C3-V4.6: Energy-storing carbon reinforced concrete
Table of contents
Project data
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Report in the annual report 2020
FROM THE EMERGING FUTURE
Section of a facade element: A 5cm thick component combines load-bearing structure, photovoltaics, capillary system as well as cavities for the integration of electrical storage systems.
To ensure that technological progress is not direction-blind, it is mostly advisable to think of new developments from a desirable or at least emerging future. Even if approaches are individual and diverse, a large proportion of developers are united by the pursuit of sustainable solutions to our current ecological and social challenges. For the building industry, this means achieving a buildings task – from protection against external influences to (thermal) energy supply – with the lowest possible economic and ecological expenditure throughout the entire life cycle. Within the framework of the present project C3-V4.6 Enerton, an attempt is being made to combine the current research and development trends towards high levels of automation and prefabrication, an increasing adaptation rate of renewable energy technologies and a construction method that reduces resource consumption as much as possible with the aid of carbon concrete. The aim is to minimize the resource consumption of buildings both during construction and in their service life.With the help of experimental and numerical investigations, manufacturing and construction concepts were developed and optimized at the Institute of Concrete Strucures, which enable the simple embedding of renewable energy technologies in the process of precast element production. Particular focus was placed on the storage of electrical energy and cable routing. In this context, the project partner TU Darmstadt developed temperature-insensitive and cost-effective electricity storage systems with high cycle stability based on non-critical materials. The concepts were investigated with regard to their bending and shear force bearing behavior. Significant economic and ecological influencing factors were defined and quantified. The suitability of connecting elements was investigated for the specific application “ventilated curtain facade”. Thin textile-reinforced concrete panels with integrated cassettes proved to be particularly advantageous in terms of load-bearing behavior, interchangeability and the volume available for functional integration. With the help of large-scale component and fire tests, the feasibility of the developed and patented design and manufacturing method will be investigated in more detail.
Report in the annual report 2019
BUILDING INTEGRATED ENERGY STORAGE
Inclined tensile test for the investigation of connecting elements for functionalised elements
The use of renewable energies protects the environment. In order to increase the adaptation rate of renewable energy technologies, planning and investment costs must be reduced. One approach to achieve this objective is the integration of renewable energy technologies – and especially electrical storage devices – into the process of precast concrete production.
The Institute of Concrete Structures is mainly concerned with the development of a suitable design of the carrying structure. The particular challenge: The energy storage devices must be integrated into the structure in such a way that they i) have as little influence as possible on the load-bearing capacity, ii) can be manufactured in an economically viable way, and iii) their long-term operational reliability can be guaranteed.
Building element with cavities for function integration in a test facility
To this end, three variants were initially designed and investigated. Variant 1 provides for the direct use of the textile reinforcement as an electrode; electrolyte pockets are integrated into the textile for this purpose. This variant has low storage capacity and significantly reduces the load-bearing capacity of the component. Variant 2 provides for the integration of storage elements between two textile layers. The storage elements are located in zones with low load-bearing capacity, which only slightly affects the load-bearing capacity of the component. The storage capacity is massively increased compared to variant 1. Variant 3 uses a support structure for integration, into which electrical modules are inserted. The modules are freely accessible and can be replaced if necessary.
In the further course of the project, the design of the structure and the cable routing will be further optimized. In addition, suitable manufacturing concepts are currently being developed and the scalability of such component-integrated storage devices is being investigated.
In the future, components of this type could be attached to existing buildings or new buildings in order to enable residents to be supplied with electricity from previously stored renewable energies.
Report in the annual report 2018
BUILDING INTEGRATED ENERGY STORAGE
Herstellung eines Betonelements mit integrierter Energiespeicherung
To meet the worldwide growing need for living space and green energy, buildings have to be aesthetic, energy-efficient and economically viable. Our hypothesis: by integrating renewable technologies into the prefabrication process such objectives may be reached. The installation of renewables after building completion leads to complex and time-consuming installation and planning processes as various interdependent installations have to be coordinated. On the contrary, the integration of renewables at a very early stage of the overall building process through the integration of renewables into the prefabrication process enables time and cost-effective implementation processes.
Energy storage enables to counterbalance fluctuations in energy generation and energy demand. A high level of energetic self-sufficiency on building scale that is based on renewable energies usually requires electric storage capacity. For this reason, energy storage is a key device for a viable decentral power supply from fluctuating renewable sources. The overall objective of this project is to enable the integration of energy storage components into the prefabrication process through the development of highly prefabricated, energy storage concrete elements.
Biegeversuch eines Betonelements mit integrierten Funktionskörpern
As an important guideline, easy, robust and cost-effective processes and materials shall be used. In accordance with this approach, supercapacitors were identified as advantageous storing elements. Carbon reinforced concrete enables robust and durable constructions with easy formability that enables the integration of further components into the structure. Furthermore, the electrical conductivity of carbon provides the opportunity to use the reinforcement material as conductors. Particular emphasis is placed on the development of different design variations and their optimization concerning the load bearing and storage capacity. One of the special challenges is to design construction that is easy to maintain.
The Institute of Concrete Structures participates in the construction development and in the determination of the bearing mechanisms of the prefabricated elements. The influence of the integrated storage material on the load-bearing capacity and serviceability will be investigated. Among fundamental technical questions regarding the material, practical-oriented questions like production methods, specific application scenarios and economic aspects will be investigated.