TRaCE is continuing to support local renewable energy innovator, FPR Energy, through a new industry-research collaboration that builds on the company’s existing R&D Voucher project. The partnership will see Dr Liza Elliott undertake a mobility fellowship over the next 12 months, helping advance the development of the company’s solar thermal energy storage technology.
Mobility Fellowships enable researchers to immerse themselves in industry environments, helping accelerate the translation of research into real-world applications. Through industry secondments, researchers and businesses work together to fast-track research and development projects, strengthen knowledge exchange, and build long-term partnerships.
Dr Elliott’s research will focus on the transport and heat transfer of small particles used in thermal energy storage systems. With extensive expertise in high-temperature particle behaviour, solid fuel reactions and heat transfer processes, Dr Elliott is well placed to support the development and optimisation of FPR Energy’s innovative technology.
Testing the next generation of energy storage
FPR Energy is developing a Concentrated Solar Thermal (CST) energy storage system that captures and stores solar energy using tiny heat-storing ceramic particles.
The technology uses a field of ‘sun-tracking mirrors’, known as heliostats, to concentrate sunlight onto a central receiver. The particles absorb the concentrated solar energy and store it as heat, which can then be used on demand. This approach has the potential to provide a reliable and flexible renewable energy solution, helping address the challenge of energy storage.
To further advance this technology, Dr Elliott will investigate electric particle-heating systems designed to efficiently convert electrical energy into thermal energy and store it within a particle-based thermal energy storage system.
The project will generate valuable insights into improving thermal energy transfer and storage efficiency. The findings will directly support the development of FPR’s electrical Thermal Energy Storage (eTES) technology, which has the potential to decarbonise a wide range of industrial heat processes, from small-scale application to utility-scale energy systems.
Improving the efficiency and performance of particle-based thermal storage could accelerate its adoption across a range of clean energy and industrial sectors. By enabling industries to store and use renewable energy more effectively, the technology could also support the broader transition toward affordable, reliable and low-emissions energy solutions.
The TRaCE team continues to work closely with FPR Energy to identify additional opportunities for collaboration and support, helping the company advance its technology development and commercialisation journey.
