DRAGON - WP 3: Thermal management and in

WP 3

Optimisation of thermal management and definition of DRAGON system interfaces

WP3 focuses on analyzing optimal system integration to maximize process efficiency.

This WP will leverage part of the results obtained in WP1 and WP2 and will exchange information and experiences with WP4 and WP6, where the integration analysis of the DRAGON system in various application areas and prototype testing will be carried out.

The thermal management optimization will start with a detailed analysis of the thermal energy involved, in terms of temperature levels, power exchanged, and charge and discharge cycles. Based on this analysis, the optimal thermal integration of the various metal hydride reactors will be studied, using numerical simulation. The possibility of using a centralized storage system will be investigated to optimize the system's internal heat flows (supplied and required by the various hydride reactors) and also to connect external sources (e.g., solar thermal, waste heat). Furthermore, the design of the hydride reactors will be optimized to maximize heat exchange efficiency by increasing charge/discharge kinetics. The modeling will be based on experimentally measured thermophysical parameters of the hydrides, thermal storage materials, and heat transfer fluids.

Once the optimal thermal management system has been identified, a laboratory-scale system (Hardware-in-the-loop) will be built, in which the heat flows supplied to and extracted from the various hydride reactors will be simulated using an available test station, allowing for a detailed analysis of the thermal management system's operating conditions. It will be appropriately equipped with control systems capable of maximizing efficiency by monitoring the state of charge and consequently managing the various operating phases.

An H2 storage system integrated with thermal management will be designed, initially through mathematical modeling and finally through the development of a system P&ID.

At the same time, management algorithms will be developed, integrating optimal logic for heat recovery, compatible with the H2 storage functions. An integrated prototype will be developed with management software. Finally, the integrated system will be characterized in the laboratory to verify its functionality and performance.

WP 3 is divided into 5 tasks.

WP 3.1 OPERATING CONDITIONS

Based on the properties of the metal hydrides used in the various reactors of the DRAGON system, a detailed analysis of the operating conditions of the system will be carried out from the point of view of thermal management. In particular, the operating temperatures of charging and discharging, the associated enthalpies and the possible charging and discharging powers will be defined. These data will then be used to screen possible storage materials (both phase change and thermochemical) and heat transfer fluids that can be used in the thermal management system.

WP 3.2 THERMAL MAGNAGEMENT (HEAT EXCHANGE)

Starting from the previous analysis, a simulation platform will be defined, using dedicated software for dynamic simulation, such as Modelica/Dymola, and open-access platforms (e.g., OEMOF), in which different configurations for the recovery and supply of thermal energy to and from the hydride reactors will be simulated.

The possibility of developing a management system based on a centralized thermal storage system will be analyzed, capable of storing energy and supplying it at the different required thermal levels. Furthermore, the integration of this system with external auxiliary sources, both from renewable sources and waste heat, will be studied.

To increase the thermal storage density, solutions based on phase-change materials or reversible thermochemical processes will be explored. To this end, the materials identified in the previous activity will be experimentally characterized (i.e. specific heat, thermal conductivity, enthalpy of phase change and reaction), and the experimental data will be integrated into the model to achieve the most accurate performance possible. Furthermore, a model of the thermal storage system (digital twin) will be developed, allowing for a numerical analysis of the thermal storage state of charge, identifying the thermophysical (e.g., temperature, pressure) and operational (e.g., heat transfer fluid) parameters to be monitored for an accurate estimate of this parameter during plant operation.

In parallel with the optimization of the thermal management system, a detailed design analysis of the reactors will also be performed for the integration of metal hydrides. The design will include a finite element simulation using commercial software (e.g., Comsol Multiphysics, Fluent), capable of modeling both heat transfer on the heat transfer fluid side and within the reactor. Configurations capable of maximizing power density will be studied, such as finned exchangers, tube bundles, etc. Furthermore, the possibility of exploiting porous structures with high thermal conductivity (e.g., metal and graphite foams) to increase exchange within the material will be investigated. The results of this analysis will then be used for the prototyping phase of the hydrogen treatment and storage system.

WP 3.3 PROTOTYPE

Based on the theoretical and experimental analyses conducted in the previous phases, the thermal management and storage system will be designed to carry out monitoring activities on a laboratory scale. The target will be a system capable of managing heat flows

of around 3-5 kW, with a storage capacity of up to 20 kWh.

The system will be built and integrated in the laboratory, using existing test stations at the CNR ITAE, in order to study its operation in Hardware-in-the-loop mode. To this end, different charging and discharging profiles of the hydride tanks and heat supply from external sources will be simulated in the laboratory, while the thermal management system will operate to maximise overall energy efficiency.

The methodology defined for monitoring the charge status of the thermal system will be implemented and integrated with the digital twin model of the storage system, and then connected to an

intelligent management protocol, interfaced with the overall plant management system developed during the system interface development activities.

WP 3.4 STORAGE SYSTEM + THERMAL MAGAGEMENT

The Design of an H2 storage system integrated with thermal management trough mathematical modelling plant P&ID and development of management algorithms.

First, both the control systems and the necessary equipment will be designed so that, starting from the sensors on board a commercial H2 storage device, the charging and discharging phase of the system can be managed by optimising heat recovery. The optimal trade-off will be studied between minimising charging/discharging times, maximising recoverable thermal energy, ensuring the safety of charging/discharging operations and, finally, minimising the cost of system integration.

This study will be supported by mathematical modelling of the energy management system, taking into account plant constraints and performance indicators in a multi-objective approach.

WP 3.5 INTEGRATED PROTOTYPE + MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE

The system interfaces will be developed through the creation of a plant P&ID and management software incorporating optimised logic. The main components will be acquired and a TRL4 prototype will be developed that integrates the main functions of thermal storage and recovery.

The commercial storage system device, integrated with the heat recovery prototype, will be tested in the laboratory in order to verify the overall effectiveness of the charging/discharging operations and the thermal management of the storage system, with the relative heat recovery.

A test bench will be developed to house the integrated system for the purpose of its characterisation in the laboratory. The tests will provide the data necessary to analyse the results obtained and verify performance. Finally, the data will be analysed in order to provide an analysis of any corrective measures to be taken depending on the increase in TRL. These results will support the other ORs of the project, in order to make the scale-up and management phase of the DRAGON system more effective.

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