Chemical Engineering August 2021 - 9

Collect more solar energy and waste heat for
process water heating
A
new technology developed by
Enertopia Corp. (Kelowna, B.C.,
Canada; www.enertopia.com)
aims to improve the efficiency of
solar panels by collecting excess waste
heat and using it to heat water. Besides improving
energy output, the technology also
significantly lengthens the useful lifespan of
solar panels by reducing overheating.
Enertopia's technology involves outfitting
the backside of a solar panel with a
sponge-like heat-dissipative device made
of ethylene propylene diene monomer
(EPDM). " Basically, there's water flowing
underneath the solar panels, which
removes the excess heat, but in order to
couple the panel to the EPDM rubber device
and not shock the panel or break the
glass, we have developed a breakthrough
technology that actually acts like a oneway
heat sink on the back of the panel, "
explains Mark Snyder, lead process technologies
consultant for Enertopia. In some
conditions, says Snyder, the EPDM device
can take advantage of dewpoint differences
and draw water out of the atmosphere,
meaning that it can actually create
water in addition to collecting waste heat.
" If you have a large array, you could actually
be making several thousands of gallons
of water per day, " he adds. On either side
of an array of panels with the special EPDM
medium applied, header lines gather water
and pump it through a series of insulated
tanks and solar-thermal booster panels
made of the same EPDM medium, where
the water can be heated as high as 220°F.
Enertopia is currently maturing the technology
as part of an effort to create a closedloop
system for solar-powered direct lithium
extraction (DLE) technologies, which are
currently under review. The solar-absorption
circuit provides carbon-neutral heating
for process water, which is then used
to remove lithium from impurities in a brine
solution. The company is currently testing
a demonstration system near Sacramento,
Calif., that Snyder says has raised the efficiency
of the solar panels by 20 to 25%.
The company is also working on a 3-MW
system to demonstrate the effectiveness of
the system for agricultural use.
manufacturing method are
consistent quality, competitive
production price and reduced
amounts of offcuts.
" The material has a leathery
look and feel and can be as
strong as animal leather. It
also offers the possibility to be
colored and patterned, and it
does not contain any backing
or supporting materials, " says
senior scientist Géza Szilvay.
The researchers are now
working to improve tear
strength and abrasion resistance
by bio-based approaches.
The first product
applications for the material
could be accessories, footwear
and garments.
BONDING COMPOSITES
With the increasing demand
for lightweight composite
materials, the ability to bond
together dissimilar materials,
such as resins and metals
is of growing importance.
Although there are many
methods available, such as
(Continues on p. 10)
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9
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Chemical Engineering August 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Chemical Engineering August 2021
