Systems and methods of thermal energy storage
AssigneeElement 16 Technologies, Inc.
InventorsHamarz Aryafar, Karthik Nithyanandam, Parker Wells
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Abstract
Thermal energy storage systems are disclosed in this application. Systems of the inventive subject matter are designed to reduce maintenance requirements by sequestering, for example, corrosive fluids that might otherwise damage difficult-to-fix internal components are kept out of those components by introducing a non-corrosive heat transfer fluid to facilitate heat transfer between a thermal energy storage medium (e.g., molten sulfur) and a potentially corrosive working fluid. Thus, the potentially corrosive fluid is kept out of a thermal energy storage tank containing the thermal energy storage medium, which, by design, is difficult to repair when internal components corrode or otherwise require maintenance.
Claims12
A thermal energy storage system comprising:
- a thermal energy storage tank configured to contain a thermal energy storage medium;
- a plurality of tubes disposed within the thermal energy storage tank, wherein the plurality of tubes are configured to:
- contain a heat transfer fluid, and
- facilitate heat transfer between the thermal energy storage medium and the heat transfer fluid;
- a heat exchanger coupled with the plurality of tubes, wherein the heat exchanger is configured to facilitate heat transfer between the heat transfer fluid and a working fluid;
- a pump configured to move the heat transfer fluid between the heat exchanger and the plurality of tubes;
- and
- a second heat exchanger configured to facilitate heat transfer from the heat transfer fluid to a cold working fluid, and wherein the heat exchanger is configured to transfer heat from the working fluid to the heat transfer fluid.
A thermal energy storage system comprising:
- a thermal energy storage tank configured to contain a thermal energy storage medium;
- a plurality of tubes disposed within the thermal energy storage tank, wherein the plurality of tubes are configured to:
- contain a heat transfer fluid, and
- facilitate heat transfer between the thermal energy storage medium and the heat transfer fluid;
- a heat exchanger coupled with the plurality of tubes, wherein the heat exchanger is configured to facilitate heat transfer between the heat transfer fluid and a working fluid;
- a pump configured to move the heat transfer fluid between the heat exchanger and the plurality of tubes;
- a second heat exchanger and two sets of valves;
- wherein the two sets of valves are configured to change the system from a charging configuration to a discharging configuration;
- wherein in the charging configuration heat is transferred from the working fluid to the heat transfer fluid to the thermal energy storage medium;
- and
- wherein in the discharging configuration heat is transferred from the thermal energy storage medium to the heat transfer fluid to a second working fluid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.