i-6 battery
When energy storage alone isn't enough to call yourself sustainable, i-6 makes the difference: Italy's first battery crafted from recovered organic materials.
The new thermal battery developed by i-TES improves energy efficiency by uniquely exploiting a particular property of phase change materials (PCMs).
These are innovative batteries made from bio-based materials, which help enhance energy efficiency by reducing waste in thermal applications.
The i-TES batteries, tested on over 1 MWh of already installed units, compatible with a multitude of systems, integrate various forms of heat generation: all features that contribute to defining them as the batteries of the future.
i-6 Features
The i-6 battery is a static device, easy to install and requiring minimal maintenance.
Its prismatic shape allows for easy integration with both newly designed systems and existing ones, occupying minimal space.
The innovative PCM (Phase Change Materials) technology ensures the immediate release of water at the desired temperature and long-term heat storage.
Applications are numerous, thanks to the high-performance design of the heat exchanger, which can also handle high discharge power.
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The secret
- PCM can sustain its melting point temperature for extended durations, a beneficial characteristic when compared to water storage tanks. As a result, regardless of fluctuations in the water temperature upstream of i-6, the temperature downstream of the device will consistently correspond to the temperature associated with the phase change.
- The device is engineered to guarantee optimal thermal conductivity between the PCM and water.
- Given the same volume, a latent heat storage unit, irrespective of the material employed, possesses a greater capacity than a sensible heat storage unit, owing to the inherent characteristics of the phase change principle.
Switch Controller IOT
Connects the battery to external devices.
Manages the charging/discharging of the PCM to optimize device efficiency and meet user needs.
Heat Exchanger
The heat exchanger is essential for charging and discharging the material and connects the energy stored in the PCM from the source (e.g., a heat pump) to the user.
Made of copper and aluminum.
PCM
The "core" of the battery.
Melting temperature range between 4°C and 100°C.
Organic materials, of biological origin.
Low environmental impact: no corrosion and no health or safety issues.
Tank
Its role is to support and contain the entire structure, made of steel and aluminum.
Comparison with water storage systems
Size
The compact design is ideal for limited spaces. Installation is quick and easy, facilitating integration with existing systems. Thanks to the intrinsic properties of the material, i-TES batteries can occupy 1/2 of the volume of water.
Thermoregulation
Optimal and constant temperature: the hot water delivery temperature remains constant. Moreover, it is possible to avoid installing an anti-scald valve (UNI 9182 standard and UNI EN 806 series) simply by choosing a PCM with a temperature below 50°C.
Exergy
The physical principle of phase change, which involves the release of energy at a constant temperature, allows for maintaining a high useful thermal power content (exergy) for the user. As a result, the power remains sufficiently high to improve charging and discharging efficiency by 10%.
Safety
The absence of stagnant water makes anti-legionella measures unnecessary.
Storage duration
Allows to retain the stored heat for a day or more.
Discharge power
Unlike water storage systems, this component is not just an element for stabilizing the system but functions more like an equivalent electric battery: responding to hot water demand becomes immediate.
Most common applications
Domestic Hot Water
The design of the i-6 ensures high discharge power, suitable for providing instant domestic hot water delivery.
Heating
It is possible to select the most effective temperature level based on the heating system.
The benefits for space heating
Compared to conventional lithium batteries, I-TES batteries enable easier peak shaving thanks to the stability they provide to water temperature. The peak in the early morning hours, for example, which reduces the COP of a heat pump, is mitigated, improving the overall efficiency of the system.
An example of how a user's heat and hot water demand can be met:
The i-6 battery is charged using the excess energy produced by the heat pump, which may be due, for instance, to photovoltaic energy production concentrated in the central hours of the day.
For this reason, in the specific case of space heating, having thermal storage can significantly improve system performance. Ultimately, prioritizing the optimization of the thermal circuit means prioritizing the demand that, among users' needs, represents the highest energy consumption.
Safe monitoring and management
The features that make the control system designed by I-TES comprehensive and suitable for any plant configuration:
- Real-time monitoring
- Automation and control
- Intuitive user interface
- Safety: effective communication with safety devices
- Scalability and integration: ability to expand the system and integrate it with other building management
- Reliability and redundancy: backup and redundancy mechanisms to ensure system operation even in case of hardware or software failures
- Connectivity and remote access: options for remote monitoring and control via the internet or local networks, allowing operators to intervene from a distance