. Addressing these hurdles will be crucial for advancing our clean energy future.
While thermoelectric conversion offers a promising path to reclaim waste energy, three key challenges limit its adoption: poor efficiency rates of 5-8%, reliance on temperature gradients, and sustainability concerns with current materials.
Our research team at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) is developing a new solid-state battery system that harnesses thermal energy during heating cycles and converts it to electrical energy during cooling phases. Operating within 80-300 °C above ambient conditions, the system efficiently captures low-grade heat from previously untapped sources and convert it into electricity. This innovative technology enables energy recovery across various industrial applications while contributing to energy conservation and carbon emission reduction.
Start date: 01-02-2025
End date: 01-02-2028