Thermal Battery Technology Advancements

Advanced Cooling Technologies, Inc. (ACT) has collaborated with Lehigh University and Dominion Energy on a DOE NETL program. ACT is a subcontractor to Lehigh University which is the prime on the project. ACT and Lehigh University have demonstrated the ability to store thermal energy in concrete using Thermosyphon technology. Excess heat is transferred via forced convection onto thermosyphons which subsequently transfer the heat into the surrounding concrete. The ability to store thermal energy created by coal-fired power plants allows the coal fossil fuel to be more energy efficient. By using the stored energy during electrical lulls on the power grid, the plant can extract the stored thermal energy to create more electricity during peak hours without needing to ramp up the boilers. ACT has carried out testing and validation of a small 3kWh system in collaboration with members of Lehigh University at Dominion Energy’s Mt. Storm power plant in West Virginia.