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US 11,674,757 B1Granted
Direct contact particle-fluid heat exchanger
AssigneeNational Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC
InventorMatthew D. Carlson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods that transfer heat directly from hot particles to a cold fluid, such as sCO2, by bringing the hot particles and cold fluid into direct contact at the operating pressure of the cold fluid. These systems and methods can both stand-off large pressure differentials while allowing particles to pass through and limiting cold fluid leakage either continuously or through a batch process.
Claims16
A heat exchange system, comprising:
- a pressure vessel comprising a drum, a first cap, and a second cap, wherein two or more chambers are located within the drum and extend from a first end of the drum to an opposite second end of the drum, wherein the first cap caps the chambers at the first end of the drum and the second cap caps the chambers at the second end of the drum, and wherein the caps include a particle inlet, a particle outlet, a fluid inlet, and a fluid outlet;
- and
- a control system configured to either rotate the drum relative to the caps or to rotate the caps relative to the drum, such that each chamber can rotate between a first position and a second position;
- wherein, when said chambers are at the first position, the chambers fluidically connect the particle inlet to the particle outlet, and when said chambers are at the second position, the chambers fluidically connect the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet;
- wherein, when one chamber of the two or more chambers is in the first position, another chamber of the two or more chambers is in the second position;
- the control system further configured to:
- move the chambers into the first position which causes particles at a first particle temperature to enter said chambers through the particle inlet while particles at a second particle temperature exit said chambers through the particle outlet,
- move the chambers from the first position to the second position,
- introduce a fluid at a first fluid temperature into the chambers in the second position containing the particles at the first particle temperature thereby heating the fluid via direct contact with the particles to a second fluid temperature and pressurizing the pressure vessel and reducing the particle temperature to a second particle temperature, and to then discharge the fluid at the second fluid temperature via the fluid outlet, and
- move the chambers from the second position to the first position;
- wherein the first particle temperature is greater than the second particle temperature;
- and
- wherein the first fluid temperature is less than the second fluid temperature.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.