Developing transformative energy
technologies: Role of thermal sciences?
D. Poulikakos
Head, Institute of Energy Technology and Director, Laboratory of
Thermodynamics in Emerging Technologies
ETH Zurich, Switzerland
www.ltnt.ethz.chdpoulikakos@ethz.ch

General:§ I call “transformative” energy technologies(conversion, storage, conservation, distribution,or combinations thereof) that can change thestate of the art in a disruptive way.
§ Great excitement factor from the scientificstandpoint - contain the “new and unexplored”§ Difficult to break through§ Require holistic planning from the very
beginningA window of opportunity for transformative technologies

EU GHG emissions toward an 80 % domestic reduction (100% = 1990). Source: EC COM (2011).

EU: Societal needs as research driver

Source: Dirk Beernaert, Reinforcing the competitiveness of Europe Key Enabling
Technologies, Micro-nano-electronics and ICT, ESSDERC Workshop on Zero-PowerTechnologies, 2013.
12/08/14

Laboratory of Thermodynamics in Emerging Technologies

4Some possible areas of exploitation anda possible role of Heat Transfer§ Efficient and affordable storage of intermittent Renewable Energy Source (RES)
electricity. Heat Transfer relevance: Medium to Low§ Design and production of functional chemical energy carriers (Hydrogen etc.)
synthesized from RES through solar-chemical, electrochemical, thermo-chemicaland photo-catalytic processes. Heat transfer relevance: High§ Solid state devices for direct conversion of sunlight or heat to electricity: Heattransfer relevance: Medium to high§ Smart operation of individual systems (homes, cars, trucks, factories, services,power-plants) and their integration. Heat Transfer relevance: Low

An example of a Transformative Energy TechnologyDateName6

A Transformative Concept
Power vs. signal bandwidth

1011101010

Number of transistors
on chip

98102000

Source: ITRS 2000-2012

2005

2010

6105104102025

3

Number of pins
per package
20152020

Year• High bandwidth and low
latency memory accessneeded for Big Data
and Cognitive Computing• Trend toward verticallyintegrated chippackages witheven higher powerand cooling demand
per unit area
710

• Combined cooling and power delivery with redox fluids gives
more bandwidth by eliminating power pins

Number of package pins

Number of transistors• Growth in on-chip power demand
reduces pins available forcommunication

Bionic packaging
Electrochemical fluids for power delivery & cooling• Liquid cooling and power
delivery defines a
new “volumetric”
scaling paradigm• Bionic packaging
supports evolution
toward computing
efficiencies anddensities approachingbiological brains

REPCOOL | SNSF Sinergia Grant No. 147 661

Ruch et al., IBM J of R & D 55 (2011) 15:1

© 2014 IBM Corporation

The Challenge
Microprocessor–flow cell power gap

REPCOOL strategy• Existing flow cell architectures can not provide
sufficient power density for microprocessors• Synergistic research efforts on integrated cell
design, electrochemical system development,
and mass transport enhancement• There is a need to address power density
limitations and develop high-power flow celldesigns

8• Simultaneous realization of power density andcooling capacity for microprocessor integration

REPCOOL | SNSF Sinergia Grant No. 147 661© 2014 IBM Corporation

The Transdisciplinarity
OutletFour synergistic efforts:

OutletCell architecture
and packaging

Inlet

1x1 cm2 active area
device demonstrator

Inlet

Electrochemicalsystem & membraneeFluid flow andmass transfer

Electrochemicalsystem modeling
9

REPCOOL | SNSF Sinergia Grant No. 147 661© 2014 IBM Corporation