Thermal energy storage system with a heat pump for improved efficiency

A system for providing cooling and power, including:

• a thermal energy storage (TES) device including a solid thermal storage medium configured to charge intermittently from electrical energy;
• a combined heat and power (CHP) system configured to receive output thermal energy and electricity from stored energy from the TES;
• a thermally driven chiller configured to use the thermal energy to provide cooling;
• and
• a heat rejection system configured to reject heat from the chiller;
• wherein the CHP system is sized to provide at least a majority of energy demand of the chiller, such that a cooling load is substantially powered by stored energy from the TES;
• wherein the cooling load includes a data center.

A method for providing cooling and power, including:

• intermittently electrically charging a thermal energy storage (TES) device including a solid thermal storage medium;
• outputting thermal energy from the TES to a combined heat and power (CHP) system;
• using the thermal energy to provide cooling with a thermally driven chiller;
• and
• rejecting heat from the chiller using a heat rejection system.

A system for providing cooling, including:

• a thermal energy storage (TES) device including a solid thermal storage medium configured to charge intermittently from electrical energy;
• a thermally driven chiller configured to use thermal energy from the TES device to provide cooling;
• and
• a heat rejection system configured to reject heat from the chiller.

A system for providing cooling, including:

• a thermal energy storage (TES) device including a solid thermal storage medium configured to charge intermittently from electrical energy;
• a thermally driven chiller configured to use thermal energy from the TES device to provide cooling;
• and
• a heat rejection system configured to reject heat from the chiller;
• wherein the TES device is sized to provide at least a majority of an energy demand of the chiller, such that a cooling load is substantially powered energy stored in the TES from intermittent electricity;
• wherein the cooling load includes a data center.

A method for providing cooling, including:

• electrically charging a thermal energy storage (TES) device from an intermittent energy source, wherein the TES includes a solid thermal storage medium;
• providing thermal energy from the TES device to a thermally driven chiller;
• and
• rejecting heat from the chiller using a heat rejection system.

A method for providing cooling, including:

• electrically charging a thermal energy storage (TES) device from an intermittent energy source, wherein the TES includes a solid thermal storage medium;
• providing thermal energy from the TES device to a thermally driven chiller;
• and
• rejecting heat from the chiller using a heat rejection system;
• providing cooled fluid from the chiller to a data center.

A system for providing heating and power, including:

• a thermal energy storage (TES) device including a solid thermal storage medium configured to be heated by electricity from an intermittent energy source to store thermal energy;
• a combined heat and power (CHP) system configured to use thermal energy from the TES device to generate high temperature heat;
• and
• a thermally driven heat pump configured to use the high-temperature heat from the CHP system to provide heating.

A system for providing heating and power, including:

• a thermal energy storage (TES) device including a solid thermal storage medium configured to be heated by electricity from an intermittent energy source to store thermal energy;
• a combined heat and power (CHP) system configured to use thermal energy from the TES device to generate high temperature heat;
• and
• a thermally driven heat pump configured to use the high-temperature heat from the CHP system to provide heating;
• wherein the heat pump has a low temperature heat source that is at least in part from waste heat of an adjacent industrial process.

A system for providing heating and power, including:

• a thermal energy storage (TES) device including a solid thermal storage medium configured to be heated by electricity from an intermittent energy source to store thermal energy;
• a combined heat and power (CHP) system configured to use thermal energy from the TES device to generate high temperature heat;
• and
• a thermally driven heat pump configured to use the high-temperature heat from the CHP system to provide heating;
• wherein the heat pump has a low-temperature heat source that is at least in part from waste heat of an adjacent cooling process, and the adjacent process includes a data center cooling system.

A method for providing heating and power, including:

• using electricity from an intermittent energy source to heat a thermal energy storage (TES) device;
• providing high-temperature thermal energy from the TES device to a combined heat and power (CHP) system;
• providing the output heat from the CHP system to a thermally driven heat pump;
• and
• using a thermocompressor to receive high-temperature fluid from the TES device and low-pressure output from the heat pump, and producing a combined output at a second temperature and pressure.

A system for providing heating and/or cooling, including:

• a thermal energy storage (TES) device including a solid thermal storage medium configured to charge using electrical energy from an intermittent energy source;
• a Rankine Cycle power generation system configured to generate electricity from the TES device;
• and
• an electrically driven heat pump configured to use the electricity generated by the Rankine Cycle power generation system to provide heating and/or cooling.

A method for providing heating and/or cooling, including:

• electrically charging a thermal energy storage (TES) device from an intermittent energy source;
• generating electricity from the TES device using a Rankine Cycle power generation system;
• using the generated electricity to power an electrically driven heat pump to provide heating or cooling;
• and
• using a thermocompressor to receive high-temperature fluid from the TES device and low-pressure output from the heat pump, and producing a combined output at a second temperature and pressure.

A system for boosting heat pump output, including:

• a thermal energy storage (TES) device configured to be heated by electricity from an intermittent energy source;
• an electrically driven heat pump configured to provide output heat at a first temperature and pressure;
• and
• a thermocompressor configured to receive high-temperature fluid from the TES device and low-pressure output from the heat pump, and configured to produce a combined output at a second temperature and pressure.

A method for boosting heat pump output, including:

• electrically charging a thermal energy storage (TES) device from an intermittent energy source;
• operating an electrically driven heat pump to provide output heat at a first temperature and pressure;
• and
• using a thermocompressor to receive high-temperature fluid from the TES device and low-pressure output from the heat pump, and producing a combined output at a second temperature and pressure.

A system for preheating feedwater, including:

• a thermal energy storage (TES) device including a solid thermal storage medium configured to store thermal energy derived from an intermittent energy source;
• a heat pump configured to utilize a low-temperature resource to provide feedwater heating at an elevated Coefficient of Performance (COP);
• and
• a feedwater path configured to direct the heated feedwater from the heat pump to the TES for further heating or steam generation.

A method for preheating feedwater, including:

• utilizing a low-temperature resource to drive a heat pump;
• providing feedwater heating at an elevated Coefficient of Performance (COP) using the heat pump;
• and
• directing the heated feedwater from the heat pump to a thermal energy storage (TES) device for further heating or steam generation, wherein the TES includes a solid thermal storage medium.