Molten eutectic salts thermal energy storage (MESTES) system
OwnerJohn D. Walkerinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The various embodiments described herein include devices and systems for thermal energy storage. A single-temperature-thermal-energy storage (SITTES) system for desalinating seawater and/or producing electrical power is described. The SITTES system includes insulated tanks, a molten eutectic salt media arranged within the insulated tanks, heat exchangers arranged within the insulated tanks, and an outlet. In the SITTES system the heat exchangers are coupled to one another and configured to transfer heat between the salt media and a seawater media, and the outlet is configured to output a steam portion of the seawater media, thereby providing desalination of the portion of the seawater media and steam for electrical power generation.
Claims20
Thermal energy transfer and storage system comprising:
- a plurality of insulated tanks in proximity to one another, each of the plurality of tanks having a single removable heat exchanger core;
- molten salt media within each of the plurality of tanks, wherein the molten salt media is composed of molten eutectic salts maintained at a single specific operating temperature, said molten salt media being fluidly connected across said plurality of tanks, wherein said system is configured to maintain said molten salt media at said single specific operating temperature across said plurality of tanks;
- saltwater within the removeable heat exchanger cores, wherein the removeable heat exchanger cores transfer heat from the molten salt media to the saltwater;
- a plurality of conduits coupling the removeable heat exchanger cores;
- an intake coupled to the plurality of conduits and configured to selectively allow the saltwater to enter the plurality of conduits from the removeable heat exchanger cores;
- and
- an outlet coupled to the plurality of conduits and configured to allow the saltwater to leave the plurality of conduits when a temperature of the saltwater meets or exceeds a predefined temperature;
- wherein saltwater is elevated to the predetermined temperature via the transfer of heat from the molten salt to the saltwater, wherein the predetermined temperature for the saltwater at said outlet, wherein said system is configured to control a flow of said saltwater through said plurality of removable heat exchanger cores to said outlet to obtain said predetermined temperature.
A thermal energy transfer and storage apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of insulated tanks;
- a molten salt media composed of molten eutectic salts arranged within the plurality of insulated tanks, said system being configured to maintain said molten salt media at a single temperature, said plurality of tanks being configured in fluid connection for the fluid flow of said molten salt media between said series of tanks;
- a plurality of heat exchangers arranged within the plurality of insulated tanks such that each of a single heat exchanger is positioned in each of said insulated tanks, the plurality of heat exchangers coupled to one another to allow for the flow of a seawater between said heat exchangers and configured to transfer heat between the molten salt media and the seawater, wherein said heat exchangers are connected such that wherein said system is configured to regulate the flow of the seawater through said plurality of heat exchangers to obtain a predetermined temperature;
- and
- wherein said predetermined temperature is selected as one of a desalination temperature such that a first outlet configured to output a steam generated from the seawater, thereby providing desalination of the seawater, or an energy production temperature such that said first outlet is configured to output said steam to an electrical energy generator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.