Glacies Technologies
Glacies develops a specialized heating reactor that utilizes the phase change properties of water to store thermal energy in underground mines, significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions from ventilation heating by over 70%. This technology enables seasonal thermal storage, allowing mines to efficiently use ice produced in winter for cooling during summer, while relying solely on water as the input.
- Clean Technology
- Energy
- Industrial Automation
Funding
Raised to date
$183KRaised to date based on public sources. This may differ from the amount the company actually raised and is based only on what is publicly available on the internet.
Founders
Product
Problem
Underground mines require extensive ventilation systems to maintain safe working temperatures. Heating this air during winter months to prevent shaft freezing relies heavily on fossil fuel combustion, contributing significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. Existing heating methods lack the ability to store thermal energy for later use, leading to inefficiencies in energy consumption.
Solution
Glacies provides a heating reactor that leverages the phase change properties of water to store thermal energy, significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions from mine ventilation heating. The reactor functions as a specialized heat pump, converting pumped water into ice and releasing heat into the flowing air, effectively decarbonizing the ventilation system. This technology enables seasonal thermal storage, using ice produced during winter for cooling in the summer. The reactor is fully automated, located on the surface, and requires only water as input, outputting ice slurry.
Target Audience
The primary target audience includes underground mining operators seeking to reduce their carbon footprint and lower ventilation heating costs, as well as companies looking for decarbonization solutions for large-scale industrial processes.
Features
- Specialized heat pump design for efficient water-to-ice phase change and heat release.
- Seasonal thermal storage capabilities, utilizing winter-produced ice for summer cooling.
- Automated surface-based reactor operation with minimal manual intervention.
- High annual coefficient of performance (COP) above 15, minimizing electricity consumption.
- Compatibility with water stored in existing settling ponds at mining sites.
- Modular design for scalability and adaptability to different mine ventilation systems.
- Real-time monitoring and control system for optimized performance and energy management.