SUSHEAT partner, Associate Professor, José Daniel Marcos del Cano, from the Thermal Systems and Renewable Energy (STER) group at UNED Energy Engineering Department is one of the authors of a paper that will be presented at the 13th National (CNIT) and 4th International Conference in Engineering Thermodynamics. The Conference will be held at the University of Jaume, Castellón de la Plana, Spain, from 29 November to 1 December, 2023.
The scientific paper will explore the Influence of the energy mix on the life cycle assessment of a Stirling Cycle-Based Heat Pump. The paper’s approach assesses the environmental impact of Stirling heat pump systems according to their location in different countries, instead of the assessment of the performance of selected heating.
Traditionally fossil fuels have been used in intensive manufacturing due to their availability, flexibility and security of supply. A lot of interest is being generated around the topic of industrial heat pumps, like the Høeg High Temperature Heat Pump (HT-HP) on SUSHEAT in an effort to decarbonise the energy mix.
Stirling Cycle Heat Pump (SC-HP) Systems, like the Høeg HT-HP, have a potential to supply factories with high-temperature heat for processing. They are tipped by the IEA in its World Energy Outlook to play a big part in global future energy supply by 2050.
Marcos del Cano said that the HT-HPs that are based on the Stirling cycle represent a plausible alternative to replace traditional fuel-based heating when used in combination with other renewable energy sources. Part of the project will be an assessment of the potential environmental impact of the SUSHEAT system throughout its life cycle.
SUSHEAT has proposed a hybrid energy system to provide heat for industrial processes on demand where low-carbon heat will be fed via solar thermal, ambient or waste heat recovery, and upgraded by a HT-HP working with helium and other low-global-impact-potential fluids to minimise running, capital costs and emissions.
The system flexibility will be provided via two newly-designed bio-inspired Thermal Energy Storage (TES) tanks that are adaptable to the heat requirements at target temperatures. The concept is completed with a smart CIT system based on AI which will be fed and optimised by industrial demonstration data.
The paper that will be presented is the preliminary work associated with the SUSHEAT LCA regarding the system boundaries and the relevant inventory inputs and outputs, and the assessment of their potential impacts, Marcos del Cano explained.
“The present study makes a significant contribution by addressing the existing gap in the literature concerning the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of the Stirling Cycle Heat Pump (SC-HP) systems, providing valuable insights and knowledge to the field,” he said.
“The aim of this study is to evaluate and compare the environmental impact of the SC-HP system according to their location in different countries, instead of the assessment of the performance of selected heating. The comparison was carried out for four countries — Spain, France, Sweden and South Africa — which included a prospective assessment for scenarios of different electricity energy mixes, including fossil fuels, nuclear, hydro, bioenergy, solar and wind.”
As electrification advances, it is envisaged that SUSHEAT’s hybrid system will contribute to sustainable energy security and flexibility for the industrial sector by limiting the short- and long-term impacts of industrial heat electrification on the local grid. The system also is looking to increase energy efficiency, with a reduced energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The SUSHEAT system optimisation will be enabled by an AI digital Control and Integration Twin.
“The paper that will be presented is a preliminary LCA on a Stirling heat pump similar in concept to those developed by Enerin, (below) but not the same as the one they will manufacture for SUSHEAT. The objective of this work is to make a first approach to the LCA task that starts on SUSHEAT next year,” he said.
The SUSHEAT LCA analysis will involve three stages:
- Definition of the scope and goal,
- Development of relevant inventory inputs and outputs, and
- Assessment of their potential impacts and interpretation of results within the context of proposed targets.
The LCA will be carried out according to the guidelines of ISO 14040/14044 and with the specialised software Simapro.
