TechUPGRADE · Thermochemical Heat Recovery and Upgrade for Industrial Processes (TechUPGRADE)

This project aims to develop and validate (in the relevant environment to reach TRL 5) a novel thermochemically operating technology that can very efficiently, safely, cost-effectively, and sustainably provide waste heat recovery of industrial processes and upgrade them to much higher temperature levels (the target temperature will be 150-250 deg. C, here). The technology is a novel yet outstanding generation of heat transformers (Hydration Heat Transformer), outperforming any other competing technologies including various designs of high-temperature vapor compression heat pumps due to several reasons. That is, TechUPGRADE's solution i) may simply be integrated with any renewable technologies including solar thermal systems, ii) consumes almost no electricity, and presents significantly high energy and exergy efficiencies, iii) can be much more cost-effective than competing technologies due to expected long useful lifespan, the simplicity of the design and operation mechanism, and the way it integrates low-value heat sources, iv) may be employed for a variety of integration possibilities, low-temperature heat sources, and various heat sink temperature levels, and also, v) with simple adjustment, can offer the storage of the recovered waste or renewable heat if there is a mismatch between the heat source availability and the process heating demand. The project consortium consists of 14 partners from the four corners of the EU; including 5 universities, 3 research centers, 4 SMEs, 1 large company, and 1 partner with several industrial end-users, making sure that all the required expertise for a successful accomplishment of the project and future exploitation exist, and also the partners supplement each other in the most optimal manner. The technology will be demonstrated in different specific designs and integrations in two relevant environments in Sweden and Germany in 35 kW and 10 kW high-temperature heat delivery capacities.