TECHNOLOGY LICENSING OPPORTUNITY

Novel Chemical Heat Pump Reactor for Enhanced Thermal Energy Storage

Cutting-edge Chemical Heat Pump Reactor that efficiently captures, stores, and enhances thermal energy for diverse industrial applications.

Opportunity: Idaho National Laboratory (INL), managed and operated by Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC (BEA), offers the opportunity to explore a license and/or collaborative research agreement to commercialize this Novel Chemical Heat Pump Reactor. This technology transfer opportunity is part of a dedicated effort to convert government-funded research into job opportunities, businesses, and, ultimately, an improved way of life for the American people.

Overview: Increasing energy costs and evolving market forces have continually challenged the economic viability of power generators, particularly nuclear plants. As a consequence, the closure of operational nuclear plants has become a growing concern. A significant quantity of low temperature streams, usually considered waste heat, is commonly available in industrial plants. This low-quality heat is typically exhausted, thus leading to thermal pollution. In this climate, we introduce our innovative Chemical Heat Pump Reactor, designed to harness this underutilized resource and transform it into a high-quality thermal energy stream.

Description: INL’s Chemical Heat Pump Reactor configuration utilizes a thermochemical energy storage system based on a reversible reaction. In its energy storage step, the system decomposes alkaline earth metal (Ca/Mg) hydroxide in a solid phase, resulting in solid phase calcium oxide and water vapor. These products are stored separately due to their difference in phases. The stored energy is recovered by recombining these products, thereby reforming calcium hydroxide via an exothermic reaction. By altering the reaction conditions, the system can achieve temperatures higher than the initial decomposition reaction, thereby functioning as a potent chemical heat pump and improving the quality of the thermal energy.

Benefits:

• Efficient use of industrial waste heat, converting it into a high-quality thermal energy stream.

• Contributes to decarbonization efforts and mitigates thermal pollution.

• Enhances the economic viability and profitability of operational units.

• Supports grid stability and promotes energy security.

Applications:

• Harnessing and upgrading of low-grade waste heat in industrial settings.

• Energy storage and temperature boosting for power generators, especially nuclear plants.

• Providing grid stability and improving energy security.

• Developing niche non-power industrial applications for operational units.

Development Status: TRL 4, the system has been validated in a laboratory environment.

IP Status: US Patent Application No. 18/188,169, “Reversible Reaction, Multi-Stage and Multi-Bed Chemical Heat Pumps, Reversible Reaction Systems, and Related Methods,” BEA Docket No. BA-1336.

INL seeks to license the above intellectual property to a company with a demonstrated ability to bring such inventions to the market. Exclusive rights in defined fields of use may be available. Added value is placed on relationships with small businesses, start-up companies, and general entrepreneurship opportunities.

Please visit Technology Deployment’s website at https://inl.gov/inl-initiatives/technology-deployment for more information on working with INL and the industrial partnering and technology transfer process.

Companies interested in learning more about this licensing opportunity should contact Andrew Rankin at td@inl.gov.