Concrete and tube hot thermal exchange and energy store (txes) including temperature gradient control techniques

A thermal heat capture, storage, and exchange arrangement, comprising:

• at least one modular thermal exchange and storage (TXES) array, each of the at least one modular TXES arrays comprising one or more TXES elements that each includes:
• a matrix material substrate;
• one or more flue tubes or passageways formed or positioned in the matrix material substrate to provide for a flow of a heated source fluid through the TXES element, the heated source fluid provided from a heat source;
• and
• one or more working fluid tubes positioned in the matrix material substrate separate from the one or more flue tubes or passageways to provide for a flow of a working fluid through the TXES element;
• one or more heat engines operable with the at least one TXES array to extract heat from the at least one TXES array and convert it to mechanical energy, the one or more heat engines providing the working fluid to the at least one modular TXES array;
• and
• a valve system positioned in piping and ducting connecting the heat source to the at least one modular TXES array and connecting the one or more heat engines to the at least one modular TXES array, the valve system selectively controlling the flow of the heated source fluid to the at least one modular TXES array and the one or more TXES elements thereof and selectively controlling the flow of the working fluid to the at least one modular TXES array and the one or more TXES elements thereof.

A method of assembling a thermal heat capture, storage, and exchange arrangement, the method comprising:

• providing at least one modular thermal exchange and storage (TXES) array having thermal storage and heat exchanging capabilities, wherein providing each of the at least one modular TXES arrays comprises:
• providing a desired number of modular TXES elements;
• arranging the desired number of modular TXES elements to form the modular TXES array;
• and
• coupling the desired number of modular TXES elements to a manifold system via piping to provide for a transfer of working fluid between the manifold system and the modular TXES elements;
• fluidly coupling the at least one modular TXES array to a heat source to receive a heated source fluid therefrom, with thermal energy from the heated source fluid being stored in one or more of the modular TXES elements of the at least one modular TXES array;
• providing at least one heat engine that is operable with the at least one TXES array to extract heat from the at least one TXES array via the working fluid and convert it to mechanical energy;
• and
• fluidly connecting each of the at least one heat engines to the manifold system of a respective modular TXES array to pass the working fluid through one or more modular TXES elements thereof, such that a transfer of thermal energy between the working fluid and the one or more respective TXES elements occurs.