Design and build of a first laboratory CHEST system

Kurzfassung

The CHESTER-concept uses a special Carnot Battery based on a Rankine Cycle - a so called CHEST-system - coupled with a renewable district heating supply to act as an energy hub between the district heating supply and the electrical grid. Thermal energy from solar thermal collectors or another kind of renewable low temperature heat source is converted to high temperature thermal energy by a heat pump. The high temperature thermal energy is stored in a storage cascade consisting of a latent heat storage as well as a sensible heat storage. Upon request, the stored thermal energy can be converted back into electrical energy by an organic Rankine Cycle (ORC). The ORC can be operated in combined power and heat mode. The ratio of thermal and electrical energy supplied to the CHESTER system as well as the ratio of electrical and thermal energy supplied by the CHESTER system after storage and conversion can be varied in a wide range, which allows for a flexible and demand-orientated energy supply. Within the framework of the European Union's H2020 project CHESTER, a first laboratory scale CHESTER-system prototype is being developed and built. The presentation will give an insight into the design process of the individual components and the technical challenges arising from planning and building a real system e.g. control engineering aspects.