Research Fields

Principle and methodology of comprehensive cascaded utilization of energy; Mechanism of multi-energy hybridization and system integration; Efficient utilization of wasteheat and low-carbon technologies.

Scientific Research Instruments and Equipment

R&D platform on distributed energy system, supported by the National Energy Administration, was constructed and passed examination. The R&D platform consists of small scale power generation subsystem, solar thermal chemical power generation subsystem, cogeneration of power and cooling driven by surplus heat subsystem, which will support the researches on mutual beneficial use and cascade use of energy.

The experiment platform for the complementation utilization of the concentrated solar energy is developed, and the measurements of the solar energy resource, the optical focusing system parameters, and the key parameters in a receiver/reactor coupling the heat transfer and chemical reaction are achieved. The 300 kWt wide-range PTC experimental platform has been established and run; the 30 kWt PTC with variable mirror area has been established; the single DSG tube experimental rig has been established.

A 10 kWth CO₂ enrichment experimental platform was developed (1200°C, 6 MPa). An experimental equipment combining coal gasification and chemical looping combustion was also developed. A gas analyzer Agilent Miro 490Pro was added to lab.

A Zeiss Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM; Model Merlin Compact) was installed and put into use. The maximum resolution is 0.8 nm, and maximum magnification is 2 million times. It’s mainly used for accurate measurements and analyses on chemical composition and microstructure of magnetic metal oxide material with high resolution observation, and for studying physical, chemical properties and microstructural change of such materials under various temperature and reaction conditions.

Major Projects

This year we've successfully taken 4 national-grade major science and technology projects and sub-projects. 3 projects belong to the following national key research and development plans, “Multi-Energy Hybridization and Comprehensive Cascade Utilization of Energy of the Distributed Energy Systems”, “Key Fundamental Scientific Research on CO₂ Capture with Low-energy Penalty, Storage and Utilization”, and “Energy Conversion and Cascade Utilization of Energy in the Novel Thermodynamic System”, respectively. 1 project belongs to NSFC-funded major project "Fundamental Researches of EnergyTransfer and Conversion in Solar Energy Utilization".

Major Achievements in 2016

In distributed energy system direction, the distributed energy system project supported by the 13th National Five-year Plan on research and development emphasis was approved and started. Funded by this project, the researches on mutual beneficial use of multi-type of energy and cascade use of energy will make breakthroughs. A new method integrated air dehumidification and desalination driven by surplus heat was invented. A combined power, cooling, and dehumidification system was developed and passed auditing successfully. The key technology researches on solar thermo chemical power generation, cogeneration of power and cooling driven by surplus heat, and absorption heat transformer were promoted.

On the solar thermo chemical and the thermal power generation system integration, a mid-and-low temperature solar thermal power generation prototype (100 kWe) with stable operation is firstly created, the orderly transformation ways of fuels and new approaches of the complementation utilization of multiple energy resources are developed. The MWe class distributed energy system with the multiple energy complementation utilization pattern is created, and "source energy saving" and "source energy storage" in the distributed energy system are achieved. Advanced solar complementation system technologies with independent intellectual property rights and original innovations are obtained, which will contribute to future industrial applications and technology promotions. Development has been achieved in the study of system integration and active operation strategy optimization for solar-aided coal-fired power generation system. In theoretical studies: The wide-range active sun-tracking operation strategy has been proposed considering all latitudes and all year round conditions, especially for the specific weather conditions in China; In experimental studies: Based on the 300kWt wide-range PTC experimental platform, a large amount of data has been acquired from long-time running under trans-season conditions, covering various weathers. The theoretical predictions have been verified by the experimental data, which indicates a very promising future for the extensive application of this technology.

In greenhouse gas control and multi-generation direction, research was focused on greenhouse gas emission reduction technologies, including gasification by decomposition of coal, chemical looping combustion, low-energy-penalty CO₂ capture and poly generation technologies. Energy saving mechanism, experiments and system integration were presented and investigated for the above technologies. In 2016, we acquired a project supported by the State's Key Project of Research and Development Plan. Two USA patents of the original coal gasification technologies were authorized. And an important research result about coal to alternative fuels was published on Nature Climate Change in March, 2016.

Team Building

The number of full-time employees is 17 in the lab’s research team, including 8 professors (1 Academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Thousand Talent youth category, 1 Outstanding Technical Talent of Chinese Academy of Sciences), 5 associate professors, 1 postdoctoral scholar. The lab also has 32 graduate students, including 23 Ph.D. candidates and 9 M.S. candidates.

Professor Jin Hongguang is the director of the Chinese Society of Engineering Thermophysics, and subject editor of Applied Energy. Professor Hao Yong serves as committee member of thermodynamics branch in Chinese Society of Engineering Thermophysics, associate editor for Applied Thermal Engineering, and associate editor of engineering division of Science Bulletin; Professor Yang Jinfu was elected to be the deputy director of the professional committee of the 12th Chinese rotor dynamics of vibration engineering Society; Professor Zhang Na served as a guest editor for ASME; Associate Professor Zhang Xiaosong was elected to board of directors in the equipment branch of Youth Promotion Association, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Technology Transfer

A company was funded in the Hefei High-tech District and a contract of CNY 180 million was signed to commercialize the solar thermo chemical power generation technology.

Patents and Paper

In 2016, the lab had 98 academic paperspublished, including 33 indexed by Science CitationIndex (SCI); 23 new patent applicationssubmitted, and 13 authorized.

Awards

Liu Qibin was awarded with Wu Zhonghua Outstanding Young Scholar of the Chinese Society of Engineering Thermophysics.

International Cooperation and Exchanges

Professor Sossina M. Haile from Material Science Department, Northwestern University, USA visited the IET and the lab for a week, supported by the Distinguished category of the President’s International Fellowship Initiative (PIFI) program, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Collaboration agreement in the area of solar thermo chemistry was built and an exchange student has been sent to Northwestern University; Also supported by the PIFI program, Associate Professor Shavkat Nurmatov from Uzbekistan Academy of Sciences has been collaborating with the lab in the area of solar thermal energy storage for a period of 6 months; Professor Zhang Na completed a two-year academic visit in the area of distributed energy system integration in University of Pennsylvania; Professor Liu Qibin completed his one-year academic visit in the area of solar thermal energy storage to University of Arizona and established collaboration relationship; Associate Professor Zhao Yawen visited both Arizona University and Stanford university, building collaboration relationship in the area of solar-fossil thermo chemical hybridization. Many lab members served as branch chairs for the 8th International Conference on Applied Energy (ICAE).

Dean: Jin Hongguang，Tel: 86-10-82543032，E-mail: hgjin@ iet.cn

Deputy Dean: Hao Yong，Tel: 86-10-82543150，E-mail: haoyong@iet.cn

                         Sui Jun，Tel: 86-10-82543030，E-mail: suijun@ iet.cn