Seminar on Thermal Batteries: Strategic solution connecting multi-vector energy systems

14 Jun 2024 11.00 AM - 12.00 PM The Arc, Level 1, LHN TR+30 Current Students, Public

Professor Dibakar Rakshit  

Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD) 

This seminar will be chaired by A/P Wan Man Pun.

Seminar Abstract

Today the world is going through an energy transition era.  The transition towards renewable energy resources comes with an inherent intermittency challenge that necessitates planning for efficient energy storage systems. To harness the true potential of renewables, energy storage systems play a pivotal role in addressing the challenges of variability, power quality, etc.

In this context, thermal energy storage (TES) devices or thermal batteries can be a promising alternative to address the challenges of variable renewable energy sources concerning time and space.  TES technology is based on a thermodynamic cycle consisting of the following processes:

  • Charging (Storage of thermal energy in a medium)
  • Storage (Storekeeping of energy)
  • Discharging (Release of thermal energy from medium)

Among different TES technologies, TES using phase change material (PCM), known as latent heat storage, has higher energy storage density and can exchange heat quasi-isothermally.

The talk will highlight the significance of latent heat thermal energy storage systems in poly-generation process-related activities and/or providing round-the-clock power through renewables.  It will showcase a few analysis-based designs and case studies that are lucrative enough to integrate various multi-vector systems through latent heat TES systems.

    Speaker’s Biography​

    Professor Dibakar Rakshit received his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Western Australia, Perth in 2012. He has a Masters in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM) and an Honours Bachelor in Mechanical Engineering from Pt. RSSU, India. He worked as a postdoctoral fellow at Curtin University Perth, Australia and CSIRO, New South Wales, Australia.  He joined the Department of Energy Science and Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD) in 2014, as an Assistant Professor.  At present, he is a Professor at the Department of Energy Science and Engineering, IITD.  With over 20 years of experience in thermo-fluids sciences, he focuses on designing and optimizing energy systems. His research spans various areas, including solar energy coupled heat exchanger designs, solar-assisted refrigeration systems, energy storage devices, waste heat recovery, battery thermal management systems, heat exchanger designs using PCMs, building energy conservation, and green building concepts.  His research works in the above areas along with his team of students have resulted in around 110 journal publications, 70 refereed conference papers and 25 book chapters.

    At IITD, he teaches courses related to energy conservation and solar energy utilization. He started courses on energy storage and energy audit at IITD. He has been actively involved in the development of technologies catering to sustainable energy needs. His research at IITD has received sponsorship from the Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, Government of India, and various private sectors. He has been extensively funded for his research projects by national and international funding agencies, including EU- Horizon2020, UKIERI, and companies like ITC, Total Energies, Hyundai, LG, etc.  He recently supervised a cohort of students from IITD who participated in Solar Decathlon India, where they designed a low-cost all-year-round air-conditioner. 

    His extensive collaborations with industries, government organizations, and foreign universities, and his numerous publications have garnered attention, leading to potential student exchange collaborations internationally.

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