Research Projects from the Annual Report

In this project, we are developing cooperative software energy agents for several distributed controllable systems (heat pumps, electric cars, battery storage), which communicate with each other and act according to defined rules of trade with high temporal resolution. In doing so, agents pursue the individual goals of their respective users, while also keeping an eye on the neighborhood as an overall system. A specific goal in the sub-project is the allocation and accounting of energy quantities using block chain technology. It provides the end user with a transparent overview of their current green electricity share and creates incentives for load shifting. | Duration: 10/2017 - 09/2022

Project in the Business Area Energy-Efficient Buildings; Topics: Building Operation Management, Heat Pump, Duration: 03/2021 - 04/2025

With the phase-out of coal-fired power generation, not only will large amounts of power generation capacity be lost, but also gigawatts of thermal capacity in district heating networks that will have to be replaced by low-CO2 alternatives. Large-scale heat pumps at former power plant sites that feed heat into existing district or local heating networks are a promising alternative to decentralized solutions, especially in densely built-up urban areas. The project aims to reduce the barriers to the timely integration of large-scale heat pumps into district heating systems, both from a technical and an economic point of view. | Duration: 10/2021 - 09/2025

The aim of the project is to develop and optimize cost-efficient filler materials for high-temperature storage systems and to test a high-temperature storage system in an industrial application. The application area of the filler materials is thermal storage for waste heat recovery as well as solar thermal and fossil power plants with liquid heat transfer media (thermal oil or molten salt) or with gaseous heat transfer media such as air. | Duration: 03/2019 - 08/2022

Project in the Business Area: Power Electronics, Grids and Smart Systems; Topic: Energy System Analysis; Duration: 09/2019 - 12/2022

Project in the Business Area: Energy-Efficient Buildings, Solar Thermal Power Plants and Industrial , Topics: TThermal Storage for Buildings, Thermal Storage for Power Plants and Industry, Duration: 05/2021 - 04/2025

Project in the Business Area: Hydrogen Technologies and Electrical Energy Storage, Topic: Battery System Technology, Duration: 01/2021 - 03/2024

The agricultural sector is facing new challenges. In the wake of climate change, strategies must be developed to avoid negative impacts on harvests. Orcharding in Germany is already affected by the consequences of climate change: rising temperatures, changes in precipitation distribution and increasingly frequent extreme weather events such as hail and heavy rain. As a result, commercial fruit growers are increasingly using hail protection nets and foil roofing to prevent quality and yield losses. The project "APV-Obstbau" (Agrivoltaic Orcharding) will investigate to what extent agrivoltaics can replace these protective measures in apple cultivation, which system design makes sense for this crop and in which way the agrivoltaic system affects crop yields. | Duration: 04/2020 - 03/2025

As the appreciable growth in charging infrastructure for electric vehicles can lead to local supply shortages in the distribution grids, particularly fast charging stations are increasingly being equipped with local storage buffers. In a solar carport with integrated buffer storage and fast charging infrastructure, the DC electricity generated by the PV system can be inverted and rectified up to four times on its route from the PV module via the buffer storage unit to the DC charging point, generating unnecessary conversion losses. | Duration: 01/2017 - 12/2022

The "BetterBat" project addresses the interface between battery technology and its potential use in an application. "BetterBat" thus explicitly focuses on the user side and its systemic application-specific requirements, enabling target-oriented research and development, shortening the time-to-market accordingly and reducing the risk of failing to meet market requirements. "BetterBat" is intended to provide answers to the following questions, for example: For which applications can battery-electric solutions be considered today or in the future? Which battery technology is suitable for which application? What are the strengths and weaknesses and where might further research or funding be required? The work packages required to answer these questions are shown schematically in the figure below. | Duration: 03/2021 - 02/2024