With its research focus on energy, Landshut University of Applied Sciences has dedicated itself to one goal above all else: to actively help shape the energy revolution. A research team at the university was recently delighted to be granted a patent in the field of "intelligent power generation and stable power grids". Prof. Dr. Tim Rödiger, Georg Heyer, Barbara Poisl, Felix Gackstatter (all Landshut University of Applied Sciences) and Fabian Herzog (Wolf Heiztechnik company) developed the storage-guided system control for combined heat and power plants.
The patent application was filed within the framework of the EKOSTORE project, which the research team worked on from 2015 to 2018 at Landshut University of Applied Sciences' Energy Technology Centre in Ruhstorf a. d. Rott. EKOSTORE is the abbreviation for "Hybrid, decentralized energy self-supply by combining battery storage, photovoltaics and (micro/mini) combined heat and power plant systems".
The scientists investigated how energy systems with combined heat and power plants (CHP), PV systems and electrical and thermal storage can be combined in a sensible way so that the overall system achieves the highest possible degree of electrical self-sufficiency and operates economically. "Due to the operating strategy, the combined heat and power electricity is used directly in the building or stored in the battery storage. At the same time, less PV electricity is fed into the grid compared to conventional operating methods and can be used on site," explains Rödiger.
Photovoltaic and combined heat and power plant as a unit
The basic idea of the project was to let the two relatively common systems of a PV system with electric storage on the one hand and CHP with thermal storage on the other hand work together as one system. The CHP is not operated as usual based on the heat demand but on the charge state of the electrical storage. Operating strategies were developed for this with the help of simulation models created in-house and tested on a test bench set up for this purpose. It was also examined which requirements result from this for storage technologies.
University President Prof. Dr. Fritz Pörnbacher was very pleased with the patent developed and congratulated the research team on their scientific achievements: "We can provide important momentum for a successful energy revolution with our practice-oriented research here on campus and at our technology centres." A patent certificate is the best proof that the university is on the right track and fulfilling its responsibility in research and for society.
Photo: Landshut University of Applied Sciences
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