Antora Energy, an American cleantech company founded in 2017, develops a low-cost thermal storage solution for grid-scale energy storage of renewable resources based on an inexpensive thermal storage medium and a high-efficiency thermophotovoltaic energy conversion.
Challenges: renewable energy storage
As the world moves towards a more sustainable future, the transition to renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power is becoming increasingly important. However, with this transition comes the need for large-scale energy storage solutions that can be deployed in the grid. This is because renewable energy sources can be unpredictable, with periods of high energy production that outpaces energy demand, and periods of low energy production that fall short of energy demand.
Energy storage solutions are crucial for capturing excess energy during times of high production and for supplying energy during times of low production. This is important for maintaining a stable and reliable energy supply for homes and businesses. Unfortunately, existing battery technologies have limitations that make them less than ideal for large-scale energy storage. These limitations include challenges with material sourcing, high cost, and performance limitations.
Thermal energy storage is a promising technology that involves capturing excess energy as heat in some type of storage medium, and then using that stored energy to generate electricity or heat on demand. However, despite its potential, thermal energy storage has faced two significant challenges that have hindered its development and widespread adoption.
The first challenge is with the storage medium itself. Conventional thermal energy storage systems use a liquid or gas storage medium that is pumped through a network of pipes and heat exchangers to bring heat to a heat engine. This method of transporting the storage medium is faced with numerous problems and risks. The liquid or gas can leak, corrode the pipes, and degrade the heat exchangers. Additionally, the energy density of the storage medium is relatively low, which means that large storage tanks are required to store a significant amount of energy.
The second challenge is with the solid storage mediums. Research into solid storage mediums has faced other challenges. If heat is extracted from the surface of a storage medium faster than the heat can conduct through the internal volume of the storage medium, a large thermal gradient can develop. This can leave large portions of the storage medium undischarged and creates the potential for a thermal-shock induced mechanical failure.
Antora Energy Technology
Antora Energy develops a thermal energy storage system that combines an inexpensive thermal storage medium, such as carbon, at high temperatures with high-efficiency thermophotovoltaic energy conversion. This system provides a cost-effective and scalable solution to address the technical requirements for large-scale energy storage of renewable resources on the electricity grid. The system uses excess renewable energy electricity to heat carbon blocks to extremely high temperatures. This thermal energy is then stored and can be delivered as heat up to 1500 ºC or as electricity via highly efficient thermophotovoltaics (TPVs).
Antora Energy heat battery
As schematically depicted in the diagram below, the energy storage system consists of two main components: a thermal storage unit and a power conversion unit.