CYI-PROTEAS
TA65 – CYI-PROTEAS
Location
P746+Q48, Unnamed Rd
4528 Pentakomo, Cyprus
Description
The PROTEAS facility is the largest research infrastructure in Cyprus and the only one of its kind in the Eastern Mediterranean. It is devoted to research, development and testing of renewable energy sources with emphasis on concentrating solar thermal (CST), thermal energy storage (TES) and thermal desalination of sea water (DSW) technologies, in order to bridge the gap between fundamental research and industrial needs.
PROTEAS is a state-of-the-art, multi-purpose facility for the development of storage technologies in thermal media (molten salt) and its hybridisation with batteries and other forms of energy storage. Poly-generation of heat and electricity using an array of renewable energy vectors (CST, Wind, PV) and integration of these with molten salt TES, batteries, and seasonal water storage is at the heart of the PROTEAS concept, as well as studying optimal solar radiation and environmental conditions, monitored via a state-of-the-art BSRN station. PROTEAS is complemented and enhanced by the Thermal Energy Storage Lab (TESLAB) at the main Campus of CyI at Athalassa, where instrumentation, controls development and studies are being conducted.
Storage Modelling in regional/national energy systems:
This is modelling of energy storage in the OSeMOSYS cost optimisation energy model. CyI is capable of modelling energy systems in a community, regional, national and supranational scale using the open-source OSeMOSYS model, a technology-rich, bottom-up cost-optimisation model for long-run energy planning. Energy storage modelling using this environment tends to be focused on the techno-economic characteristics of storage, and their role in optimising for the lower cost under specific boundary conditions. The model is capable of simulating storage behaviour and interplay with variable renewables down to representative time slices of less than an hour. It can also simulate the long-term and seasonal storage needs of an energy system.
Modelling, design and optimisation at technical system level:
- Detailed modelling, design and optimisation of energy systems including a variety of storage systems and a variety of energy inputs, using state of the art open-source tools.
- Modelling and simulations using software like Tonatiuh ++, TRNSYS, ray tracing simulations.
Characterisation and testing of components, testing of new technologies and innovative concepts:
PROTEAS is fully instrumented and equipped with laboratory set-ups for testing of molten salt materials, characterisation of components for usage in molten salt environment (flow meters, valves, heating systems), using a single-tank molten salt system. The storage tank for testing of molten salt mixtures is fully instrumented both hardware and software. Thermocouples and other thermal sensors are used for monitoring, measuring, and recording the temperatures, while the tank is thermally insulated to prevent heat losses. The evaluation of materials and equipment is offered both for static experiments but also during charging and discharging processes at various temperature differences (up to a maximum temperature of 550 °C) and various mass flow rates.
Instrumentation, monitoring and controls:
Integration of new components and systems to PROTEAS control using LabVIEW.
Testing Capabilities
It offers services for energy storage modelling, detailed system design, and testing of molten salt materials and components, complemented by advanced instrumentation and control integration.
Technical Equipment
The PROTEAS Facility includes a BSRN station for solar radiation and environmental monitoring, a Thermal Energy Storage Lab (TESLAB) for molten salt testing, an OSeMOSYS Model for energy storage modelling and optimisation, modelling tools such as Tonatiuh ++ and TRNSYS for detailed system simulations, a molten salt test setup with flow meters, valves, heating systems, thermal sensors, and a LabVIEW for system integration and control.
Additional information
Technology Readiness Level: 7 or above
Special considerations: N/A
Technology clusters: CSP/STE, Energy Storage, Integrated Grids, Materials for Energy
Website: http://www.cyi.ac.cy
Availability: All year
Provision of tools to prepare data sets in a FAIR way: Yes