Thermal storage system

• US 20120080161A1
• Filed: 10/04/2010
• Published: 04/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Edmund Joseph Kelly
• Original Assignee: Edmund Joseph Kelly
• Inventors: KELLY, Edmund Joseph
• Application Number:
  US12/897,685
• Publication Number:
  US 20120080161A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 165/10
• CPC Class Codes: F03G 6/067 Binary cycle plants where the fluid from the solar collector heats the working fluid via a heat exchanger
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 20/20 Solar heat collectors for receiving concentrated solar energy, e.g. receivers for solar power plants
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 23/12 Light guides
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 23/71 with parabolic reflective surfaces with cylindro-parabolic reflective surfaces F24S23/74
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 25/13 Profile arrangements, e.g. trusses F24S25/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 25/617 Elements driven into the ground, e.g. anchor-piles; Foundations for supporting elements; Connectors for connecting supporting structures to the ground or to flat horizontal surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 60/00 Arrangements for storing heat collected by solar heat collectors working fluids forming pools or ponds F24S10/10
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 20/00 Heat storage plants or apparatus in general; Regenerative heat-exchange apparatus not covered by groups F28D17/00 or F28D19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0006 Coupling light into the fibre in general G02B6/4298
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0008 the light being emitted at the end of the fibre
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/40 Solar thermal energy, e.g. solar towers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/46 Conversion of thermal power into mechanical power, e.g. Rankine, Stirling or solar thermal engines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/47 Mountings or tracking
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/14 Thermal energy storage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 70/30 Systems combining energy storage with energy generation of non-fossil origin
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 80/20 using renewable energy

Abstract

Apparatus and method for efficiently storing thermal energy, in particular thermal energy transferred from a concentrated solar energy receiver. The apparatus consists of a collection of modular thin walled tube pressure vessels enclosing solid sensible heat thermal storage elements. The high temperature solid is separated from the thin wall by thermal insulation and two thin gaps that carry the cold in and cold out high-pressure working fluids. Hot in and hot out working fluids circulate in counter flow channels within the solid sensible heat thermal storage elements. The solar receiver can also be modular to match the thermal storage elements, facilitating manufacturing and on site assembly. The design enables scalable thermal storage and concurrent thermal charging and discharging with no circuit switching between charge and discharge.

Claims

1. A method of efficiently storing thermal energy using sensible heat storage in solid material comprising:

a) providing multiple thin walled pressure vessels containing pressurized working fluids,

b) providing solid thermal storage material contained within said pressure vessels,

c) providing thermal transfer channels within said solid thermal storage material,

d) providing means to couple said thermal storage material to a thermal charging source,

e) providing means to couple said thermal storage material to a thermal discharging sink,

f) transmitting the concentrated thermal energy from the thermal source, to said solid thermal storage material using a working fluid circuit,

g) transmitting the concentrated thermal energy from the solid thermal storage material, to said thermal sink using a second working fluid circuit,

whereby concentrated thermal energy can be modularly stored and some used and some stored for later use.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

The thin walled pressure vessels are made of steel.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

The solid thermal storage material is graphite.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

The working fluids are pressurized helium gas.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

The working fluids are pressurized argon gas.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the thermal charging source is a solar receiver.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the thermal charging sink is a power block.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the thermal charging sink uses process heat.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the thermal charging source is multiple modular solar receivers, each charging one or more pressure vessel thermal storage modules.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

a) providing thermal insulation between the thermal storage material and the pressure vessel wall,

b) providing cooling channels between the thermal insulation and the pressure vessel wall,

c) coupling the cold in and cold out working gas connections to said cooling channels,

whereby the pressure vessel wall is cooled by the working fluids.

11. A thermal storage apparatus for efficiently storing thermal energy using sensible heat storage in solid material comprising:

a) multiple thin walled pressure vessels containing pressurized working fluids,

b) solid thermal storage material contained within said pressure vessels,

c) thermal transfer channels within said solid thermal storage material,

d) means to couple said thermal storage material via said heat transfer channels to a thermal charging source,

e) means to couple said thermal storage via said heat transfer channels to a thermal discharging sink,

whereby concentrated thermal energy can be modularly stored and some used and some stored for later use.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein:

The thin walled pressure vessels are made of steel.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein:

The solid thermal storage material is graphite.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein:

The working fluids are pressurized helium gas.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein:

The working fluids are pressurized argon gas.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein:

the thermal charging source is a solar receiver.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein:

the thermal charging sink is a power block.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein:

the thermal charging sink uses process heat.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein:

the thermal charging source is modular solar receivers, each charging one or more pressure vessel thermal storage modules.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising

a) thermal insulation between the thermal storage material and the pressure vessel wall,

b) cooling channels between the thermal insulation and the pressure vessel wall,

c) cold in and cold out working gas connections to said cooling channels,

whereby the pressure vessel wall is cooled by the working fluids.