Description and contextualization of the subject

In this interdisciplinary course, students will be provided with theoretical and applied knowledge of fundamental concepts in technologies and materials in the field of thermal energy storage at medium, low and high temperatures, main techniques for thermo-physical characterization of materials, as well as basic tools for the modeling of these systems for thermal energy storage. In addition, students will be provided with basic concepts in catalytic and non-catalytic processes for the generation of sustainable fuels, basic reaction mechanisms, modifications of different types of materials, main types of catalysts, fundamental principles of sustainability, main synthesis methods and characterization techniques, as well as the use of waste in sustainable fuel generation processes.

Learning outcomes of the subject

Knowledge or content:

RCO5: Knowledge of the fundamentals of advanced materials for thermal energy storage, their construction and the validation of computational models, as well as the principles of green chemistry and catalysis in sustainable energy generation.



Competencies:

RC3: Competence in the analysis of the social and environmental impact of scientific-technical actions and of professional decisions and proposals, assessing their functionality and relevance according to criteria of sustainability and social justice.



Abilities or skills:

RHT3: Skills in laboratory procedures and techniques for the synthesis of new inorganic, polymeric and carbonaceous materials, in particular for their application in the field of energy storage and/or production, valuing aspects of circular economy and understanding the relationships between synthesis and properties.

Ordinary call: orientations and renunciation

A) CONTINUOUS EVALUATION

The final grade of the subject is divided into the following sections:

- Written multiple-choice exam 50%

- Project report 30%

- Project presentation 15%

- Practical report lab. 5%

For those students who attend classes regularly (i.e. more than 75%) and participate in the activities.

Conditions/restrictions: Earn 5 points out of 10 in all the sections mentioned above. There will be no exceptions in terms of attendance and assignments delivered on time for students participating in the continuous assessment process.

B) NON-CONTINUOUS EVALUATION

For those students who do not attend classes regularly (i.e., less than 75%) or for those who attend regularly, but forgo continuous assessment. The waiver of continuous assessment must be communicated to the coordinator of the subject before the seventh week of class.

In this case, the evaluation will be carried out by Final Evaluation by means of an exam that assesses all the learning outcomes established in the subject.

Extraordinary call: orientations and renunciation

Those students who do not pass in the ordinary call will be evaluated by means of a final multiple-choice exam in the extraordinary call.

Conditions / restrictions to pass: obtain 5 points out of 10.

Temary

1- Fundamentals in Thermal Energy Storage and Conversion

On the one hand, basic concepts within the field of thermal energy storage and modelling will be studied, e.g., basic concepts of modelling, different forms and technologies to store thermal energy, different types of materials and basic characterisation techniques for thermal energy storage and an overview of the applicability of thermal energy storage technologies in the domestic and industrial sector will be given. On the other hand, the student will be provided with general tools and concepts on catalytic and non-catalytic processes for the generation of sustainable fuels, e.g., principles of green chemistry, thermochemical cycles, reaction mechanisms, atomic economy, types of catalyst, basic techniques for characterizing catalysts and metal oxides (non-catalytic processes) etc. The ultimate goal is to provide the student with basic and sufficient knowledge to address the following topics where they will be delved into in more detail.



2- Advances in materials for thermal energy storage

Detailed presentation of the latest advances in the development of materials with remarkable performance in the field of thermal energy storage. The course will focus on materials intended for sensitive, latent and thermochemical heat storage. The strategies followed for the synthesis and optimization of materials will be deepened; the methodology followed for the characterization of materials according to the type of processes considered (sensitive, latent or thermochemical); and issues related to the compatibility of materials, problems associated with them, and strategies for solving these problems. To better understand the fundamentals of TES technology, notions related to the integration of materials into the application will also be given.



3- Sustainable fuel generation: catalytic and non-catalytic processes

In non-catalytic processes, some of the most researched thermochemical cycles are presented in order to highlight the differences, advantages and limits that arise when varying the number of steps and we will focus specifically on thermochemical cycles based on metal oxides under conventional and non-conventional heating (e.g., MW) and the modification strategies of these materials aimed at reducing working temperatures and improving reversibility. including the use of reducing agents. Within the catalytic processes we will focus on the thermo-catalytic conversion of abundant residues (polyolefins to H2 and CO2) under conventional and non-conventional heating, as well as on the design and characterization of catalysts and/or catalytic systems to increase the efficiency of the process studied.



4- Modeling and engineering:

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and system modeling tools in the field of thermal energy storage (TES) are presented, with special attention to the evolution of simulation technologies to optimize TES systems. In addition, some real TES projects carried out both in the pre-industrial phase and in the implementation in industrial environments are cited as examples.

Bibliography

Compulsory materials

- Presentation provided by the teacher after the class. This material will contain the basic information related to materials taught in the course. It will be accessible through the eGela platform.



- Laptop with Matlab-Simulink software installed. (More info in https://www.ehu.eus/documents/1870470/3788660/software-relacion-es.pdf/a8683d42-8d3f-168a-8029-d1d18a14c8c2)

Basic bibliography

- Thermal Energy Storage Technologies for Sustainability, Elsevier, by S. Kalaiselvam and R. Parameshwaran

- Thermal Energy Storage: Systems and Applications, Wiley, by I. Dinçer, M. A. Rosen

- Advances in Thermal Energy Storage Systems, Elsevier B.V., by L. F. Cabeza

In-depth bibliography

- Chemical Valorisation of Carbon Dioxide, Green Chemistry, 2022 by G. Stefanidis; A. Stankiewicz (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/9781839167645)



- Bauer, T., Steinmann, W. D., Laing, D., & Tamme, R. (2012). Thermal energy storage materials and systems. Annual Review of Heat Transfer, 15.



- Tawalbeh, M., Khan, H. A., Al-Othman, A., Almomani, F., & Ajith, S. (2023). A comprehensive review on the recent advances in materials for thermal energy storage applications. International Journal of Thermofluids, 100326.

Journals

- Oxygen Carrier Materials and Related Thermochemical Redox Processes for Concentrating Solar Thermal Applications. Materials., 2023, 16, 3582.



- Comparative evaluation of thermochemical water splitting cycles for hydrogen production. Energy Conversion and Management., 2020, 205, 112182.



- Catalysis for CO2 conversion: a key technology for rapid introduction of renewable energy in the value chain of chemical industries. Energy Environ. Sci., 2013,6, 1711-1731

Links

- https://es.mathworks.com/products/simulink.html



- https://www.ansys.com/products/fluids/ansys-fluent



- https://www.acs.org/greenchemistry/principles/12-principles-of-green-chemistry.html



- https://www.acs.org/greenchemistry/research-innovation/catalysis.html



- https://www.acs.org/greenchemistry/what-is-green-chemistry/history-of-green-chemistry.html



- https://www.pv-magazine.com/2023/10/16/mit-scientists-develop-csp-system-to-produce-hydrogen/



- https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/64678f30628371000c3a8919/HYS2115_NNL_Final_Feasibility_Report__Public_.pdf