This draft project plan is intended to inform the public of a new Workshop. Any interested party can take part in this Workshop and/or comment on this draft project plan. Please send any requests to participate or comments by e-mail to nortiz@une.org.
All those who have applied for participation or have commented on the project plan by the deadline will be invited to the kick-off meeting of the Workshop on 2022-04-29.
Recipients of this project plan are kindly requested to name all patent rights known to them to be relevant to the Workshop and to make available all supporting documents.
The CEN Workshop Agreement (CWA) on “Characterization of Hybrid Heat Pump Module“ based on HYCOOL Project EU findings, will be held virtually on 29th April 2022. The European Committee for Standardization (CEN) has given its green light to proceed. The draft agenda and the information about the event can be read at https://www.cencenelec.eu/news-and-events/news/2022/workshop/2022-03-17_hycool/
After two years, and the COVID_19 lockdown consequences, the HyCool consortium has met again in person, to hold the 7th General Assembly in Barcelona. The event has been organized by the Project Coordinator Veolia and IDP Ingeniería during the 9th and 10th of November 2021. The objective of the Assembly has been to review and update the project progress and to discuss the final steps in a moment where the project is near to the commissioning stage.
The project has suffered several delays because of the COVID_19 crisis and for other consequences of it regarding the civil works execution, the limitations on the logistics and transport of the equipment from different points in Europe (Austria and Germany) to Spain where the pilots are being installed, and even, the availability of some of the core materials for the solar field installation. Nevertheless, the current situation is optimistic as almost 85% of the pilot works in Givaudan and Bo de Debó are completed including civil works, installation of equipment and the solar mirrors.
During the first session, work package leaders presented the progress made with the core technologies focused on the installation of the equipment, the demonstration activities, the exploitation, communication, and coordination activities.
HyCool Consortium during the 7th General Assembly
After the project coordinator Veolia welcome words, the partners involved in the manufacturing of the equipment, installation processes and the Pilot Site representatives discussed about the commissioning and demonstration stages next year when the project shall be closed. Up to now, the delays are minor and depend on some circumstances regarding adjustments and integration of the systems with the Energy Management system implemented by Ecotherm.
Many interesting results have been obtained and now work packages 7, 8 and 9 that cover environmental and socio-economic analysis, exploitation and communication activities may progress towards the planning of workshops, communication of energy management simulation tools available on the HyCool website, the potential commercialization of the technologies designed and implemented, and the visibility of the companies that have made conscious decision at introducing renewable energy in the industrial field. During the WP9 about communication and dissemination activities, COMET and the partners discussed about the coming events, workshops and training sessions based on Virtual Reality implemented by AIT, IDP and the support of Ecotherm and Fahrenheit.
Solar field at Givaudan Pilot Site
During the visits to the pilot sites, the partners could see the installations at Givaudan, the visit was focused on the solar field and the Ecotherm technical room. Ecotherm explained the process about the generation of steam and hot water from the solar energy collected in the solar panels, and the pending works until the commissioning.
Ecotherm equipment in the technical room at Givaudan Pilot Site
For the other hand, in Bo de Debò pilot site, the partners visited the technical room where Faherenheit and Ecotherm equipment are installed. The solar collectors are not yet installed because some structural works must be performed on the building that will support them.
Fahrenheit equipment in the technical room at Bo de Debò Pilot Site
R2M also took advantage of this visit to scan the technical rooms and solar field with the Matterport camera to improve the virtual reality environment and some of the exploitation and commercialization activities planned. These results will be shared in further press releases and newsletters of the project.
Matterport scanning at Bo de Debò Pilot Site
This is the first face-to-face meeting after COVID_19 crisis and with the works performed in a very finished stage. Next Assembly will be held in Germany around May 2022, but some visits and actions to the pilot sites shall happen in between.
HyCool Project is in its final stage and 2022 will make possible to demonstrate how efficient and profitable is the HyCool and thermo-solar energy in industry.
EMPA is the Swiss Federal Laboratory for Material Science and Technology. Within HyCool, they are responsible for selecting the best adsorption materials for the HyCool project. They are finding ways to use state-of-the-art adsorbent materials and integrate new materials that could increase the performance of the HyCool Hybrid Chillers.
To better understand and monitor material performance, they are developing a computational tool that can predict its behavior in a given industrial application. These simulations produce important feedback for material scientists to improve them, thus improving the cooling capacities of the chillers and reducing the time from lab to market of these materials.
If you want to learn more about their work, then take a look at this interview where Emanuele Piccoli further explains EMPA’s work and how this innovation benefits the industrial sector.
Within the HyCool project (Industrial Cooling through Hybrid system based on solar heat), a fundamental point is to determine the environmental and socio-economic benefits of the innovative HyCool solution compared to the state of the art.
The HyCool project will introduce for the first time the solar energy in industrial cooling systems, as the result of the integration of 3 main innovations (Figure 1):
Solar steam generation (concentrating solar collectors);
Phase change materials (PCM) storages; and
Highly efficient and flexible hybrid chiller technology.
Figure 1. HyCool cooling system
With the installation of the demonstration sites in Givaudan (chemical industry) and Bo de Debó (food industry), we are now getting to the heart of the demonstration activities, which will include the assessment of environmental and socio-economic impacts.
The HyCool System indeed will result in relevant benefits on the environment and the human health, as well as in important economic benefits thanks to energy consumption reduction (estimated in 75%) and operational GHG emissions reduction.
In particular, the assessment of environmental and socio-economic impacts aims to analyse, evaluate, understand and manage the environmental and health effects of the HyCool technologies and solutions, with particular reference to the Global Warming Potential (GWP), with the quantification of Greenhouse Gases (GHG) emissions considering the entire life up to the point of disposal.
The activities will be performed in the framework of Work Package 7, led by the partner CiaoTech srl (Italy), a consulting company specialised in innovation management.
Since the assessments are conducted with a comparative methodology, as a first step, we have identified and analysed the reference process, with most industrial cooling and refrigeration systems worldwide powered by electricity and employing big electrically driven vapor compression machines. Secondly, we have defined the main environmental parameters and indicators to be monitored during the assessments.
In the coming months, we will carefully and thoroughly analyse the HyCool technologies and system, first of all from the environmental point of view, taking into account all the phases of the life cycle as per ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 standards (Figure 2). This analysis is known as Life Cycle Assessment or LCA.
Figure 2. Generic illustration of LCA study approach
Thus, the LCA will allow us to quantify all inputs (resources and energy) and outputs (pollutants and wastes) of the solar cooling systems and assessing how these solar cooling systems affect the environment, by demonstrating the benefits of the HyCool System in comparison with the heating and cooling processes currently used in the industry.
We will then analyse the economic impacts of the developed innovative technologies by comparing them against the conventional practice with a view to demonstrate significant reduction in human labour intensity and cost, but also reduction in operating expenditures incurred by energy, water and material consumption.
Finally, the assessment will focus on the social impacts that the Hycool solutions will generate on society at large.
These activities will allow us to have a complete picture of the potential impacts deriving from the application of HyCool innovation in the world of industrial refrigeration and to demonstrate that solar heat can become a reliable energy source for greener, more energy-efficient industrial processes.
How to turn solar heat and industrial waste heat into useful cooling effect? Industrial processes are often energy-intensive and the need for their efficient decarbonization is now at the forefront of governmental and corporate policies worldwide. However, solutions for the green transition of the industrial sector should be:
Flexible
Widely applicable
Reliable
And should:
Minimize energy consumption
Reduce operational costs
Lower CO2 footprint
Is there a solution to all these answers? Heat pumps are the fit match to tackle these issues.
Within HYCOOL, CNR ITAE and Fahrenheit have developed a hybrid thermal heat pump for application in several industrial sectors where efficient and sustainable cooling is needed. But what is the hybrid heat pump?
The hybrid heat pump concept
HYCOOL system proposes the combination of a thermal heat pump with an electrical heat pump: the thermal heat pump exploits low-temperature waste heat (i.e. 70-90 °C) that is generally unused or dumped to the ambient. It can also be powered by renewable sources, such as solar heat and biomass. The electrical heat pump can exploit electricity locally produced (i.e. from PV panels or other sources) and thus further increase the share of renewables. The hybridization consists in the configuration of the two heat pumps: they can work in series, in parallel or in cascade by just changing the hydraulic connections. This makes HYCOOL configuration flexible and easily adaptable to different industrial cases.
In the framework of HYCOOL, two case studies are considered, which are shown in Figure 1:
At GIVAUDAN (chemical industry), process cooling at +5°C is needed. To achieve this target with an overall high efficiency, the base load is covered with an adsorption unit (80 kW nominal power) that cools down the fluid in the range 5-21°C. Peak load is supplied by a compression unit with a natural refrigerant (propane, R290), that is connected in series with adsorption unit.
At Bodedebò (food industry), cooling of food at -10°C is needed. In this case, the efficiency in cooling generation is achieved by using a cascade configuration: the thermal heat pump (adsorption) is used as topping stage for the electrical heat pump, in a two-stage system. This increases the efficiency of the electrical heat pump up to 40% at the expenses of renewable or even waste low-grade heat, so virtually without the need for extra cost.
Figure 1: HYCOOL flexible configuration of the hybrid heat pump.
Experimental evaluation of the hybrid heat pump
The hybrid heat pump was tested in the laboratories of CNR ITAE in Messina in design and off-design conditions (see Figure 2). The aim of the tests was to define the cooling power and electricity consumption of the hybrid heat pump in the different ambient and process operating conditions, as well as confirm the reliability under off-design conditions. To this purpose, more than 100 testing cases were evaluated, and the results were reported in form of performance maps, like those in Figure 3.
Figure 2: the hybrid heat pump installed at CNR.
Figure 3: performance maps of the hybrid heat pump tested at CNR.
Is HYCOOL solution feasible for you?
HYCOOL solution is widely suitable for a vast range of processes. To know whether solar cooling can be part of your industrial processes, a screening tool, based on process requirements and information on the solar radiation in your industry’s location, was realized and is accessible here:
The results of the experimental testing at CNR, instead, were used to compile a calculator to predict the refrigeration capacity and energy efficiency ratio (EER) of the cascade HYCOOL chiller for a given industrial cooling process. You can access the tool here:
Last 12 May 2031, the HyCool consortium held its 6th Virtual General Assembly! Organised as an intense half-day session, this meeting gathered 26 partners online in order to review and discuss project advances with regards to our Solar Heating technologies for Industrial settings. Work package leaders were able to present the progress made with the core technologies, demonstration activities, exploitation, communication, and coordination work packages.
The session started with project coordinator Veolia welcoming us and reviewing the status of the project management work package. After this dive into the more administrative side of the project, we stepped right into the technical workpackages: Empa was able to present the status of their work on the adsorption material characterization protocol and behavior model while Ecotherm presented an update on the energy management system that will soon be installed in both our pilots. Then Veolia updated us on the adavances of the civil works and installations that are ongoing at our two pilot sites, like the recent installation of the anchors at the Givaudan pilot site, for example.
After the more technical presentations, it was time for work packages 7, 8 and 9 that are in charge of environmental and socio-economical analysis, exploitation and communication activities. Highlights presented during these work packages include the ongoing LCA Analysis and our upcoming WSED Workshop with the collaboration of AIT, Ecotherm, Fahrenheit, CNR ITAE and R2M. From the communication standpoint several new materials where presented, including the new Ressource on SHIP page which aims to foster knowledge exchange and synergies with other sister projects and organisations working on promoting the use of Solar Thermal.
The meeting wrapped up with high hopes that next time we might meet again in person and with a clear view of the next steps that will be taken by all partners during the next 6 months.
HyCool’s technology helps industrial processes to achieve higher refrigeration efficiency by integrating solar heat with hybrid heat pump technology. The performance of a hybrid adsorption-compression cooling system mainly depends on the operation parameters of the process. We have developed a “Refrigeration Capacity and EER Calculator Tool” that helps you estimate the performance of hybrid heat pump technology based on hot water temperature, chilled water temperature, and dry cooler outlet temperature.
Congratulations to one of our team members, Marco Calderoni, from our project partner R2M Solutions, who was elected as new chair of the RHC-ETIP, the European Technology and Innovation Platform on Renewable Heating and Cooling!
The RHC-ETIP represents stakeholders from the biomass, geothermal, solar thermal sectors, heat pumps, district heating and cooling, thermal storage and hybrid systems. It is, therefore, a unique ETIP covering all the renewable heating and cooling technologies.
Marco Calderoni takes over for Javier Urchueguía, RHC-ETIP Chairman in 2020. As key takeaways from his presidency period, Dr.Urchueguía pointed out the influential role of the RHC-ETIP to tip the balance of the budgetary distribution towards renewable heating and cooling. During his first meeting as Chairman of the RHC-ETIP, Marco Calderoni highlighted the potential positive impact of new alliances formed in 2020, such as the one with ETIP SNET and the Clean Energy Transition Partnership. His mandate started on the 1st January 2021 and will run until the end of 2021.
HyCool is part of the RHC European project database and has been actively participating in their events and workshops. Now, we take one more step in our relationship with the Platform and can continue to indirectly contribute to their work of maximising synergies and strengthening efforts towards research, development and technological innovation of Solar Thermal Energy within the European Union.
You can now read the full press release from RHC-ETIP here [https://www.rhc-platform.org/marco-calderoni-elected-as-new-chair-of-the-rhc-etip/]
During this online encounter, a selection of fifteen H2020 EU-funded projects gathered experts from the biomass, geothermal, solar thermal and heat pump sectors to explore a shared strategy to expand the use of renewable energy technology for building and industrial heating and cooling processes.
These technologies offer efficient and increasingly cost-competitive solutions to energy consumption.
Figure 1. Banner for “Renewable Heating and Cooling Solutions for Buildings and Industry Workshop” at SP2020.
In the course of the workshop, the projects were grouped into four categories according to their focus: (1) RHC for industrial applications; (2) storage solutions for RHC building support; (3) innovative solutions for RHC building deployment; (4) demonstration actions for RHC in buildings.
HyCool’s Presentation
Within the first cluster reviewing Renewable Heating and Cooling (RHC) for industries, Dr. Jakob offered a view of HyCool’s mission to increase the use of solar heat in industrial processes. For instance, HyCool’s solution combines solar collectors with adsorption chillers, that use solar energy to produce steam, heating, and cooling energy with greater efficiency.
Figure 2. Slide from Dr. Jakob’s presentation at SP2020.
Furthermore, Dr. Jakob’s shared the key equipment composing HyCool’s innovation and how it will be tested on the two pilot sites where HyCool will use the latest available developments in both concentrated solar panels and thermal storage fields to develop two innovative hybrid solar system concepts: one for chemical industrial processes primarily meant for solar steam and cooling energy provision and one for the small food industry primarily meant for solar cooling production.
Figure 3. Slide from Dr. Jakob’s presentation at SP2020.
In addition, Dr. Jakob showed how the HyCool’s Pre-feasibility Simulator can enable users to evaluate whether or not HyCool’s technology is suitable for a given industrial cooling process.
In conclusion, to further support the increase in the share of renewable energy across the EU, the production and validation of RHC solutions are of primary importance. The numerous fields of application in which innovative RHC technologies are proposed and currently investigated to demonstrate the relevance of this subject. Their performance and reliability must be demonstrated in order to achieve large distribution, because one of the key obstacles is the reluctance of industrial firms to implement new technologies, which can cause problems in production processes.
What seems necessary is to continue and improve cooperation between EU partners in order to take advantage of the expertise gained and to explore the social obstacles to the implementation of these solutions.
Chair of the workshop: Andrea Frazzica (CNR ITAE) – partner of GEOFIT
Participating European Commission representatives: Olga RIO-SUAREZ, Policy Officer, DG Research & Innovation; and Eleftherios Bourdakis, Policy Officer, DG Research & Innovation.
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