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Carnot batteries for heat and power coupling: Energy, Exergy, Economic and Environmental (4E) analysis by Antoine LATERRE -
Mercredi 25 juin 2025 à 16h45 - Auditoire A.03SCES - Place des Sciences, 2 - 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve
With the transition to intermittent renewable energies, the need for energy storage is expected to grow significantly. Moreover, the technologies required for this transition will lead to a substantial rise in demand for strategic materials, making their rational and optimal use essential. It is therefore crucial to develop various storage technologies, each tailored to meet specific needs. In this context, Carnot batteries, which store energy in the form of heat and convert it to electricity using heat pumps and heat engines, emerge as true Swiss Army knives for multi-energy systems, particularly benefiting from the heat-to-power coupling. However, for Carnot batteries to effectively contribute to the energy transition, optimal thermodynamic and economic configurations must still be identified, both in terms of use case and technology. Specifically, medium-temperature systems (< 150°C) have been scarcely investigated within literature. To broadly explore this challenge, this thesis proposes a three-pronged approach:
Thermodynamic optimisation, aimed at identifying the configurations that deliver maximum efficiency while aligning with diverse preferences;
Techno-economic optimisation, to understand how to improve their financial performance and their contribution to energy systems;
Environmental optimisation, to identify the distinctive environmental benefits of Carnot batteries compared to electro-chemical batteries.
Importantly, the work proposes several methodological innovations. Regarding thermodynamic design, the 'Modeling to Generate Alternatives' approach was applied for the first time to the optimisation of thermodynamic cycles, in order to investigate a wide range of Carnot battery configurations and identify the necessary trade-offs. Regarding techno-economic optimisation, Linear Programming was used, with the goal of optimising both the design and operation of the system. Lastly, this work reports one of the first Life Cycle Assessment of a Carnot battery, to challenge the widely held belief of reduced impact compared to electro-chemical batteries.
Jury members :
Prof. Francesco Contino (UCLouvain) (Supervisor)
Prof. Vincent Lemort (ULiège) (Supervisor)
Prof. Nicolas Moës (UCLouvain) (Chairperson)
Dr. Diederik Coppitters (UCLouvain) (Secretary)
Prof. Sylvain Quoilin (ULiège)
Prof. Ward De Paepe (UMONS)
Prof. Burak Atakan (Uni-DUE)
Pay attention : the public defense of Antoine LATERRE will also take place in the form of a videoconference
