Pumped heat energy storage system with electric heating integration
AssigneeMalta Inc.
InventorsBenjamin R. Bollinger, Bao H. Truong
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method including: (i) operating a pumped-heat energy storage system (“PHES system”) in a charge mode to convert electricity into stored thermal energy in a hot thermal storage medium (“HTS medium”) by transferring heat from a working fluid to a warm HTS medium, resulting in a hot HTS medium, wherein the PHES system is further operable in a generation mode to convert at least a portion of the stored thermal energy into electricity; and (ii) heating the hot HTS medium with an electric heater above a temperature achievable by transferring heat from the working fluid to the warm HTS medium.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- operating a pumped-heat energy storage (“PHES”) system in a charge mode to convert electricity into stored thermal energy in a hot thermal storage (“HTS”) medium by transferring heat from a working fluid to a warm HTS medium, resulting in the hot HTS medium, wherein the PHES system is further operable in a generation mode to convert at least a portion of the stored thermal energy into electricity;
- and
- heating the hot HTS medium with an electric heater above a temperature achievable by transferring heat from the working fluid to the warm HTS medium.
A system comprising:
- a pumped-heat energy storage (“PHES”) system, wherein the PHES system is operable in a charge mode to convert electricity into stored thermal energy in a hot thermal storage (“HTS”) medium by transferring heat from a working fluid to a warm HTS medium, resulting in the hot HTS medium, and wherein the PHES system is further operable in a generation mode to convert at least a portion of the stored thermal energy into electricity;
- and
- an electric heater in thermal contact with the hot HTS medium, wherein electric heater is operable to heat the hot HTS medium above a temperature achievable by transferring heat from the working fluid to the warm HTS medium.
A method comprising:
- receiving an amount of electricity from a power generation plant;
- operating a pumped-heat energy storage (“PHES”) system in a charge mode consuming a first amount of the received amount of electricity during conversion of at least a portion of the received electricity into stored thermal energy in a hot thermal storage (“HTS”) medium by transferring heat from a working fluid to a warm HTS medium, resulting in the hot HTS medium;
- reducing a power level of the PHES system such that it consumes a second amount of the received amount of electricity that is lower than the first amount;
- and
- heating the hot HTS medium with an electric heater by consuming at least a third amount of the received amount of electricity, wherein the third amount is equivalent to the difference between the first amount and the second amount.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.