Thermal energy management for production installations

A storage tank for the storage of a fluid heated in relation to the ambient temperature, comprising:

• a heat-insulated wall;
• at least one discharge;
• at least one feed, wherein the feed is displaceable to different height levels of the storage tank, and wherein the discharge is displaceable to different height levels of the storage tank;
• and
• a control device which passes a fluid flow at a higher temperature to the discharge or the feed that is at a higher height level and passes a fluid flow at a lower temperature to the discharge or the feed that is at a lower height level.

A production installation, comprising:

• a process station which uses at least one fluid at a given temperature;
• and
• a storage tank, the storage tank including:
• a heat-insulated wall;
• at least one discharge;
• at least one feed;
• and
• a control device which passes a fluid flow at a higher temperature to the discharge or the feed at a higher height level and passes a fluid flow at a lower temperature to the discharge or the feed at a lower height level,
• wherein at least one of the following is provided:
• (i) fluid of the fluid flow is taken from the storage tank at a given height level by the control device in dependence on the given temperature by way of the discharge and fed to the process station;
• (ii) the fluid flowing away from the process station after use is fed to the feed at a given height level by the control device at the given temperature;
• and
• (iii) the fluid for the process station is heated by way of a heat exchanger supplied with hot fluid from the storage tank.