Mobile heat storage
Mobile heat storage
The proprietary solution developed by Enetech is a tank used to store and transport heat over short distances. Enetech’s innovative heat storage technology uses PCM (Phase Change Material).
Enetech heat transport technology
As a standard, thermal energy is used in the same place and time in which it was generated or sent from the district heating network. For small amounts of heat, transport via industrial infrastructure (pipelines) is unprofitable – it generates large investment outlays, and additionally we often encounter land ownership problems and natural terrain obstacles.
Enetech mobile heat storages can transport heat energy to facilities located in a short distance from the place of its generation – 30 km is assumed. The Enetech mobile heat storage, filled with phase change material with a heat exchanger, is transported by a truck tractor with a semi-trailer.
PCM – the heart of Enetech mobile heat storage
Phase change materials are substances that allow the storage of large amounts of thermal energy in a relatively small volume and mass. In the PCM, energy is stored in the form of latent heat – necessary for the phase transformation process (change of state of aggregation).
Phase change materials have an important property. The phase change takes place at a constant, precisely defined temperature – just like ice turns into water at 0oC. Unlike water, the PCM materials used by Enetech have melting points in a wide range (between 80 and 130oC). They can be used for storage and transport of thermal energy and further used for heating purposes. In the Enetech heat storage technology, the energy density is higher than in the case of traditional water heating (e.g. in pipeline energy transmission). Thanks to the use of PCM materials in mobile warehouses, heat transport becomes possible and profitable.
How we transport thermal energy – Enetech mobile heat storage?
The idea behind the system is to use two identical tanks in parallel. This solution makes it possible to ensure continuity of energy supply – so crucial in the heating sector.
How does it work in practice?
When one of the tanks is loaded at the heat source, the other is unloaded at the recipient. The system is designed so that one truck tractor is enough to transport the tanks. The loading time is shorter than the unloading time, which gives the driver time to cover the distance between the two locations.
Each system consists of a loading station at the location of the heat source and an unloading station at the receiving point. During loading and unloading, flexible hoses are connected to the tank, which exchange heat between the PCM and the heat carrier. Using several warehouses at the same time, you can easily increase the amount of transported heat. This allows you to build a whole network of recipients using one source, e.g. a factory with a large amount of waste heat, which can provide heat energy for residents.
What distinguishes Enetech mobile heat storages?
Constant temperature (phase change) during discharge is the main advantage of mobile heat storage over water-based energy storage technology. The Enetech mobile heat storage meets all legal regulations of public transport. The total weight of the tank was limited to 24 tons, which allows for the storage of approximately 7 GJ of thermal energy. This amount can provide heat for two weeks for a single-family house during frost (-20oC) or for 10 single-family houses at the same time (maximum discharge power of the tank is 150 kW).
The use of heat transport tanks means financial savings and a reduction in low emissions by supplying municipal heat and eliminating further emission sources for both industrial customers and customers.
We invite you to watch a short video presenting the operation of the thermal energy storage and transport system.
