Storage of Excess Heat in Cold Side of Heat Engine
AssigneeMalta Inc.
InventorsPhilippe Larochelle, Raj Apte
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Extra heat in a closed cycle power generation system, such as a reversible closed Brayton cycle system, may be dissipated between discharge and charge cycles. An extra cooling heat exchanger may be added on the discharge cycle and disposed between a cold side heat exchanger and a compressor inlet. Additionally or alternatively, a cold thermal storage medium passing through the cold side heat exchanger may be allowed to heat up to a higher temperature during the discharge cycle than is needed on input to the charge cycle and the excess heat then dissipated to the atmosphere.
Claims21
1-20. (canceled)
A system comprising:
- a compressor;
- a hot side heat exchanger;
- a turbine;
- a cold side heat exchanger;
- a cooling heat exchanger;
- and
- a working fluid circulating in a closed cycle path through, in sequence, the compressor, the hot side heat exchanger, the turbine, the cooling heat exchanger, and the cold side heat exchanger in both a charge mode and a discharge mode, wherein the cooling heat exchanger is configured to remove heat from the working fluid.
A system comprising:
- a compressor;
- a hot side heat exchanger;
- a turbine;
- a cold side heat exchanger;
- a working fluid circulating in a closed cycle path through, in sequence, the compressor, the hot side heat exchanger, the turbine, and the cold side heat exchanger in both a charge mode and a discharge mode;
- a cold side thermal storage (“CTS”) medium;
- a first CTS tank;
- an intermediate CTS tank;
- a CTS heat exchanger, wherein the CTS heat exchanger is configured to remove heat from the CTS medium;
- a second CTS tank;
- a first flow path configured to flow CTS medium from the first CTS tank, through the cold side heat exchanger, and to the intermediate CTS tank;
- and
- a second flow path configured to flow CTS medium from the intermediate CTS tank, through the CTS heat exchanger, and to the second CTS tank.
A method comprising:
- in a closed cycle system operating in a power generation mode, circulating a working fluid through a closed cycle path including, in sequence, a compressor, a hot side heat exchanger, a turbine, and a cold side heat exchanger in both a charge mode and a discharge mode;
- flowing a cold side thermal storage (“CTS”) medium at a first variable flow rate from a first CTS tank, through the cold side heat exchanger and in thermal contact with the working fluid, and to an intermediate CTS tank;
- and
- flowing the CTS medium from the intermediate CTS tank, through a CTS heat exchanger, and to a second CTS tank, wherein the CTS heat exchanger is configured to remove heat from the CTS medium.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.