ColteraTREC: a highly efficient and lightweight electrochemical heat pump

Granting authority: European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency

Project No: 101161366

ColteraTREC aims to radically change the way cooling is accomplished by eliminating the use of vapor-compression cycles, noxious refrigerants, and achieving energy efficiencies close to the theoretical maximum. ColteraTREC systems are lightweight, built from low-cost materials, and do not rely on any critical raw materials. ColteraTREC is based on a ground-breaking, Thermally Regenerative Electrochemical Cycle (TREC) technology, featuring best-in-class TREC electrolytes to enable extremely efficient thermodynamics and high power densities.

The project aims to build, operate and evaluate a lab-prototype ColteraTREC system to demonstrate the technology at a TRL4/5. Extensive characterization of system components and comprehensive modelling framework will provide a solid scientific and engineering foundation for system design and construction. ColteraTREC will bring clean and efficient cooling solutions to diverse market segments, with initial focus on thermal management of EVs and data center.

Objectives:

1. Develop and demonstrate a lab-scale ColteraTREC system at TRL4/5 to validate its high-efficiency, vapor-compression-free cooling technology.
2. Characterize and model system components to establish a robust scientific and engineering foundation for scalable, sustainable design.
3. Assess sustainability and disseminate results to evaluate the environmental impact and raise awareness among key stakeholders for future commercialization

Project Partners:

1. Leibniz University Hannover (LUH)- Germany
2. Voltera Bulgaria
3. DIAS Media Group - Cyprus
4. TU-CLAUSTHAL- Clausthyl University of Technology- Germany
5. University of West Attica- Greece

Project duration: 36 months (starting in May 2025)

Main project outcomes:

1. Describe the ColteraTREC components
2. Development of computational models and simulation defining the ColteraTREC system.
3. Building, Testing and Analysis of ColteraTREC System
4. develop comprehensive sustainability assessment, including Lifecycle Assessment and Exergy Analysis
5. Communicate and disseminate project results
6. Explore synergies and collaborations

Website

https://coltera-trec.eu/

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