8 | LEHIGH ALUMNI BULLETIN | FROM THE NEST In the ramp-up to more widespread renewable energy use, thermal energy storage is becoming a go-to solution for enabling power grids to respond to variable supply and demand conditions. When demand is high and solar or wind energy is not available, stored energy could answer the call, and keep the U.S. moving in a greener direction. Lehigh engineers, with support from the Department of Energy, have developed a new thermal energy system, the Lehigh Thermal Battery. The technology consists of engineered cementitious materials and thermosiphons in a combination that enables fast and efficient thermal performance at low cost. The technology is capable of operating with heat or electricity as the charging energy input. The project is a collaboration among Lehigh’s Energy Research Center, Lehigh’s Advanced Technology for Large Structural Systems (ATLSS) Engineering Research Center and Advanced Cooling Technologies. Carbon-Reducing Technology “The concrete plus thermosiphon concept is unique and new among heat energy storage concepts,” said Carlos Romero, co-principal investigator on the project and director of the Energy Research Center at Lehigh. “The technology offers the potential for adaptation over a broad range of temperatures, heat transfer media and operating conditions. This makes it suitable for decarbonization opportunities in industry, the flexibilization of conventional power plants, and advancements and penetration of concentrated solar power.” The Lehigh Thermal Battery technology is innovative “because it is modular, designed for independent energy input/output streams during charging/ discharging which is feasible with the help of the thermosiphons, and the twophase change process inside the thermosiphon tubes allows rapid isothermal heat transfer to/from the storage media at very high heat transfer coefficients and heat rates,” said co-principal Investigator Sudhakar Neti, professor emeritus in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics at Lehigh. The team’s work could advance decarbonization of energy-intensive industry, which is currently responsible for about 30% of all greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S.—Lori Friedman RESEARCH Lehigh Engineers Design New Thermal Battery NEW DESIGN HUB Lehigh Design Labs opened a new Electronics Design Studio on the lower level of the Wilbur Powerhouse, offering students a fully equipped space for circuit prototyping, testing and PCB (printed circuit board) fabrication. Brian Slocum, director of the Wilbur Powerhouse Design Labs, said that giving Lehigh students the resources and skills to create prototypes that integrate electronics is as essential as providing the resources for physically making that prototype. “Adding this new studio is a game changer for the entire Lehigh community,” he said. The Electronics Design Studio, equipped with 10 workstations, is part of an expansive network of fabrication facilities across campus. For students new to electronics, the studio provides starter kits that explain the basics of circuits, breadboards, resistors, capacitors and more. Kelly Zona, manager of Wilbur Powerhouse Design Labs, and student tech fellows provide technical assistance and answer questions. INTERDISCIPLINARY HOLLY FASCHING ’26 / CHRISTA NEU
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTA0OTQ5OA==