Principal investigator: Kundu, Animesh, Carlos Romero, Sudhakar Neti
University: Lehigh University
Industry partners: HarbisonWalker International
In the proposed effort we will examine the efficacy of refractory castables developed by industrial partner HarbisonWalker International (HWI) for extending the operating temperature of the current TES system to >800°C. The Lehigh-HarbisonWalker team will develop scalable and cost-effective castable refractory materials solutions for thermal energy storage (TES). Lehigh University has a patent-pending technology that combines sensible and latent heat transfer into one integrated TES system with an operating temperatures range 200 - 450°C. We are particularly interested in the optimal combination of thermal conductivity and heat capacity of the castables for efficient energy storage. We hope that the outcome of this research and development effort will provide a competitive edge for HWI (PA based company) in the emerging renewable energy sector. The students trained in this research will gain experience in a cutting-edge market driven R&D effort and could potentially be retained in the commonwealth after their graduation.