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US 11,629,638 B2Granted
Three reservoir electric thermal energy storage system
AssigneeSupercritical Storage Company, Inc.
InventorTimothy J. Held
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for operating a pumped thermal energy storage (“PTES”) system includes circulating a working fluid through a working fluid circuit, the working fluid having a mass flow rate and a specific heat capacity and balancing a product of the mass and the specific heat capacity of the working fluid on a high-pressure side of a recuperator and a low side of the recuperator as the working fluid circulates through the working fluid circuit. The PTES system includes a bypass in the working fluid circuit by which a first portion of the working fluid bypasses the high-pressure side of the recuperator while a second portion of the working fluid circulates through the high-pressure side of the recuperator.
Claims30
A method for operating a pumped thermal energy storage (“PTES”) system, the method comprising:
- circulating a working fluid through a working fluid circuit, the working fluid having a mass flow rate and a specific heat capacity;
- and
- balancing a product of the mass and the specific heat capacity of the working fluid on a high-pressure side of a recuperator and a low-pressure side of the recuperator as the working fluid circulates through the working fluid circuit, the balancing including:
- splitting the working fluid into a first portion and a second portion on the high-pressure side of the recuperator;
- bypassing the first portion around the high-pressure side of the recuperator;
- cooling the first portion during the bypass;
- circulating the second portion through the recuperator;
- and
- combining the cooled first portion with the second portion after the second portion exits the recuperator.
6 more elements
A pumped thermal energy storage (“PTES”) system, comprising:
- a medium temperature thermal reservoir;
- and
- a working fluid circuit, including:
- a recuperator having a high-pressure side and a low-pressure side, the product of the mass and the specific heat capacity of a working fluid is balanced on the high-pressure side and the low-pressure side when the working fluid circulates through the working fluid circuit;
- a split point on the high-pressure side of the recuperator at which the working fluid is split into a first portion and a second portion;
- and
- a bypass by which the first portion of the working fluid bypasses the high-pressure side of the recuperator while the second portion of the working fluid circulates through the high-pressure side of the recuperator.
4 more elements
A method for operating a pumped thermal energy storage (“PTES”) system, the method comprising:
- circulating a working fluid through a working fluid circuit;
- and
- reducing a mass flow rate of the working fluid on a high-pressure side of a recuperator to balance a product of the mass and the specific heat of the working fluid on the high-pressure side and a low-pressure side of the recuperator while circulating the working fluid, the reducing including:
- splitting the working fluid into a first portion and a second portion on the high-pressure side of the recuperator, the first portion being less than the second portion;
- bypassing the high-pressure side of the recuperator with the first portion of the working fluid;
- and
- circulating the second portion of the working fluid through the high-pressure side of the recuperator.
4 more elements
A pumped thermal energy storage (“PTES”) system, comprising:
- a low-temperature thermal reservoir;
- a high-temperature thermal reservoir;
- a medium-temperature thermal reservoir;
- and
- a working fluid circuit configurable for a charging phase and a generating phase of a PTES operating cycle and through which, in use, a working fluid circulates, the working fluid circuit including:
- a recuperator;
- when in the charging phase:
- an expander positioned between the recuperator and the low-temperature reservoir;
- and
- a charge compressor positioned between recuperator and the high-temperature heat reservoir;
- and
- when in the generating phase:
- a pump positioned between recuperator and the low-temperature heat reservoir;
- and
- a power turbine positioned between recuperator and the high-temperature heat reservoir;
- and
- a bypass, by which, in both the charging phase and the generating phase, a first portion of the working fluid bypasses the high-pressure side of the recuperator and flows through the medium-temperature thermal reservoir, the medium-temperature thermal reservoir transferring heat between the working fluid and the medium-temperature thermal reservoir, while a second portion of the working fluid circulates through the recuperator.
14 more elements
A method for operating a pumped thermal energy storage (“PTES”) system, the method comprising:
- circulating a high-heat capacity working fluid through a working fluid circuit including a recuperator;
- and
- reducing a mass flow rate of the working fluid on a high-pressure side of the recuperator such that the product of mass and the specific heat capacity is the same on both the high-pressure side and a low-pressure side of the recuperator, including:
- in a charging phase:
- bypassing the recuperator with a first portion of the working fluid and transferring heat from the first portion to a medium-temperature reservoir during the bypass while circulating a second portion of the working fluid through the recuperator;
- circulating a second portion through the recuperator while the first portion bypasses the recuperator and transferring heat from the second portion while circulating through the recuperator;
- and
- circulating both the first portion and the second portion together through an expander after the first portion bypasses the recuperator and the second portion circulates through the recuperator;
- and
- in a generating phase:
- bypassing the recuperator with a third portion of the working fluid and transferring heat from the third portion to a medium-temperature reservoir during the bypass while circulating a fourth portion of the working fluid through the recuperator;
- circulating a fourth portion through the recuperator while the third portion bypasses the recuperator and transferring heat to the fourth portion while circulating through the recuperator;
- and
- circulating both the third portion and the fourth portion together through a high-temperature reservoir after the third portion bypasses the recuperator and the fourth portion circulates through the recuperator.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.