Energy Storage

• US 20100257862A1
• Filed: 10/03/2008
• Published: 10/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Isentropic, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Isentropic, Ltd.
• Inventors: Howes, Jonathan Sebastian, Macnaghten, James
• Granted Patent: US 8,656,712 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 60/682
• CPC Class Codes: F01K 3/06 the engine being of extraction or non-condensing type F01K3/004 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F01K 3/12 having two or more accumulators

Abstract

Apparatus (10) for storing energy, comprising: compression chamber means (24) for receiving a gas; compression piston means (25) for compressing gas contained in the compression chamber means; first heat storage means (50) for receiving and storing thermal energy from gas compressed by the compression piston means; expansion chamber means (28) for receiving gas after exposure to the first heat storage means; expansion piston means (29) for expanding gas received in the expansion chamber means; and second heat storage means (60) for transferring thermal energy to gas expanded by the expansion piston means. The cycle used by apparatus (10) has two different stages that can be split into separate devices or combined into one device.

Claims

1. Apparatus for storing energy, comprising:

a compression chamber for receiving a gas;

a compression piston means for compressing gas contained in the compression chamber;

a first heat store for receiving and storing thermal energy from gas compressed by the compression piston;

an expansion chamber for receiving gas after exposure to the first heat store;

an expansion piston for expanding gas received in the expansion chamber; and

a second heat store for transferring thermal energy to gas expanded by the expansion piston.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the gas is atmospheric air, nitrogen or a noble gas.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus has a base system pressure below atmospheric pressure.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus has a base system pressure above atmospheric pressure.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second heat stores comprise a chamber for receiving gas, and particulate material housed in the chamber.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the particulate material comprises solid particles and/or fibres packed to form a gas-permeable structure.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the solid particles and/or fibres have a low thermal inertia.

8. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the solid particles and/or fibres are metallic.

9. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the solid particles comprise a mineral or ceramic.

10. Apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a generator for recovering energy stored in the first and second heat stores.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the generator is coupled to one or both of the compression piston and the expansion piston.

12. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one or both of the compression piston and the expansion piston is configurable to operate in reverse during discharge.

13. Apparatus for transmitting mechanical power from an input device to an output device, comprising:

an energy storage section comprising;

a first compression chamber for receiving a gas;

a first compression piston for compressing gas contained in the first compression chamber;

a first heat store for receiving and storing thermal energy from gas compressed by the first compression piston;

a first expansion chamber for receiving gas after exposure to the first heat store;

a first expansion piston for expanding gas received in the first expansion chamber; and

a second heat store for transferring thermal energy to gas expanded by the first expansion piston; and

a heat engine section comprising;

a second compression chamber in fluid communication with the second heat store and the first heat store;

a second compression piston for compressing gas received in the second compression chamber for transfer to the first heat storage chamber;

a second expansion chamber in fluid communication with the first heat store and the second heat store; and

a second expansion piston for allowing expansion of gas received in the second expansion chamber from the first heat store.

14. Apparatus according to claim 13, wherein energy is stored in a first mode of operation when the power output from the system is less than the power supplied and energy is automatically recovered in a second mode of operation when the power required from the system increases above that of the power supplied.

15. Apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the change between the first and second modes of operation is configured to occur automatically.

16. Apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the apparatus is configured to react automatically to an imbalance in input and output powers.

17. Apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the system is configured to automatically bypass the first and second heat stores when the power supplied and used are balanced.

18. Apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the gas is atmospheric air, nitrogen or a noble gas.

19. Apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the apparatus has a base system pressure below atmospheric pressure.

20. Apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the apparatus has a base system pressure above atmospheric pressure.

21. Apparatus according to claim 13, wherein at least one of the first and second heat storage means stores comprises a chamber for receiving gas, and particulate material housed in the chamber.

22. Apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the particulate material comprises solid particles and/or fibres packed to form a gas-permeable structure.

23. Apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the solid particles and/or fibres have a low thermal inertia.

24. Apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the solid particles and/or fibres are metallic.

25. Apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the solid particles comprise a mineral or ceramic.

26. Apparatus for storing energy, comprising:

a compression chamber for receiving a gas;

a compression piston for compressing gas contained in the compression chamber;

a heat store for receiving and storing thermal energy from gas compressed by the compression piston;

an expansion chamber for receiving gas after exposure to the heat store;

an expansion piston for expanding gas received in the expansion chamber; and

a heat exchanger for transferring thermal energy to gas expanded by the expansion piston.

27. Apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the heat exchanger is configured to transfer thermal energy to gas expanded by the expansion piston during expansion.

28. Apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the heat exchanger is configured to transfer thermal energy to gas expanded by the expansion piston at one or more stages between discrete expansion steps performed by the expansion piston.

29. Apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the expansion chamber comprises a plurality of expansion sub-chambers connected in series, each expansion sub-chamber having a respective expansion piston and heat exchanger associated therewith.

30. Apparatus according to claim 26, further comprising a cold store thermally coupled to the heat exchanger for transferring thermal energy to gas expanded by the expansion piston.

31. Apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the gas is atmospheric air, nitrogen or a noble gas.

32. Apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the apparatus has a base system pressure below atmospheric pressure.

33. Apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the apparatus has a base system pressure above atmospheric pressure.

34. Apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the heat store comprises a chamber for receiving gas, and particulate material housed in the chamber.

35. Apparatus according to claim 34, wherein the particulate material comprises solid particles and/or fibres packed to form a gas-permeable structure.

36. Apparatus according to claim 35, wherein the solid particles and/or fibres have a low thermal inertia.

37. Apparatus according to claim 35, the solid particles and/or fibres are metallic.

38. Apparatus according to claim 35, wherein the solid particles and/or fibres comprise a mineral or ceramic.

39. Apparatus according to claim 26, further comprising a generator for recovering energy stored in the heat store.

40. Apparatus according to claim 39, wherein the generator is coupled to one or both of the compression piston and the expansion piston.

41. Apparatus according to claim 26, wherein one or both of the compression piston and the expansion piston are configurable to operate in reverse during discharge.

42. Apparatus for storing energy, comprising:

a compression chamber for receiving a gas;

a compression piston for compressing gas contained in the compression chamber;

a heat exchanger for cooling gas compressed by the compression piston;

an expansion chamber for receiving gas after exposure to the heat exchanger;

an expansion piston for expanding gas received in the expansion chamber; and

a heat store for transferring thermal energy to gas expanded by the expansion piston.

43. Apparatus according to claim 42, wherein the heat exchanger is configured to cool gas compressed by the compression piston during compression.

44. Apparatus according to claim 43, wherein the heat exchanger is configured to cool gas compressed by the compression piston at one or more stages between discrete compression steps performed by the compression piston.

45. Apparatus according to claim 44, wherein the compression chamber comprises a plurality of compression chambers connected in series, each compression chamber having a respective compression piston and heat exchanger associated therewith.

46. Apparatus according to claim 42, further comprising a warm store thermally coupled to the heat exchanger for receiving and storing thermal energy from gas compressed by the compression piston.

47. Apparatus according to claim 42, wherein the gas is atmospheric air, nitrogen or a noble gas.

48. Apparatus according to claim 42, wherein the apparatus has a base system pressure below atmospheric pressure.

49. Apparatus according to claim 42, wherein the apparatus has a base system pressure above atmospheric pressure.

50. Apparatus according to claim 42, wherein the heat store comprises a chamber for receiving gas, and particulate material housed in the chamber.

51. Apparatus according to claim 50, wherein the particulate material comprises solid particles and/or fibres packed to form a gas-permeable structure.

52. Apparatus according to claim 51, wherein the solid particles and/or fibres have a low thermal inertia.

53. Apparatus according to claim 51, wherein the solid particles and/or fibres are metallic.

54. Apparatus according to claim 51, wherein the solid particles and/or fibres comprise a mineral or ceramic.

55. Apparatus according to claim 42, further comprising a generator for recovering energy stored in the heat store.

56. Apparatus according to claim 55, wherein the generator is coupled to one or both of the compression piston and the expansion piston.

57. Apparatus according to claim 42, wherein one or both of the compression piston and the expansion piston is configurable to operate in reverse during discharge.

58. Apparatus for storing energy, comprising:

compression chamber means for receiving a gas;

compression piston means for compressing gas contained in the compression chamber means;

first heat storage means for receiving and storing thermal energy from gas compressed by the compression piston means;

expansion chamber means for receiving gas after exposure to the first heat storage means;

expansion piston means for expanding gas received in the expansion chamber means; and

second heat storage means for transferring thermal energy to gas expanded by the expansion piston means.

59. Apparatus for transmitting mechanical power from an input device to an output device, comprising:

an energy storage section comprising;

first compression chamber means for receiving a gas;

first compression piston means for compressing gas contained in the first compression chamber means;

first heat storage means for receiving and storing thermal energy from gas compressed by the first compression piston means;

first expansion chamber means for receiving gas after exposure to the first heat storage means;

first expansion piston means for expanding gas received in the first expansion chamber means; and

second heat storage means for transferring thermal energy to gas expanded by the first expansion piston means; and

a heat engine section comprising;

second compression chamber means in fluid communication with the second heat storage means and first heat storage means;

second compression piston means for compressing gas received in the second compression chamber means for transfer to the first heat storage chamber means;

second expansion chamber means in fluid communication with the first heat storage means and the second heat storage means; and

second expansion piston means for allowing expansion of gas received in the second expansion chamber from the first heat storage means.

60. Apparatus for storing energy, comprising:

compression chamber means for receiving a gas;

compression piston means for compressing gas contained in the compression chamber means;

heat storage means for receiving and storing thermal energy from gas compressed by the compression piston means;

expansion chamber means for receiving gas after exposure to the heat storage means;

expansion piston means for expanding gas received in the expansion chamber means; and

heat exchanger means for transferring thermal energy to gas expanded by the expansion piston means.

61. Apparatus for storing energy, comprising:

compression chamber means for receiving a gas;

compression piston means for compressing gas contained in the compression chamber means;

heat exchanger means for cooling gas compressed by the compression piston means;

expansion chamber means for receiving gas after exposure to the heat exchanger means;

expansion piston means for expanding gas received in the expansion chamber means; and

heat storage means for transferring thermal energy to gas expanded by the expansion piston means.