The Solar-Powered Sand Battery: A Foundational Innovation in Thermal Energy Storage (TES)

Thermal Energy Storage Solar-Powered Sand Battery

Safer, Scalable, and Sustainable:

Conventional batteries face rising costs, resource scarcity, and high fire risk, hindering the renewable grid transition. We are developing a high-risk, foundational thermal energy storage (TES) solution utilizing an abundant, low-cost medium: silica sand. Inherently fire-safe, durable with a practically limitless lifespan, and free from volatile supply chains.

Trade-Off: Efficiency vs. RetentionNovel Architectural DesignHigh Performance & Low Cost

No existing solution seamlessly integrates rapid heat transfer with long-term, ultra-low loss insulation cost-effectively. Our Phase I R&D focuses on two interdependent innovations:

A new multi-channel heat exchanger and a Ultra-Low Loss Insulation strategy leveraging Vacuum Insulated Panels (VIPs).Achieves long-duration (multi-day) storage capability and thermal efficiency that significantly improves on existing commercial solutions.

Phase I R&D Objectives & Success Metrics

High-Risk R&D: Technical Objectives for Phase I Feasibility

The Phase I project is designed to overcome two core, high-risk technical unknowns, establishing the fundamental feasibility of our novel sand battery architecture.

Objective 1: Validate a Novel High-Efficiency Heat Transfer Core

The challenge is designing an optimal, cost-effective heat exchanger that overcomes the poor natural thermal conductivity of the sand medium.

R&D FocusGoal/FunctionMeasurable Success MetricHeat Transfer ArchitectureOptimized geometry using CFD & FEA modeling and a ceramic-enhanced silica sand composite.Achieve a thermal charging efficiency of >85%.Energy ExtractionEfficiently transfer stored energy back into a usable medium.Demonstrate a thermal extraction efficiency of >75%.

Objective 2: Establish an Ultra-Low-Loss Passive Insulation System

The challenge is to achieve minimal thermal decay over days or weeks using a low-cost, passive architecture.

R&D FocusGoal/Function Measurable Success Metric

Passive Insulation System

Research and prototype a multi-layered strategy (including VIPs) to contain thermal energy for long durations.Validate a passive system that achieves a thermal loss rate of <1% per 24 hours.

Scalability & Cost

Ensure the material architecture is viable for mass production and commercial deployment. Confirm system is conducive to scalable manufacturing.