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US 12,173,643 B2Granted
Pumped heat energy storage system with hot-side thermal integration
AssigneeMalta Inc.
InventorsBenjamin R. Bollinger, Bao H. Truong
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system including: (i) a pumped-heat energy storage system (“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; (ii) an electric heater in thermal contact with the hot HTS medium, wherein the electric heater is operable to heat the hot HTS medium above a temperature achievable by transferring heat from a working fluid to a warm HTS medium in a thermodynamic cycle.
Claims19
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 a hot HTS medium, and
- the PHES system is operable in a generation mode to convert at least a portion of the stored thermal energy into electricity;
- a cold thermal storage (CTS) heat exchanger;
- a CTS medium fluid path operable to circulate the cold CTS medium through the CTS heat exchanger;
- and
- a first fluid path operable to circulate a first fluid through the CTS heat exchanger in thermal contact with the cold CTS medium to transfer heat from the first fluid to the cold CTS medium to rebalance the CTS medium, resulting in the warm CTS medium,
- wherein the PHES system is operable to supply heat in either the charge mode or the generation mode, and
- wherein the first fluid path further comprises a power generation plant that is thermally integrated with the PHES system, the power generation plant being operable to direct the first fluid into the first fluid path.
6 more elements
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 a hot HTS medium, and
- the PHES system is operable in a generation mode to convert at least a portion of the stored thermal energy into electricity;
- a cold thermal storage (CTS) heat exchanger;
- a CTS medium fluid path operable to circulate the cold CTS medium through the CTS heat exchanger;
- a first fluid path operable to circulate a first fluid through the CTS heat exchanger in thermal contact with the cold CTS medium to transfer heat from the first fluid to the cold CTS medium to rebalance the CTS medium, resulting in the warm CTS medium;
- an HTS heat exchanger;
- an HTS medium fluid path operable to circulate the hot HTS medium through the HTS heat exchanger;
- and
- a second fluid path operable to circulate a second fluid through the HTS heat exchanger in thermal contact with the hot HTS medium and directing the second fluid to a power generation plant,
- wherein the PHES system is operable to supply heat in either the charge mode or the generation mode.
8 more elements
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 a hot HTS medium, and
- the PHES system is operable in a generation mode to convert at least a portion of the stored thermal energy into electricity;
- a cold thermal storage (CTS) heat exchanger;
- a CTS medium fluid path operable to circulate the cold CTS medium through the CTS heat exchanger;
- a first fluid path operable to circulate a first fluid through the CTS heat exchanger in thermal contact with the cold CTS medium to transfer heat from the first fluid to the cold CTS medium to rebalance the CTS medium, resulting in the warm CTS medium;
- a return fluid path operable to recirculate the first fluid exiting the CTS heat exchanger to a power generation plant,
- wherein the PHES system is operable to supply heat in either the charge mode or the generation mode.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.