Science & Tech · Science & Environment · 3 hrs ago
Lehigh researchers develop concrete battery to store data center heat
Researchers at Lehigh University developed a concrete thermal battery to store heat removed from data center equipment.
The prototype can store 150 kWh of heat and has withstood temperatures up to 500°C in testing.
It uses engineered cement with embedded thermosiphons to move heat through the storage material.
The system can take in server waste heat or electricity, then release stored heat later, rather than requiring supply and use to happen at the same time.
After a full charge and discharge cycle, more than 70% of the supplied energy remained recoverable.
The stored heat could support data center cooling, industrial processes, heating or electricity generation, helping put heat that would otherwise be discarded to use.
The technology has been licensed to a private energy company for further development toward use with existing energy infrastructure.
Lehigh University engineering researchers developed a concrete thermal battery designed to store heat recovered from data centers.
A fabricated prototype has a storage capacity of 150 kWh and has withstood temperatures of up to 500°C in testing.
The system combines engineered cement with embedded thermosiphons to move heat through the storage material.
Reported efficiency after a full charge and discharge cycle exceeds 70%.
Stored heat could be used for data center cooling, industrial processes, electricity generation and other thermal applications.
- Who
- Engineering researchers at Lehigh University developed the system.
- What
- They developed a concrete thermal battery to store recovered heat and release it for later use.
- When
- The article was published on 2026-10-14; the development date is not stated.
- Where
- The research was conducted at Lehigh University. The prototype’s location is not stated.
- Why
- The system is intended to help data centers reuse waste heat and make stored thermal energy available when needed.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The prototype was shown to withstand temperatures of up to 500°C.
Reported efficiency exceeded 70%.
TechRadar reported that the prototype had been fabricated and was running.
- Developer
- Lehigh University engineering researchers
- Prototype storage capacity
- 150 kWh
- Maximum tested temperature
- 500°C
- Efficiency after a full cycle
- More than 70%
- Heat range for data center applications
- 120°C to 220°C
- System components
- Engineered cement material and embedded thermosiphons