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US 10,330,089 B2Granted
Thermal heat storage system
AssigneeSunlight Power, Inc.
InventorDavid Baldwin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A thermal heat storage system is provided, including a storage tank, a heat injection system and a heat recovery system. The storage tank holds a material for thermal storage. The heat injection system is coupled to an intake on the storage tank. The heat recovery system is coupled to an output on the storage tank and also uses vapor under depressurized conditions for heat transfer.
Claims19
A latent heat storage system, comprising:
- a storage tank, comprising
- a tank subfloor:
- a wall extending from a perimeter edge of the tank subfloor;
- a thermal storage material in the storage tank:
- and
- a heat transfer fluid in the storage tank:
- a tube extending through a central portion of the thermal storage material and the heat transfer fluid in the storage tank and through the tank subfloor, the tube opening into a chamber below the tank subfloor of the storage tank, the chamber having a chamber floor opposite the tank subfloor, the tube and the chamber being fluidically separated from the storage tank:
- and
- an exit port directly in the chamber floor and fluidically connected to the chamber and the tube;
- and
- wherein the tube is the only tube extending through the storage tank.
8 more elements
A thermal heat storage and transfer system, comprising:
- a heat storage system, comprising
- a storage tank, comprising
- a tank subfloor;
- a wall extending from a perimeter edge of the tank subfloor;
- a thermal storage material in the storage tank;
- and a heat transfer fluid in the storage tank;
- a heat injection system comprising:
- a receiver;
- a chamber below the storage tank and fluidically separated from the storage tank by the tank subfloor and having a chamber floor;
- a down-tube extending from the receiver through the thermal storage material and the heat transfer fluid in the storage tank and the tank subfloor to the chamber;
- a working fluid in the down-tube, the receiver in fluid communication with the chamber via the down-tube;
- and
- an exit port directly in the chamber floor and fluidically connected to the chamber and the down-tube;
- and
- a return line extending from the exit port in the chamber floor to the receiver external to the storage tank;
- a pump to return working fluid condensate from the chamber through the return line to the receiver for circulation through the down-tube to the chamber;
- and a heat recovery system coupled to the storage tank;
- wherein a flow direction of the working fluid in the down-tube is a one-way flow direction from the receiver to the chamber, the one-way flow direction being parallel to the wall of the storage tank, such that the working fluid flows through the down-tube from the receiver in a single direction to the chamber and exits the chamber through the exit port to the return line directly from the chamber;
- and
- wherein the down-tube is the only tube extending through the storage tank.
17 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.