NaOH – Circular flow heating system

Technical field: heat generation

Problem, history, state of the art (background information) :

In a world facing the dual challenges of energy demand and environmental sustainability, the
need for innovative heating technologies has become increasingly vital. Heating accounts for
a significant portion of global energy consumption, and traditional methods often rely on
fossil fuels, leading to carbon emissions and environmental degradation. To address these
pressing issues, a groundbreaking heating technology has emerged, poised to revolutionize the
way we heat our homes and buildings. This innovative approach centers around the storage of
heat using sodium hydroxide (NaOH).

Description – solution

In order to generate heat on demand without producing CO2 emissions the circular flow
heating system makes use of the exothermic reaction between NaOH and H2O. When mixing
highly concentrated sodium lye and water heat is released. When heating a low concentrated
sodium hydroxide solution the NaOH concentration rises. By exploiting the reversible
character of this thermo-chemical reaction our product is designed to store excess heat in a
chemical form. This method of storing thermal energy prevents heat losses in the storage state
and thereby it is ideally suited for long-term heat storage. The storage can be charged by solar
energy during summer months. The system stores chemical energy by concentrating the
sodium lye up to concentration of 75% NaOH and pumping the fluid into a storage vessel.

Fig. 1 Vapor is absorbed by the sorbent

The working principle of the heat generation process is illustrated in Fig. 1. Under low
pressure conditions ambient heat is used to evaporate water. The water vapor is driven to the
sodium lye, where it is absorbed by the sorbent. Through this chemical process the thermal
energy can be retrieved and the latent heat can be used for the heater circuit.

Results – benefits
A thermochemical storage system is an innovative approach to heat storage. It uses chemical
reactions to absorb and release energy. Compared to conventional heat storage systems such
as water or oil tanks, thermochemical heat storage systems (THSC) offer several advantages.
One advantage is its high energy density. The NaOH – Circular flow heating system offers a
cost-effective way to use renewable energy, especially solar energy, to heat buildings in
winter (Chen et al., 2021). It is an environmentally friendly energy storage unlike other forms
of energy carriers, such as fossil fuels, which release harmful pollutants into the atmosphere.
This closed system can run almost exclusively on solar energy, which leads to a significant
reduction in CO2 emissions. Due to the reusability of the sodium hydroxide, there is great
potential to become a real circular system. Furthermore, the system is practical for everyday
use and safe for the user, as it is a closed system. In the future, the NaOH – Circular flow
heating system could offer a real alternative to fossil heating systems. Its a highly scalable
technology that can be used for a wide range of energy storage applications and thus make a
further contribution to the energy transition (Bergan & Greiner, 2014).

vocabulary list:

https://proceedings.ises.org/paper/eurosun2010/eurosun2010-0305-Weber.pdf

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1876610214001829

https://www.empa.ch/web/s604/naoh-heat-storage
Dorer, V. & Weber R. (2008). Long term heat storage with NaOH. Vacuum Vol. 82/7, pp 708-
716 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vacuum.2007.10.018

Bergan, P. G., & Greiner, C. (2014). A New Type of Large Scale Thermal Energy Storage.
Energy Procedia, 58, 152–159. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egypro.2014.10.422 (Fatih)

Chen, B. M., Johannes, K., Ratel, L., Horgnies, M., Morin, V., & Kuznik, F. (2021).
Investigation on ettringite as a low-cost high-density thermochemical heat storage material:
Thermodynamics and kinetics. Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, 221, 110877.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solmat.2020.110877 (Fatih)

English Word German Word model context

thermochemica Thermochemisch Thermochemical refers to the use of chemical

l reactions to absorb and release energy

Lye Lauge Lye is an alkali metal hydroxide