Pumped heat energy storage system with convey able solid thermal storage media directly thermally coupled to working fluid

A pumped heat energy storage system comprising:

• a charging assembly configured to implement a thermodynamic heat pump cycle that consumes electrical energy from an electrical grid to raise and lower temperature of conveyable, solid thermal storage media respectively in a hot heat exchange and storage apparatus and in a cold heat-exchange and storage apparatus;
• and
• a discharging assembly configured to implement a thermodynamic engine cycle to lower and raise the temperature of the conveyable, solid material respectively in the hot heat exchange and storage apparatus and in the cold heat exchange and storage apparatus, while extracting work, thereby returning to the electrical grid at least a portion of the electrical energy consumed by the charging assembly, and further configured to concurrently return the conveyable, solid thermal storage media in the hot heat exchange and storage apparatus and in the cold heat exchange and storage apparatus to respective initial temperatures of the conveyable, solid thermal storage media therein,
• wherein the hot heat exchange and storage apparatus comprises:
• a thermal storage assembly including a low temperature store arranged to operate at substantially atmospheric pressure and accommodate a sufficient quantity of the conveyable, solid thermal storage media to facilitate a desired rate and duration of energy absorption or delivery by the pumped heat energy storage system, and further including a high temperature store arranged to operate at substantially atmospheric pressure and accommodate substantially the same quantity of the conveyable, solid thermal storage media as the low temperature store;
• a heat exchanger assembly arranged to directly thermally couple the conveyable, solid thermal storage media that is conveyed to the heat exchanger assembly from the low temperature store or from the high temperature store associated with the hot heat exchange and storage apparatus with a flow of working fluid that passes through the heat exchanger assembly;
• and
• a feeder assembly arranged to circulate the conveyable, solid thermal storage media between the low temperature store and the high temperature store associated with hot heat exchange and storage apparatus.