Thermal storage and supply
AssigneeSpirax-Sarco Limited
InventorsJeremy Miller, Sean Spencer, Kevin Rushbrooke, George Tebbutt
Life of this patent
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Abstract
There is disclosed a thermal energy storage and supply method that includes providing subcooled water to a pressure vessel; heating liquid water within the pressure vessel using an electrically-powered heater so that the vessel contains saturated liquid water and steam at a variable storage pressure; controlling the heater to raise the storage pressure to a peak storage pressure of at least 2 MPa; and selectively discharging steam from an outlet of the pressure vessel to a thermal load, in response to a thermal energy demand, such that during a depletion period the storage pressure reduces by at least 1 MPa from the peak storage pressure.
Claims28
A method of thermal energy storage and supply, comprising:
- providing subcooled water to a pressure vessel;
- heating liquid water within the pressure vessel using an electrically-powered heater so that the vessel contains saturated liquid water and steam at a variable storage pressure;
- controlling the heater to raise the storage pressure to a peak storage pressure of at least 2 MPa;
- selectively discharging steam from an outlet of the pressure vessel to a thermal load, in response to a thermal energy demand, such that during a depletion period the storage pressure reduces by at least 1 MPa from the peak storage pressure.
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A thermal energy storage and supply installation comprising:
- a pressure vessel for storing water comprising saturated liquid water and steam at a storage pressure of 2 MPa, the pressure vessel having an outlet to discharge steam to a thermal load;
- an electrically-powered heater configured to heat liquid water stored in the pressure vessel to vary a storage pressure within the pressure vessel;
- a controller configured to operate the thermal storage installation by:
- controlling the heater to heat liquid water within the pressure vessel to reach a peak storage pressure of saturated liquid water and steam of at least 2 MPa;
- controlling a control valve to selectively discharge steam from the outlet to a thermal load, in response to a thermal energy demand;
- permitting steam discharge to meet the thermal energy demand so that the storage pressure reduces by at least 1 MPa from the peak storage pressure.
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Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.