2015 BMBF - HighTechMatBau: SEDA
Table of contents
Investigation of multifunctional road construction materials and composites to harness solar energy and improve durability (SEDA)
Project staff
Contracting authority
Federal Ministry of Education and Research
Project period
05/2015 - 10/2018
Abstract
The SEDA research project aims to investigate the potential of road pavements as an energy source. Here, the focus and innovation of the project are both on the potential for electricity generation from the thermal energy stored in the road by solar radiation and on increased durability of the road structure by dissipating the heat. For an optimal use of the solar radiation potential, new materials and composites are needed that combine advantageous heat transport properties with the existing requirements for mechanical behavior. For this purpose, new multifunctional composite materials will be investigated for the development of novel collector variants. Aspects of urban requirements are to be taken into account in order to develop and implement a holistic concept for energy utilization.
Furthermore, within the scope of this project, existing processes or systems for the conversion of thermal energy into electrical energy are to be adapted according to the requirements resulting from the coupling with street collector systems. The use of ORC (Organic Rankine Cycle) plants seems to be promising for the conversion of heat into electricity, although the temperature levels for this application are significantly below the usual values of previous uses. Suitable organic substances or substance mixtures must therefore be identified and characterized as working fluids.
The cooling resulting from the energy extraction can additionally extend the service life of the road pavement. The energy extracted should be made available primarily in the form of electrical energy. The non-transformable heat quantities are to be made available to the adjacent consumers in the urban area. Appropriate approaches to improve the energy and CO2 balances of urban areas are to be developed within the framework of this project.
(Source: https://www.hightechmatbau.de)
