Description
Every day millions of litres of hot grey water are thrown away through the drain worldwide, wasting vast amounts of energy. The projects idea is to avoid this waste, by using the wasted energy to pre-heat clean water. The aim of the project is to develop an integral system based on the reuse of thermal energy through circulating evacuation networks (grey warm water) cutting the energy bill and contributing to CO2 emissions reduction. The CELSIUS project proposes a more proficient and complete solution than currently exists, like smart systems, high efficient boilers, etc. The system is expected to reduce by 40% the energy need for water heating. This should also provide an overall 10% savings in the energy bill. ABN Pipe aims to introduce CELSIUS in the markets where it is already established (Spain and the European Union, South America and Africa) in a big variety of applications and facilities: residential facilities (houses and buildings), health and social services facilities (hospitals and health centres) and leisure facilities: (hotels, swimming pools, sports centres, gyms).
Summary of project results
CELSIUS’s Project was aimed to develop a new generation of devices that will allow to cut the energy bill and contribute to CO2 emissions reduction. This general objective was performed through the development of a much proficient and complete energy exchanger solution.The project was then focused on the development of three main components: highly isolating piping system to prevent thermal losses, conductive heat exchanger that will improve thermal exchange, and sensor and control equipment. As to meet the established requirements, within CELSIUS’s project, several polymers, mineral fillers and additives were tested. Results showed polypropylene as the best option to the pipes development. Multilayer pipes with filler were developed. Although increased thermal conductive polymers were developed, the increasing was not enough as to develop the high conductivity solutions. A complete design, development and implementation of the recovery system were performed.
Summary of bilateral results
Selection of the most adequate metallic oxides as to increase polymer conductivity for interchange system was developed. In this sense, ABN has developed bilateral cooperation with CerPoTech, entity from Norway, within Celsius project. CerPoTech has a high expertise on the previous indicated topic. Since they do not only focus on commercial view but also on R&D developments developing interesting projects and relevant scientific publications about similar topics. All their know-how was the best way to complete the industrial and commercial vision of ABN. In this sense, the most promising materials in order to increase thermal conductivities of the polymers were studied and supplied by Cerpotech. Although the results of the project in that sense were not the expected ones, as result of the development of this project it has established a promising relationship as to develop new composites with improved characteristics focus on new applications.