Special Focus : ACHEMA 2012
Innovations in energy storage and transfer are rapidly developing to try and match the non-stop global appetite for energy on the move. The “Innovative Energy Carriers and Storage” Special Show will provide the perfect platform for those looking to witness first hand some of the exciting innovations and progress that is being made in this field of technology. The Special Show is aiming to trigger plenty of discussions on fresh ideas and new concepts that are now increasingly making chemists and engineers have to face up to the numerous technical challenges posed by thermal and electrical energy storage technologies. It is clear for many applications the energy supplies of the future, based on a soaring share of renewable sources, are demanding entirely new solutions. Energy production in wind energy parks, wave power
systems and solar cell or photovoltaic power plants all create a strong demand for R&D in chemical engineering disciplines. Innovations in catalysis and especially in the entire field of electrochemistry are no less needed than advances in the management of heat flows. A small selection of issues calling for solutions in the short to medium term include:
■ How can we optimise the efficiency of water electrolysis for the generation of hydrogen as a chemical storage medium, particularly under variable loads?
■ How can we develop stationary batteries with dimensions exceeding those currently used for mobile applications by several orders of magnitude?
■ Which materials are best suited for a thermal storage device, an important component of adiabatic gas pressure storage systems?
“There are also a variety of complex chemical energy storage challenges that need to be resolved. In situ hydrogen production by electrolysis may initially appear to be an obvious solution. But is hydrogen really a suitable primary storage medium?”
A rising share of energy solutions feature renewable solutions such as wind power, wave power or photovoltaics which all face a variety of challenges posed by how best to store and harness fluctuating power. For this reason many of the energy supplies of the future will require considerably higher storage capacities to accommodate both peak loads and the total energy stored. Physical storage technologies, such as compressed air in
large underground caverns or conventional storage power stations, are undoubtedly the cheapest options but they offer limited capacity benefits. Although large-format batteries are starting to become a more viable option than they were just a few years ago there
ACHEMA’s Special Show in 2012 will focus on the theme of Innovative Energy Carriers and Storage .
www.engineerlive.com 49
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52