Innovative concepts for storing electrical energy in the gigawatt range will be analysed with NADINE’s energy storage infrastructure. To do this, a laboratory in Stuttgart examines technologies in the low- and high-temperature range up to 700 degrees Celsius.

The focus will be on concepts for so-called Carnot batteries. This involves high-temperature heat pumps turning electricity into heat. The heat is stored at low cost and can be converted back and used as electricity via a thermodynamic process. Project partners in Karlsruhe are investigating to what extent liquid metals can be used for Carnot batteries and thermal energy storage systems. These substances are ideal heat conductors and can also be used at very high temperatures.

The individual components and complete isentropic (loss-free) energy systems can be investigated in the planned NADINE laboratories using a so-called “heat platform”. In addition to the specific design of the different storage units and the individual suitability of the materials, the researchers are also interested in investigating the interaction of the individual components.

Since the beginning of 2018, the project partners Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and the University of Stuttgart have been developing the design for NADINE in a research project running for 18 months. It is being coordinated by the German Aerospace Centre (DLR). The research is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi).