Industrial heat needs between 100C to 250C produce the same amount of CO2 as all of commercial aviation, also near the same as all the automobile and light duty track traffic. While unseen by many, the need rapidly convert these to green, electric heat is imperative.
Industrial heat pumps offer a solution. Through electrification of industrial heat with heat pumps, major energy use and CO2 production cuts can be made (per anum) in Paper Processing (182 PJ/a,20 Mt/a), Chemical Processing (256 PJ/a, 23 Mt/a), Food Preparation (80 PJ/a, 8 Mt/a), and Refineries/Breweries/Distilleries (11 PJ/a, 1.2 Mt/a). Of these, about half require heat pumps of 10 MWt or less, that is they don’t require large industrial systems.
Current heat pumps are basically limited to 200C at most, and their temperature lift (the low temperature heat to be upgraded to higher heat temperature difference is limited to ~100C. Their efficiencies are limited to 45-60% of theoretical maximum (eta_Carnot).
I am developing a new heat pump concept that offers heat up to 250C, lifts up to 200C, and efficiencies 60-80%. – a major step forward, all in a relatively simple system. It is TRL2 at this point, yet with major EU partners as part of Horizon Grants (announced soon), will be rapidly developed towards commercialization. It is also easily developed through Seed funding. While the project will initially focus on industrial heat pumps, it is also well suited for compact heat pumps, that is domestic heat pumps/coolers, and EV heat pumps. Yet those markets are very established and breaking in will take a high TRL system to entice manufacturers, thus later development.
This is my side hustle. I hold the IP, and a good coffee machine.
Tackle the challenge of industrial waste by building a two-sided digital marketplace. Key functions include: 1. ML-Powered Waste Characterization and Matching: Analyze waste streams using images and data. Then, suggest potential repurposing opportunities in other industries with a focus on the European circular economy context. 2. Traceability and Verification: Integrate blockchain-enabled features to track materials along the repurposing chain. This boosts transparency and validates sustainable practices, meeting increasingly stringent EU regulations. 3. Localized Logistics Facilitation: Leverage machine learning to optimize regional transportation between waste producers and buyers. This targets smaller scale operations, a common scenario in the fragmented European market. 4. Market Intelligence and Carbon Impact Modeling: Offer data-driven insights on available waste streams, growing re-use markets, and the potential CO2 impact. This assists companies in strategic decision-making aligned with their ESG targets. I'd call this Reviiva.