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Floating heat storage in Donaustadt: revolution for the energy future!
An innovative hot water storage pilot system is being built at the Donaustadt power plant that promises maximum efficiency and sustainability.
Floating heat storage in Donaustadt: revolution for the energy future!
An exciting project is becoming reality in the Danube city: an innovative hot water storage pilot system is being built at the power plant location. This new system is characterized by a diameter of 40 to 50 meters and a depth of 30 to 35 meters and was designed to optimally store and use thermal energy. The stratification in the storage is crucial to enable high temperatures during withdrawal, which increases efficiency. The walls and lid of the system are additionally insulated to minimize heat loss, while the floor has no insulation.
As the TGA reports, simulations show that the heat losses are primarily caused by the walls and the lid. Due to the clever arrangement in the lower area of the storage, colder layers of water form when the storage is not fully loaded. This could prove beneficial to further optimize thermal efficiency.
Innovative materials and technologies
A key to the effective use of this facility lies in the development of new materials for wall construction and insulation. The Fraunhofer ISE has worked intensively on increasing storage density and long-term stability. The researchers focus on analyzing the interactions between packings and heat transfer fluids and developing innovative solutions to optimize sorption materials. These technologies will also be used in the Donaustadt facility.
The focus is on research and development services, such as the characterization of the thermophysical properties and the thermal stability of the materials. Microencapsulated phase change materials (PCM) are also used, which can significantly increase the heat storage capacity. Such measures are not only sustainable, but also help reduce costs, which is crucial for future projects.
A sustainable solution for the energy future
Thermal storage technology plays a crucial role in a sustainable energy future. It is not only essential for solar thermal power plants, but also optimizes load management in industrial processes. According to FVEE, these systems can make fossil power plants more flexible and reduce the costs of generating electricity. Large heat storage units are essential to absorb oversupply in the power grid and to stabilize the energy supply.
With regard to the Donaustadt plant, the aim is to achieve an efficiency of 80 to 90 percent. The entire storage system is expected to provide a thermal output of around 2,000 MW, which corresponds to a discharged energy of 50 GWh per year. With such impressive figures, the city has its finger on the pulse of modern energy supply and proves that innovative technologies have a good hand in driving the energy transition forward.
In summary, it can be said that the hot water storage pilot plant in the Danube city opens a promising chapter in the history of sustainable energy use and, through intelligent technologies and advanced materials, has the potential to make a significant contribution to energy efficiency and climate neutrality.