Hybrid Pumped Thermal Systems

• US 20190212070A1
• Filed: 03/15/2019
• Published: 07/11/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Malta, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Malta, Inc.
• Inventors: Laughlin, Robert B., Larochelle, Philippe, Cizek, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US16/354,824
• Publication Number:
  US 20190212070A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: F01K 13/02 Controlling, e.g. stopping or starting
• CPC Class Codes: F01K 3/00 Plants characterised by the use of steam or heat accumulators, or intermediate steam heaters, therein regenerating exhaust steam F01K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: F01K 3/12 having two or more accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: F01K 3/185 using waste heat from outside the plant F02G5/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F01K 3/20 with heating by combustion gases of main boiler
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 1/10 Closed cycles
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 6/14 Gas-turbine plants having means for storing energy, e.g. for meeting peak loads
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2250/90 Variable geometry
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 60/10 using latent heat
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 15/00 Heat-exchange apparatus with the intermediate heat-transfer medium in closed tubes passing into or through the conduit walls ; Heat-exchange apparatus employing intermediate heat-transfer medium or bodies F28D17/00, F28D19/00, F28D20/00 take precedence
• 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: F28D 2020/0047 using molten salts or liquid metals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/40 Solar thermal energy, e.g. solar towers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 20/14 Combined heat and power generation [CHP]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 20/16 Combined cycle power plant [CCPP], or combined cycle gas turbine [CCGT]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/14 Thermal energy storage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/16 Mechanical energy storage, e.g. flywheels or pressurised fluids

Abstract

The present disclosure provides pumped thermal energy storage systems that can be used to store electrical energy. A pumped thermal energy storage system of the present disclosure can store energy by operating as a heat pump or refrigerator, whereby net work input can be used to transfer heat from the cold side to the hot side. A working fluid of the system is capable of efficient heat exchange with heat storage fluids on a hot side of the system and on a cold side of the system. The system can extract energy by operating as a heat engine transferring heat from the hot side to the cold side, which can result in net work output. Systems of the present disclosure can employ solar heating for improved storage efficiency.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a compressor;

a hot side heat exchanger;

a hot thermal storage (“

HTS”

) medium;

a turbine;

a cold side heat exchanger;

a cold thermal storage (“

CTS”

) medium;

a first additional heat exchanger;

a second additional heat exchanger;

a working fluid;

a fluid path configured to circulate the working fluid in a hybrid mode, wherein the fluid path circulates the working fluid through, in sequence, the compressor, the first additional heat exchanger, the turbine, and the cold side heat exchanger, wherein the working fluid exchanges heat with an external heat source in the first additional heat exchanger, and wherein the working fluid exchanges heat with the CTS medium in the cold side heat exchanger.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the external heat source is selected from a solar heater, a combustor, a flue gas from a combustor, and a waste heat source.

3. A system comprising:

a compressor;

a hot side heat exchanger;

a hot thermal storage (“

HTS”

) medium;

a turbine;

a cold side heat exchanger;

a cold thermal storage (“

CTS”

) medium;

a first additional heat exchanger;

a second additional heat exchanger;

a working fluid;

a fluid path configured to circulate the working fluid in a hybrid mode, wherein the fluid path circulates the working fluid through, in sequence, the compressor, both the hot side heat exchanger and the first additional heat exchanger, the turbine, and the cold side heat exchanger, wherein the working fluid exchanges heat with the HTS medium in the hot side heat exchanger, wherein the working fluid exchanges heat with an external heat source in the first additional heat exchanger, and wherein the working fluid exchanges heat with the CTS medium in the cold side heat exchanger.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the working fluid is circulated through both the hot side heat exchanger and the first additional heat exchanger in parallel such that a first portion of the working fluid flows through the hot side heat exchanger and a second portion of the working fluid flows through the first additional heat exchanger.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the external heat source is selected from a solar heater, a combustor, a flue gas from a combustor, and a waste heat source.

6. A system comprising:

a compressor;

a hot side heat exchanger;

a hot thermal storage (“

HTS”

) medium;

a turbine;

a cold side heat exchanger;

a cold thermal storage (“

CTS”

) medium;

a first additional heat exchanger;

a second additional heat exchanger;

a working fluid;

a fluid path configured to circulate the working fluid in a hybrid mode, wherein the fluid path circulates the working fluid through, in sequence, the compressor, both the hot side heat exchanger and the first additional heat exchanger, the turbine, and the second additional heat exchanger, wherein the working fluid exchanges heat with the HTS medium in the hot side heat exchanger, wherein the working fluid exchanges heat with an external heat source in the first additional heat exchanger, and wherein the working fluid exchanges heat with an external heat sink in the second additional heat exchanger.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the working fluid is circulated through both the hot side heat exchanger and the first additional heat exchanger in parallel such that a first portion of the working fluid flows through the hot side heat exchanger and a second portion of the working fluid flows through the first additional heat exchanger.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the external heat source is selected from the group consisting of a solar heater, a combustor, a flue gas from a combustor, and a waste heat source.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the external heat sink is selected from a body of water and an environmental heat sink.

10. A system comprising:

a compressor;

a hot side heat exchanger;

a hot thermal storage (“

HTS”

) medium;

a turbine;

a cold side heat exchanger;

a cold thermal storage (“

CTS”

) medium;

a first additional heat exchanger;

a second additional heat exchanger;

a working fluid;

a fluid path configured to circulate the working fluid in a hybrid mode, wherein the fluid path circulates the working fluid through, in sequence, the compressor, the hot side heat exchanger, the turbine, and both the cold side heat exchanger and the second additional heat exchanger, wherein the working fluid exchanges heat with the HTS medium in the hot side heat exchanger, wherein the working fluid exchanges heat with the CTS medium in the cold side heat exchanger, and wherein the working fluid exchanges heat with an external heat sink in the second additional heat exchanger.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the working fluid is circulated through both the cold side heat exchanger and the second additional heat exchanger in parallel such that a first portion of the working fluid flows through the cold side heat exchanger and a second portion of the working fluid flows through the second additional heat exchanger.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the external heat sink is selected from a body of water and an environmental heat sink.

13. A system comprising:

a compressor;

a hot side heat exchanger;

a hot thermal storage (“

HTS”

) medium;

a turbine;

a cold side heat exchanger;

a cold thermal storage (“

CTS”

) medium;

a first additional heat exchanger;

a second additional heat exchanger;

a working fluid;

a fluid path configured to circulate the working fluid in a hybrid mode, wherein the fluid path circulates the working fluid through, in sequence, the compressor, the hot side heat exchanger, the turbine, and the second additional heat exchanger, wherein the working fluid exchanges heat with the HTS medium in the hot side heat exchanger, and wherein the working fluid exchanges heat with an external heat sink in the second additional heat exchanger.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the external heat sink is selected from a body of water and an environmental heat sink.

15. A system comprising:

a compressor;

a hot side heat exchanger;

a hot thermal storage (“

HTS”

) medium;

a turbine;

a cold side heat exchanger;

a cold thermal storage (“

CTS”

) medium;

a first additional heat exchanger;

a second additional heat exchanger;

a working fluid;

a fluid path configured to circulate the working fluid in a hybrid mode, wherein the fluid path circulates the working fluid through, in sequence, the compressor, the first additional heat exchanger, the turbine, and both the cold side heat exchanger and the second additional heat exchanger, wherein the working fluid exchanges heat with an external heat source in the first additional heat exchanger, wherein the working fluid exchanges heat with the CTS medium in the cold side heat exchanger, and wherein the working fluid exchanges heat with an external heat sink in the second additional heat exchanger.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the working fluid is circulated through both the cold side heat exchanger and the second additional heat exchanger in parallel such that a first portion of the working fluid flows through the cold side heat exchanger and a second portion of the working fluid flows through the second additional heat exchanger.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the external heat source is selected from a solar heater, a combustor, a flue gas from a combustor, and a waste heat source.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the external heat sink is selected from the a body of water and an environmental heat sink.

19. A system comprising:

a compressor;

a hot side heat exchanger;

a hot thermal storage (“

HTS”

) medium;

a turbine;

a cold side heat exchanger;

a cold thermal storage (“

CTS”

) medium;

a first additional heat exchanger;

a second additional heat exchanger;

a working fluid;

a fluid path configured to circulate the working fluid through, in sequence;

the compressor,

one or more of the hot side heat exchanger or the first additional heat exchanger,

the turbine, and

one or more of the cold side heat exchanger or the second additional heat exchanger,

wherein the working fluid exchanges heat with the HTS medium in the hot side heat exchanger, wherein the working fluid exchanges heat with an external heat source in the first additional heat exchanger, wherein the working fluid exchanges heat with the CTS medium in the cold side heat exchanger, and wherein the working fluid exchanges heat with an external heat sink in the second additional heat exchanger; and

a plurality of valves configured to control whether the working fluid is circulated through one or more of the hot side heat exchanger or the first additional heat exchanger and whether the working fluid is circulated through one or more of the cold side heat exchanger or the second additional heat exchanger.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the external heat source is selected from a solar heater, a combustor, a flue gas from a combustor, and a waste heat source, and

wherein the external heat sink is selected from a body of water and an environmental heat sink.