Installation and Method for Storing and Returning Electrical Energy
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Abstract
An installation for storing and returning electrical energy having first and second enclosures containing a gas and porous refractory materials suitable for transferring heat by contact between said porous refractory materials and a gas flowing through said enclosures, and a compressor and an expander for the gas flowing in pipes between each of the ends of an enclosure connected to an end of the other enclosure. Methods are also disclosed for storing electrical energy in the form of heat energy in which an installation of the invention is used, and for a method of returning electrical energy from heat energy stored by a method according to the invention. The electrical energy is stored in the form of heat within masses of refractory material, and the stored thermal potential energy is returned in the form of electrical energy.
74 Citations
58 Claims
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1-29. -29. (canceled)
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30. An installation for storing and returning electrical energy, wherein the installation comprises:
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first and second enclosures containing a gas and first and second porous refractory materials suitable for transferring heat by contact between said porous refractory materials and a gas flowing through said enclosures; a closed circuit of pipes enabling a gas to pass successively through each of the two enclosures from one end to the other; compressor means and expander means for compressing and expanding the gas flowing in said pipes between each of the ends of an enclosure connected to an end of the other enclosure; preferably, first gas heater means suitable for heating the gas flowing in said second enclosure; and also preferably, cooler means for cooling the gas flowing between one of the ends of the first enclosure and said compressor means and expander means, suitable for cooling the gas leaving said first enclosure at said end prior to being expanded in said expander means, or respectively the gas entering into said first enclosure after being compressed by said compressor means. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58)
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Specification