US 2024/0393013 A1Published application

Electric heater for thermal energy storage

AssigneeVital Energi Solutions Limited

InventorsYulong DING, Abdalqader AHMAD, Maria NAVARRO RIVERO, Yelaman MAKSUM

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Abstract

A plurality of electric heater elements are positioned within a core of an electric heater for heating the core to charge the core with stored thermal energy. A first air path extends through the core between an air input opening and an air output opening in a housing. An air supply conduit connects to a supply of an external air flow; an outlet end of an air output conduit is connected to a heated air outlet conduit, for outputting heated air from the electric heater. A bypass conduit connects first and second junctions and defines a second air path external of the core. A temperature sensor senses temperature of heated air. An air flow control valve mechanism variably controls a flow rate of air flow along a conduit based on a temperature of the heated air measured by the temperature sensor, thereby controlling a flow rate along the air paths.

Claims25

Dependent claims

An electric heater for thermal energy storage, the electric heater comprising:

(i) a core comprising a phase change material having a composition which absorbs or releases heat isothermally, or substantially isothermally, by transitioning, in a respective transition direction, between a first phase state and a second phase state at a predetermined transition temperature;
(ii) a plurality of electric heater elements positioned within the core for heating the core to charge the core with stored thermal energy by transitioning the phase change material from the first phase state to the second phase state;
(iii) a housing surrounding the core and defining a cavity within which the core is disposed, the housing having an air input opening connected to an output end of an air input conduit and an air output opening connected to an input end of an air output conduit, and a first air path extending through the core between the air input opening and the air output opening;
(iv) an air supply conduit for connection to a supply of an external air flow, wherein an inlet end of the air input conduit is connected to the air supply conduit at a first junction;
(v) a heated air outlet conduit for outputting heated air from the electric heater, wherein an outlet end of the air output conduit is connected to the heated air outlet conduit at a second junction;
(vi) a bypass conduit connecting the first and second junctions and defining a second air path external of the core;
(vii) a temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of heated air in the heated air outlet conduit, or downstream of the heated air outlet conduit in the direction of air flow through the heated air outlet conduit;
and
(viii) an air flow control valve mechanism in at least one of the bypass conduit and the air input conduit for variably controlling a flow rate of air flow along the bypass conduit and/or the air input conduit based on the temperature of the heated air measured by the temperature sensor, thereby variably to control the ratio of the volume flow rate of air along the first and second air paths.

6 more elements

A thermal energy storage for an electric heater, comprising:

(i) a core comprising a phase change material having a composition which absorbs or releases heat isothermally, or substantially isothermally, by transitioning, in a respective transition direction, between a first phase state and a second phase state at a predetermined transition temperature;
(ii) a plurality of electric heater elements positioned within the core for heating the core to charge the core with stored thermal energy by transitioning the phase change material from the first phase state to the second phase state;
(iii) a plurality of air channels extending through the core between opposite input and output sides of core to form an air path through the core for heating air flowing through the air channels in a thermal discharge phase;
and
(iv) a plurality of heater bores which extend along the core, a respective one of the electric heater elements being received in and extending along each respective heater bore, wherein at least some of the air channels are located between, and laterally spaced from, a plurality of the heater bores which are located, in a width direction of the core, on respective opposite lateral sides of the air channel and are spaced along a height direction of the core, and the core is formed as a continuous body with only the air channels and heater bores extending through the continuous body.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.