# US 12,111,080 B2 · Heat-storage medium conveying system for solar-thermal power plant

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- Number: US 12,111,080 B2
- Document ID: US12111080B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/763,202
- Filed: 2020-09-22
- Published: 2022-10-27
- Granted: 2024-10-08
- Earliest claimed: 2019-09-27
- Assignees: Zhejiang Cosin Solar Technology Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Zhejiang Cosin Solar Technology Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Zhiyong Yu; Yaping Tang; Hui Zhou; Kai Zhou; Wenjian Bi; Feng Sun; Juan Tang; Guokai Tong
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12111080B2

## CPC

- F24S 60/10: using latent heat
- F17D 1/14: Conveying liquids or viscous products by pumping
- F24S 80/30: Arrangements for connecting the fluid circuits of solar collectors with each other or with other components, e.g. pipe connections; Fluid distributing means, e.g. headers
- F28D 20/02: using latent heat
- F28D 20/028: {Control arrangements therefor}
- F28D 2020/0047: {using molten salts or liquid metals}
- F28D 2020/0078: {Heat exchanger arrangements}
- F28D 2020/0082: {Multiple tanks arrangements, e.g. adjacent tanks, tank in tank}
- Y02E 10/40: Solar thermal energy, e.g. solar towers
- F24S: SOLAR HEAT COLLECTORS; SOLAR HEAT SYSTEMS (for producing mechanical power from solar energy F03G6/00)
- F17D: PIPE-LINE SYSTEMS; PIPE-LINES (pumps or compressors F04; fluid dynamics F15D; valves or the like F16K; pipes, laying pipes, supports, joints, branches, repairing, work on the entire line, accessories F16L; steam traps or the like F16T; fluid-pressure electric cables H01B9/06)
- 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

## Abstract

The invention provides a heat-storage medium conveying system for a solar-thermal power plant. The system includes a high-level tank subsystem including a high-level tank used to store the heat-storage medium. The system further includes a heat-storage medium transport subsystem. The high-level tank subsystem is connected with the heat-storage medium transport subsystem. The heat-storage medium transport subsystem includes a low-level tank. A mounting height of the low-level tank is lower than that of the high-level tank. A volume of the low-level tank is smaller than a volume of the high-level tank. The heat-storage medium can enter the low-level tank from the high-level tank partially or completely by its own gravity. The low-level tank is provided with a conveying pump, and the heat-storage medium is pumped out of the low-level tank through the conveying pump. The invention solves the problems such as construction cost, operation and maintenance cost brought about by using the vertical long-shaft submerged molten salt pump, while avoiding the potential safety hazards in the design of large and small tanks or high-level and low-level tanks.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A heat-storage-medium conveying system for a solar-thermal power plant, comprising a high-level tank subsystem, the high-level tank subsystem comprising a high-level tank used to store the heat-storage-medium, wherein the system further comprises a heat-storage-medium transport subsystem;
the high-level tank subsystem is connected with the heat-storage-medium transport subsystem;
the heat-storage-medium transport subsystem comprises a low-level tank; a mounting height of the low-level tank is lower than that of the high-level tank; a volume of the low-level tank is smaller than a volume of the high-level tank; the heat-storage-medium may enter the low-level tank from the high-level tank partially or completely by its own gravity; the low-level tank is provided with a conveying pump, and the heat-storage-medium is pumped out of the low-level tank through the conveying pump; and
wherein the heat-storage-medium transport subsystem further comprises an uninterrupted compressed gas source;
the uninterrupted compressed gas source is communicated with a gas-phase space of the low-level tank through a gas source pipeline, and the gas source pipeline forms a first pipe path;
the uninterrupted compressed gas source increases a gas pressure in the low-level tank to decrease a liquid level of the heat-storage-medium in the low-level tank by inflating the low-level tank.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system according to claim 1, wherein the heat-storage-medium transport subsystem further comprises a first valve assembly;
the first valve assembly is used to adjust an inflation volume provided by the uninterrupted compressed gas source for the low-level tank;
the first valve assembly is disposed on the first pipe path.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The system according to claim 2, wherein
the first valve assembly comprises two valve groups connected in parallel; each of the valve groups comprises three valves connected in series, i.e., two check valves and an intake adjustment valve disposed between the two check valves.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The system according to claim 2, wherein the heat-storage-medium transport subsystem further comprises a second valve assembly;
the second valve assembly elevates the liquid level of the heat-storage-medium in the low-level tank by reducing the gas pressure in the low-level tank;
the low-level tank is provided with a first gas exhaust pipeline, and the first gas exhaust pipeline forms a second pipe path;
the second valve assembly is disposed on the second pipe path.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The system according to claim 4, wherein
the second valve assembly comprises two valve groups connected in parallel; each of the valve groups comprises two valves connected in series, i.e., an exhaust adjustment valve and a check valve.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system according to claim 1, wherein the heat-storage-medium transport subsystem further comprises a low-level tank liquid level sensor;
the low-level tank liquid level sensor is mounted on the low-level tank for detecting the liquid level of the heat-storage-medium in the low-level tank.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system according to claim 1, wherein the heat-storage-medium transport subsystem further comprises a high-low-level tank isolation valve;
a first pipeline is disposed between the high-level tank and the low-level tank, the high-level tank is connected with the low-level tank through the first pipeline, and the first pipeline therebetween forms a third pipe path; the high-low-level tank isolation valve is disposed on the third pipe path.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The system according to claim 1, wherein the heat-storage-medium transport subsystem further comprises a temperature regulator;
the uninterrupted compressed gas source is connected with an inlet of the temperature regulator through a pipeline, and the pipeline connecting therebetween forms a fourth pipe path.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The system according to claim 8, wherein the heat-storage-medium transport subsystem further comprises a heater; the heater is located on the fourth pipe path.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The system according to claim 8, wherein the heat-storage-medium transport subsystem further comprises a gas pressure adjustment valve;
an outlet of the temperature regulator is connected with a second gas exhaust pipeline, and the gas pressure adjustment valve is disposed on the second gas exhaust pipeline.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The system according to claim 8, wherein the heat-storage-medium transport subsystem further comprises a temperature sensor; the temperature sensor is mounted on the temperature regulator.

### Claim 12 (depends on 7)

The system according to claim 7, wherein
the heat-storage-medium transport subsystem further comprises a flexible connector;
the flexible connector is disposed on the third pipe path, and located between the low-level tank and the high-low-level tank isolation valve.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The system according to claim 8, wherein
the heat-storage-medium transport subsystem further comprises a fourth valve assembly;
the fourth valve assembly is used to adjust a volume and a flow rate of a gas entering the temperature regulator;
the fourth valve assembly is disposed on the fourth pipe path.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The system according to claim 13, wherein
the fourth valve assembly comprises an adjustment valve and a check valve.

### Claim 15 (depends on 4)

The system according to claim 4, wherein
the heat-storage-medium transport subsystem further comprises a third valve assembly;
when the first pipe path and the second pipe path share part of the pipeline, the third valve assembly is disposed on the shared pipeline.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The system according to claim 1, wherein the heat-storage-medium transport subsystem further comprises a conveying pump outlet recirculation valve, wherein
a second pipeline is disposed between the high-level tank and the low-level tank; one end of the second pipeline is connected with an inlet of the high-level tank, and the other end of the second pipeline is connected with an outlet of the conveying pump; the second pipeline forms a fifth pipe path, and the heat-storage-medium may be pumped into the high-level tank from the low-level tank along the fifth pipe path; the conveying pump outlet recirculation valve is disposed on the fifth pipe path.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The system according to claim 1, wherein the heat-storage-medium transport subsystem further comprises a second valve assembly;
the second valve assembly elevates the liquid level of the heat-storage-medium in the low-level tank by reducing the gas pressure in the low-level tank;
the low-level tank is provided with a first gas exhaust pipeline, and the first gas exhaust pipeline forms a second pipe path;
the second valve assembly is disposed on the second pipe path.

### Claim 18

A heat-storage-medium conveying system for a solar-thermal power plant, comprising a high-level tank subsystem, a heat-storage-medium heat absorption subsystem and a heat-storage-medium heat exchange subsystem;
the high-level tank subsystem comprises a high-temperature heat-storage-medium high-level tank used to store a high-temperature heat-storage-medium and/or a low-temperature heat-storage-medium high-level tank used to store a low-temperature heat-storage-medium; wherein the system further comprises a heat-storage-medium transport subsystem, and the heat-storage-medium transport subsystem comprises a high-temperature heat-storage-medium transport subsystem and/or a low-temperature heat-storage-medium transport subsystem;
the high-level tank subsystem is connected with the heat-storage-medium transport subsystem;
the high-temperature heat-storage-medium transport subsystem is disposed corresponding to the high-temperature heat-storage-medium high-level tank; the high-temperature heat-storage-medium transport subsystem comprises a high-temperature heat-storage-medium low-level tank;
a mounting height of the high-temperature heat-storage-medium low-level tank is lower than that of the high-temperature heat-storage-medium high-level tank; a volume of the high-temperature heat-storage-medium low-level tank is smaller than a volume of the high-temperature heat-storage-medium high-level tank; the high-temperature heat-storage-medium may enter the high-temperature heat-storage-medium low-level tank from the high-temperature heat-storage-medium high-level tank partially or completely by its own gravity;
the high-temperature heat-storage-medium low-level tank is provided with a high-temperature heat-storage-medium conveying pump; an outlet of the high-temperature heat-storage-medium conveying pump is connected with the heat-storage-medium heat exchange subsystem and the high-temperature heat-storage-medium high-level tank respectively; the high-temperature heat-storage-medium is pumped into the heat-storage-medium heat exchange subsystem from the high-temperature heat-storage-medium low-level tank;
the low-temperature heat-storage-medium transport subsystem is disposed corresponding to the low-temperature heat-storage-medium high-level tank; the low-temperature heat-storage-medium transport subsystem comprises a low-temperature heat-storage-medium low-level tank; a mounting height of the low-temperature heat-storage-medium low-level tank is lower than that of the low-temperature heat-storage-medium high-level tank; a volume of the low-temperature heat-storage-medium low-level tank is smaller than a volume of the low-temperature heat-storage-medium high-level tank; the low-temperature heat-storage-medium may enter the low-temperature heat-storage-medium low-level tank from the low-temperature heat-storage-medium high-level tank partially or completely by its own gravity;
the low-temperature heat-storage-medium low-level tank is provided with a low-temperature heat-storage-medium conveying pump, and an outlet of the low-temperature heat-storage-medium conveying pump is connected with the heat-storage-medium heat absorption subsystem and the low-temperature heat-storage-medium high-level tank respectively; the low-temperature heat-storage-medium is pumped into the heat-storage-medium heat absorption subsystem from the low-temperature heat-storage medium low-level tank.