Technology Transfer Department

Application sectors

Problem to solve

Development and experimental characterization of innovative thermal storage systems, with high energy density, for applications in the field of electronics and environmental conditioning. For example, such systems can represent an innovative solution in the field of "passive" thermal control of electronic devices. Development and experimental implementation of operational strategies for low-temperature thermal networks

Description

The facility consists of two research infrastructures: The first is an indoor laboratory used in the context of ENEA activities concerning the experimentation, thermo-fluid dynamic modeling and numerical simulation of innovative systems for thermal energy storage at medium-low temperatures (60-100°C), and of systems for “cold storage”. The laboratory is also used for the thermophysical characterization of phase change materials (PCM) for thermal storage applications, and for the experimental implementation of innovative strategies for the management and control of poly-generative systems with thermal storage, for residential applications. The second is a thermal nanogrid, used for the experimental simulation of both heat distribution networks and cooling energy. The thermal nanogrid was designed and built to allow the experimental simulation of different types of networks (e.g. branched, ring, mesh type) characterized by different ranges of generation and thermal storage, and by different types of thermal loads. Furthermore, the thermal nanogrid is used for the experimental study of demand-response methodologies for new-generation low-temperature thermal networks based on the use of water-cooled electric “booster” heat pumps.

Research group involved