# US 2024/0200470 A1 · Energy storage system and alumina calcination applications > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2024/0200470 A1 - Document ID: US20240200470A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 18/587,787 - Filed: 2024-02-26 - Published: 2024-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2020-11-30 - Assignees: Rondo Energy, Inc. - Applicants: Rondo Energy, Inc. - Inventors: John Setel O'DONNELL; Yusef Desjardins FERHANI - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20240200470A1 ## CPC - F01K 3/02: Use of accumulators and specific engine types; Control thereof - F28D 20/0056: {using solid heat storage material (F28D20/0052 takes precedence)} - B63H 11/00: Marine propulsion by water jets - F01K 3/08: Use of accumulators and the plant being specially adapted for a specific use - F01K 3/12: having two or more accumulators - F01K 3/186: {using electric heat} - F01K 13/02: Controlling, e.g. stopping or starting - F01K 15/00: Adaptations of plants for special use {(F01K7/02 takes precedence)} - F03G 6/071: {with energy storage devices} - F22B 29/06: of once-through type, i.e. built-up from tubes receiving water at one end and delivering superheated steam at the other end of the tubes (combined low- and high-pressure boilers of forced-flow type F22B33/16) - F22B 35/10: of once-through type - F28D 20/00: Heat storage plants or apparatus in general; Regenerative heat-exchange apparatus not covered by groups F28D17/00 or F28D19/00 - H01M 8/04014: Heat exchange using gaseous fluids; Heat exchange by combustion of reactants - H01M 8/04029: Heat exchange using liquids - H01M 8/04037: {Electrical heating} - H01M 8/04052: {Storage of heat in the fuel cell system} - H01M 8/04074: {Heat exchange unit structures specially adapted for fuel cell} - H02J 1/102: being switching converters (H02J1/108, H02J1/12 take precedence) - H02J 3/00: Circuit arrangements for AC mains or AC distribution networks - H02J 3/04: Arrangements for connecting networks of the same frequency but supplied from different sources - H02J 13/183: the equipment comprising energy storage systems - H02M 1/0003: {Details of control, feedback or regulation circuits} - H02M 1/007: {Plural converter units in cascade (push-pull DC/DC converters with pre-regulator H02M3/3374; DC-AC converters following a DC-DC stage including a high frequency transformer H02M7/4807; DC-AC converters following a DC-DC conversion stage generating periodically varying voltages H02M7/4826)} - B63H 11/12: the propulsive medium being steam or other gas - B63H 11/14: the gas being produced by combustion - B63H 11/16: the gas being produced by other chemical processes - F01K 11/02: the engines being turbines - F01K 19/04: in combination with cooling or heating - F03D 9/18: storing heat - F03G 4/063: {with energy storage devices} - F28D 2020/0004: {Particular heat storage apparatus} - Y02E 60/14: Thermal energy storage - F01K: STEAM ENGINE PLANTS; STEAM ACCUMULATORS; ENGINE PLANTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ENGINES USING SPECIAL WORKING FLUIDS OR CYCLES (gas-turbine or jet-propulsion plants F02; nuclear power plants, engine arrangements therein G21D) - F28D: HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT (fluid heaters having heat generating means and heat transferring means F24H; furnaces F27; details of heat-exchange apparatus of general) - B63H: MARINE PROPULSION OR STEERING (propulsion of air-cushion vehicles B60V1/14; specially adapted for submarines, other than nuclear propulsion, B63G; specially adapted for torpedoes F42B19/00) - F03G: SPRING, WEIGHT, INERTIA OR LIKE MOTORS; MECHANICAL-POWER PRODUCING DEVICES OR MECHANISMS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR OR USING ENERGY SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (arrangements in connection with power supply in vehicles from force of nature B60K16/00; electric propulsion with power supply in vehicles from force of nature B60L8/00) - F22B: METHODS OF STEAM GENERATION; STEAM BOILERS - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY - H02M: APPARATUS FOR CONVERSION BETWEEN AC AND AC, BETWEEN AC AND DC, OR BETWEEN DC AND DC, AND FOR USE WITH MAINS OR SIMILAR POWER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; CONVERSION OF DC OR AC INPUT POWER INTO SURGE OUTPUT POWER; CONTROL OR REGULATION THEREOF (transformers H01F; dynamo-electric converters H02K47/00; controlling transformers, reactors or choke coils, control or regulation of electric motors, generators or dynamo-electric converters H02P) - F03D: WIND MOTORS - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract An energy storage system (TES) converts variable renewable electricity (VRE) to continuous heat at over 1000° C. Intermittent electrical energy heats a solid medium. Heat from the solid medium is delivered continuously on demand. Heat delivery via flowing gas establishes a thermocline which maintains high outlet temperature throughout discharge. The delivered heat which may be used for processes including power generation and cogeneration. In one application, the TES provides higher-temperature heat through non-combustible fluid to an alumina calcination system used to remove impurities or volatile substances and/or to incur thermal decomposition to a desired product. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of calcination, including: storing heat in a thermal energy storage (TES) medium of a TES system, the heat derived from electricity from a variable renewable energy source having intermittent availability; discharging the stored heat from the TES medium in the form of a heated fluid; providing a material stream to a calciner; and heating the material stream with using the heated fluid, so as to calcine the material stream; and generate a calcined product. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further including: injecting the material stream into the calciner via a first inlet of the calciner; and injecting, via a second inlet of the calciner, the heated fluid into the calciner. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further including: before providing the material stream to the calciner, pre-heating the material stream by transferring thermal energy from the heated fluid to the material stream, to generate a pre-heated material stream; and at the calciner, receiving the pre-heated material stream and applying the received thermal energy to further heat the material stream to a temperature higher than a temperature of the pre-heated material stream. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further including the step of circulating carbon dioxide gas from the calciner to the TES system as fluid to be heated by the TES system. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further including the step of providing thermal energy obtained from exhaust gas exiting the calciner to heat fluid that is input to the TES system. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the heated fluid is a non-combustive fluid. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the non-combustive fluid includes carbon dioxide, air, or a mixture of gases. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the material stream input to the calciner includes aluminum hydroxide in mineral form, and the calcined product generated by the calciner includes alumina. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further including the steps of: burning oxyfuel and/or hydrogen to generate combustion heat; and providing the combustion heat to the calciner. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further including the steps of: cooling the calcined product in a cooling cyclone to generate carbon dioxide gas and an output heated fluid; and transferring the output heated fluid to a fluid stream that is provided as an input to the TES system. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further including the step of using an electric booster to raise the temperature of the fluid output by the TES system to a higher temperature. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, including the step of powering the electric booster by a turbine generator. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, including the step of providing the turbine generator with heat from the TES system. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, including the step of providing the heated fluid from the TES system to the calciner as direct heated fluid. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, including the step of providing the heated fluid from the TES system to the calciner to generate steam for use in steam partial calcination. ### Claim 16 A calcination system, including: a thermal energy storage (TES) system configured to convert thermal energy derived from a renewable energy source to a first heated fluid; a fuel burner configured to provide heat to generate a second heated fluid; and a calciner configured to receive the first heated fluid and the second heated fluid to heat a material stream to generate a calcined product. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The calcination system of claim 16, wherein the calciner is configured to receive the first heated fluid from the TES system as a direct heated fluid. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The calcination system of claim 16, wherein the calciner is configured to use the first heated fluid to generate steam for use in a partial calcination stage of a calcination process. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The calcination system of claim 16, wherein the fuel burner is configured to operate with combustion air having a higher oxygen composition by volume than ambient air. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The calcination system of claim 16, wherein the fuel burner includes burner inputs that are configured to use combustion air to generate an oxyfuel combustion. ### Claim 21 (depends on 16) The calcination system of claim 16, configured to pre-heat the material stream using the first heated fluid and/or a pre-heater cyclone. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The calcination system of claim 21, further including a heat exchanger configured to transfer heat from the pre-heater cyclone to a filter that is coupled to an exhaust stack. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The calcination system of claim 22, configured to circulate at least a portion of an exhaust gas from the exhaust stack back into the TES system. ### Claim 24 (depends on 16) The calcination system of claim 16, wherein the TES system is configured to inject the first heated fluid into the calciner to interact with the material stream. ### Claim 25 (depends on 16) The calcination system of claim 16, wherein the TES system is configured to remove impurities and/or volatile substances from the material stream. ### Claim 26 (depends on 16) The calcination system of claim 16, configured to generate the calcined at a calcination product temperature that is higher than a first temperature of the first heated fluid and lower than a second temperature of the second heated fluid. ### Claim 27 (depends on 16) The calcination system of claim 16, wherein the first heated fluid includes a non-combustive fluid. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The calcination system of claim 27, wherein the non-combustive fluid includes at least one of carbon dioxide, air, or a mixture of gases. ### Claim 29 (depends on 27) The calcination system of claim 27, configured to recirculate at least some of the non-combustive fluid back into the TES system. ### Claim 30 (depends on 16) The calcination system of claim 16, wherein the fuel burner is configured to operate with at least one of hydrocarbon or hydrogen. ### Claim 31 (depends on 30) The calcination system of claim 30, wherein the hydrogen includes greater than 0.5% molecular hydrogen. ### Claim 32 (depends on 16) The calcination system of claim 16, wherein the calciner is configured to convert aluminum hydroxide in mineral form in the material stream into alumina. ### Claim 33 (depends on 16) The calcination system of claim 16, further including a cooling cyclone configured to cool the material stream using ambient air. ### Claim 34 (depends on 16) The calcination system of claim 16, further including an electric booster configured to heat the first heated fluid. ### Claim 35 (depends on 34) The calcination system of claim 34, wherein the electric booster is configured to be at least partially powered by a turbine that is provided with heat from the TES system. ### Claim 36 A method of calcination, including: converting, in a thermal energy storage (TES) system, thermal energy derived from a renewable energy source to a first heated fluid; providing, by a fuel burner, heat to generate a second heated fluid; and receiving, at a calciner, the first heated fluid and the second heated fluid to heat a material stream to generate a calcined product.