A concrete thermal battery could be key to cooling data centers at scale — 150Kw prototype that can withstand up to 500 degrees centigrade is running

Concrete thermal batteries could turn data center waste heat into usable energy Lehigh researchers develop a thermal battery with 150 kWh storage capacity The concrete battery withstands temperatures reaching 500°C during thermal storage operations Engineering researchers at Lehigh University have d

<![CDATA[ <article> <ul><li><strong>Concrete thermal batteries could turn data center waste heat into usable energy</strong></li><li><strong>Lehigh researchers develop a thermal battery with 150 kWh storage capacity</strong></li><li><strong>The concrete battery withstands temperatures reaching 500°C during thermal storage operations</strong></li></ul><p>Engineering researchers at <a href="https://news.lehigh.edu/thermal-energy-storage-for-data-center-heat-management-lehigh-universitys-concrete-thermal-battery" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Lehigh University</a> have developed a concrete thermal battery that could help data centers reuse heat removed from computing equipment.</p><p>The system stores recovered heat before releasing it for cooling, industrial processes, electricity generation, and other applications requiring thermal energy.</p><p>A prototype with 150 kWh storage capacity has been fabricated, while testing shows the system can withstand temperatures reaching 500°C.</p><h2 id="concrete-battery-stores-recovered-heat-for-data-center-cooling">Concrete battery stores recovered heat for data center cooling</h2><p>At such temperatures, the technology can support flexible power generation, industrial emissions reduction, and high-temperature solar thermal applications.</p><p>After testing, the reported efficiency after a complete charging and discharging cycle exceeds 70%, meaning substantial supplied energy remains recoverable after storage.</p><p>The technology combines engineered cement material with embedded thermosiphons that transfer heat through the storage medium during charging and discharge</p><p>These components move thermal energy rapidly while maintaining relatively stable temperatures, allowing the stored heat to become available when demand changes.</p><p>The system can accept waste heat from servers as well as electricity, creating two routes for charging the storage unit.</p><p>Researchers describe the technology as a hybrid arrangement because it combines different heat storage mechanisms within a concrete-based structure.</p><p>The design also allows thermal storage to operate separately from the moment when waste heat is produced, providing greater timing flexibility.</p><p>That separation could matter for facilities where computing loads fluctuate significantly and cooling requirements change during different operating periods.</p><h2 id="potential-applications-extend-from-data-center-cooling-to-electricity-generation">Potential applications extend from data center cooling to electricity generation</h2><p>For <a href="https://www.techradar.com/pro/best-data-center-proxies">data centers</a>, the technology can upgrade recovered heat into a range between 120°C and 220°C for useful thermal applications.</p><p>That temperature range could supply absorption chillers for cooling, while stored heat could also support drying, district heating and industrial operations.</p><p>This approach gives operators another way to use heat that conventional cooling equipment normally removes before releasing it directly outside.</p><p>The system can therefore connect computing facilities with nearby thermal demands, potentially allowing recovered energy to serve purposes beyond immediate cooling.</p><p>Stored heat can also drive low-temperature Rankine cycle equipment, with possible installations ranging from kilowatt systems through facilities operating at megawatt scale.</p><p>Absorption cooling offers another application, allowing stored thermal energy to produce chilled conditions without relying entirely on electrically driven refrigeration equipment.</p><p>The team also describes temperature upgrading as an important function when recovered data center heat needs to reach higher usable temperatures.</p><p>The system can also operate with electricity-driven heating, allowing operators to charge storage when electrical supply conditions make that approach practical.</p><p>Such flexibility could complement existing energy infrastructure while recovered heat continues serving nearby industrial operations in practice.</p><p>This technology was partly funded by Federal energy, and it has now been licensed to a private energy company, allowing further development toward integration with existing energy infrastructure.</p><p>The project could eventually connect thermal storage with existing energy networks while recovering useful heat from industrial operations and nearby facilities.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:676px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:31.51%;"><img id="diM9tpwF2Lz85R8q85CT78" name="tr-g_news" alt="Google logo on a black background next to text reading 'Click to follow TechRadar'" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/diM9tpwF2Lz85R8q85CT78-1920-80.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="676" 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