New techno-economic mannequin optimizes waste-heat conversion applied sciences

Every 12 months, 50% of the vitality produced worldwide from coal, oil, pure gasoline, nuclear, and renewable vitality sources is misplaced as warmth. This untapped useful resource could possibly be a promising extra supply of helpful vitality, and for many years, scientists have labored to develop environment friendly methods to transform waste warmth to electrical energy.

In a current research revealed in Joule, Berkeley Lab researchers developed a techno-economic mannequin to foretell the financial viability of various waste-heat conversion applied sciences. Their mannequin will assist information future analysis by steering scientists towards novel designs and applied sciences which are extra more likely to allow cost-effective and environment friendly waste-heat conversion.

Up till now, a lot of the analysis centered round waste-heat conversion applied sciences has been centered on the physics behind waste-heat conversion engines, reminiscent of thermoelectric generators that recuperate exhaust warmth in inside combustion engines. Berkeley Lab’s techno-economic mannequin allows researchers to have a extra system-wide method, which focuses on technological necessities for industrial viability, such because the temperature of the waste warmth supply, the price of warmth exchangers, or the minimal capability issue—the fraction of the time the waste warmth supply is accessible.

“Although more than 60% of the waste heat is available below 100 degrees Celsius, our analysis shows the waste heat conversion is only economical above 150 degrees Celsius,” stated Ravi Prasher, affiliate lab director at Berkeley Lab. “This finding is very important in prioritizing research and development for waste heat conversion heat engines.”

The techno-economic mannequin from this research allows researchers to higher predict which sectors and circumstances shall be extra ideally suited to waste-heat conversion applied sciences.