# US 10,870,784 B2 · System for direct electrical charging and storage of thermal energy for power plants > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,870,784 B2 - Document ID: US10870784B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/313,881 - Filed: 2017-07-24 - Published: 2019-05-23 - Granted: 2020-12-22 - Earliest claimed: 2016-11-30 - Assignees: Massachusetts Institute of Technology - Applicants: Massachusetts Institute of Technology - Inventors: Laureen Meroueh; Gang Chen - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10870784B2 ## CPC - C09K 5/063: {Materials absorbing or liberating heat during crystallisation; Heat storage materials} - F02C 1/05: characterised by the type or source of heat, e.g. using nuclear or solar energy - F02C 6/00: Plural gas-turbine plants; Combinations of gas-turbine plants with other apparatus; Adaptations of gas-turbine plants for special use - F02C 6/14: Gas-turbine plants having means for storing energy, e.g. for meeting peak loads - F02G 1/043: the engine being operated by expansion and contraction of a mass of working gas which is heated and cooled in one of a plurality of constantly communicating expansible chambers, e.g. Stirling cycle type engines - F02G 1/055: Heaters or coolers - F03G 6/001: {having photovoltaic cells} - F03G 6/003: {having a Rankine cycle (F03G6/065 takes precedence)} - F03G 6/02: using a single state working fluid - F03G 6/064: {having a gas turbine cycle, i.e. compressor and gas turbine combination} - F03G 6/068: {having other power cycles, e.g. Stirling or transcritical, supercritical cycles; combined with other power sources, e.g. wind, gas or nuclear} - F03G 6/071: {with energy storage devices} - F28D 20/021: {the latent heat storage material and the heat-exchanging means being enclosed in one container (F28D20/023 - F28D20/028 take precedence)} - Y02E 10/46: Conversion of thermal power into mechanical power, e.g. Rankine, Stirling or solar thermal engines - Y02E 20/14: Combined heat and power generation [CHP] - Y02E 60/14: Thermal energy storage - Y02P 20/54: using solvents, e.g. supercritical solvents or ionic liquids - C09K: MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE - F02C: GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS (construction of turbines F01D; jet-propulsion plants F02K; construction of compressors or fans F04; generating combustion products of high pressure or high velocity F23R; using gas turbines in compression refrigeration plants F25B11/00) - F02G: HOT GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT ENGINE PLANTS (steam engine plants, special vapour plants, plants operating on either hot gas or combustion-product gases together with other fluid F01K; gas-turbine plants F02C; jet-propulsion plants F02K); USE OF WASTE HEAT OF COMBUSTION ENGINES; NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - F03G: SPRING, WEIGHT, INERTIA OR LIKE MOTORS; MECHANICAL-POWER PRODUCING DEVICES OR MECHANISMS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR OR USING ENERGY SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (arrangements in connection with power supply in vehicles from force of nature B60K16/00; electric propulsion with power supply in vehicles from force of nature B60L8/00) - F28D: HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT (fluid heaters having heat generating means and heat transferring means F24H; furnaces F27; details of heat-exchange apparatus of general) - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract System for storage of electricity in the form of thermal energy, and release of thermal energy during times of demand. The system includes a unit for containing at least one electrically conducting phase change material and electrical circuitry for driving electrical current through the phase change material to heat the phase change material into a molten state, or at least one electrical heater used to convert electricity into heat stored in the phase change material. Structure is provided for transferring heat in the phase change material to a working fluid such as steam or gas for electricity generation in a steam turbine or gas turbine, capable of generating supercritical fluids. Structure is also provided for transferring heat in the phase change material to a thermal energy to electrical energy conversion device. A suitable phase change material is elemental silicon or an aluminum-silicon alloy. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for storage, release, and reception of thermal energy comprising: a unit for containing at least one thermally conducting phase change material; electrical circuitry to electrically heat the phase change material into a molten state; a mechanism through which the release of thermal energy is induced; a receiving subsystem having at least one tube configured to have a working fluid flow therethrough such that thermal energy is transformed into electrical energy; and structure that includes at least a portion of the unit for containing at least one thermally conducting phase change material and at least a portion of the at least one tube, with a space extending between the at least a portion of the unit for containing at least one thermally conducting phase change material and the at least a portion of the at least one tube such that transferring heat in the phase change material to the receiving subsystem is configured to occur primarily by radiative heat transfer. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the electrical circuitry drives current through one or more electrical heaters to heat the phase change material. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the one or more electrical heaters transfer heat to the phase change material primarily through one of radiation and conduction. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3, wherein the system is configured to be operably associated with at least one of a power plant and an electrical grid to share at least one of the one or more steam turbines or the one or more gas turbines for electricity generation, the power plant being one of a pre-existing power plant and a new power plant, and the electrical grid being one of a pre-existing electrical grid and a new electrical grid. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising the working fluid, the working fluid generating at least one of: (1) high pressure, high temperature steam for electricity generation in one or more steam turbines; or (2) gas for electrical generation in one or more gas turbines. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the thermal energy receiving subsystem includes a direct energy conversion device to convert a portion of the released heat into electricity. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one tube includes a bank of tubes or a single tube and the heat transfer from the phase change material is to the bank of tubes or the single tube within which the working fluid flows. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising the working fluid, the working fluid being a working gas and the heat transfer receiving subsystem is a Stirling engine in which an absorber is in intimate thermal contact with the working gas and wherein the absorber is heated radiatively by the phase change material. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the phase change material is an aluminum-silicon alloy AlxSi1-x or elemental silicon. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the mechanism through which the release of thermal energy is induced comprises moveable thermal insulators disposed in the space between the unit for containing at least one thermally conducting phase change material and the at least one tube. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the system is connected to an energy source comprising at least one of an electrical grid, one or more photovoltaic panels, one or more generators from a power plant, or one or more wind turbines, and the phase change material is electrically heated using electricity form the energy source. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the system is configured to monitor and regulate an amount of electricity used from the energy source to electrically heat the phase change material and an amount of the electrical energy transformed by the receiving subsystem for subsequent use. ### Claim 13 A system for storage, release, and reception of thermal energy, comprising: a storage subsystem for containing at least one thermally conducting phase change material; electrical circuitry to electrically heat the phase change material into a molten state; a receiving subsystem in which thermal energy is transformed into electrical energy; a mechanism through which the release of thermal energy is induced, the mechanism including at least one moveable thermal insulator disposed in a space between the storage subsystem and the receiving subsystem; and structure for transferring heat in the phase change material to the receiving subsystem, wherein the at least one moveable thermal insulator is translated into and out of the space by at least one of: (1) wheels and axles; or (2) a mechanical translation system. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the electrical circuitry drives current through one or more electrical heaters to heat the phase change material. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more electrical heaters transfer heat to the phase change material primarily through one of radiation and conduction. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the thermal energy receiving subsystem includes at least one of: (1) a working fluid to generate high pressure, high temperature steam for electricity generation in one or more steam turbines; or (2) a working fluid to generate gas for electrical generation in one or more gas turbines. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the thermal energy receiving subsystem includes a direct energy conversion device to convert a portion of the released heat into electricity. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the heat transfer from the phase change material is to a bank of tubes or single tube within which a working fluid flows. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the heat transfer receiving subsystem is a Stirling engine in which an absorber is in intimate contact with a working gas and wherein the absorber is heated radiatively by the phase change material. ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the structure for transferring heat in the phase change material to the receiving subsystem does so primarily by radiative heat transfer. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The system of claim 20, wherein the heat transfer from the phase change material is to a bank of tubes or single tube within which a working fluid flows. ### Claim 22 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the phase change material is an aluminum-silicon alloy AlxSi1-x or elemental silicon. ### Claim 23 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the system is connected to an energy source comprising at least one of an electrical grid, one or more photovoltaic panels, one or more generators from a power plant, or one or more wind turbines, and the phase change material is electrically heated using electricity from the energy source. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The system of claim 23, wherein the system is configured to monitor and regulate an amount of electricity used from the energy source to electrically heat the phase change material and an amount of the electrical energy transformed by the receiving subsystem for subsequent use. ### Claim 25 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the system is configured to be operably associated with a power plant and an electrical grid to share at least one of the one or more steam turbines or the one or more gas turbines for electricity generation, the power plant being one of a pre-existing power plant and a new power plant, and the electrical grid being one of a pre-existing electrical grid and a new electrical grid.