Single-temperature-thermal-energy-storage
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
A single-temperature-thermal-energy-storage (SITTES) system for generating electric power, comprising:
- a plurality of insulated tanks in proximity to one another, each of the plurality of tanks having a removable heat exchanger core;
- salt media within each of the plurality of tanks, the salt media composed of molten eutectic salts maintained at a specific operating temperature;
- saltwater media within the removeable heat exchanger cores, wherein the removeable heat exchanger cores transfer heat from the salt media to the saltwater media;
- 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 media to enter the plurality of conduits;
- and
- an outlet coupled to the plurality of conduits and configured to allow the saltwater media to leave the plurality of conduits when a temperature of the saltwater media meets or exceeds a predefined temperature;
- wherein the temperature of the saltwater media is elevated via the heat transfer to the predetermined temperature to produce electric power via a twin-rotary-screw-expander.
A single-temperature-thermal-energy-storage (SITTES) apparatus for desalinating seawater, comprising:
- a plurality of insulated tanks;
- a salt media composed of molten eutectic salts arranged within the plurality of insulated tanks;
- a plurality of heat exchangers arranged within the plurality of insulated tanks, the plurality of heat exchangers coupled to one another and configured to transfer heat between the salt media and a seawater media;
- and
- a first outlet configured to output a steam portion of the seawater media, thereby providing desalination of the portion of the seawater media.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.