Conductive ceramic composites for high temperature thermal energy storage
AssigneeThe Regents of the University of California
InventorsSean Lubner, Ravi Prasher, Lin Yang, Nathaniel Weger, Akanksha K. Menon, Hanna Breunig, Peng Peng
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Abstract
This disclosure provides systems, methods, and apparatus related to high-temperature thermal energy storage. In one aspect, a composite material includes a ceramic and graphite flakes dispersed in the ceramic. The ceramic serves as a matrix of the composite material. The ceramic is an oxide, a carbide, a boride, or a nitride. The graphite flakes are about 20 weight % to 35 weight % of the composite material. The composite material has a porosity of about 5% to 40%.
Claims24
A composite material comprising:
- a ceramic, the ceramic serving as a matrix of the composite material, the ceramic being an oxide, a carbide, a boride, or a nitride;
- and
- graphite flakes dispersed in the ceramic, the graphite flakes being about 20 weight % to 35 weight % of the composite material, the composite material having porosity of about 5% to 40%.
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A method comprising:
- providing a ceramic, particles of the ceramic having sizes of about 500 nanometers to 40 microns;
- providing graphite flakes, the graphite flakes having dimension of about 10 microns to 800 microns by about 10 microns to 800 microns by about 1 micron to 80 microns;
- mixing the ceramic and the graphite flakes to form a mixture, the graphite flakes being about 20 weight % to 35 weight % of the mixture;
- compressing the mixture to form a compressed solid;
- and
- sintering the compressed solid, including heating the compressed solid at about 500° C./minute to 1500° C./minute, holding the compressed solid at about 1600° C. to 2400° C. for about 2 minutes to 8 minutes, and cooling the compressed solid at about 5° C./minute to 6000° C./minute.
A method comprising:
- providing a composite material, the composite material comprising:
- a ceramic, the ceramic serving as a matrix of the composite material, the ceramic being undoped, the ceramic being an oxide, a carbide, a boride, or a nitride, and
- graphite flakes dispersed in the ceramic, the graphite flakes being about 20 weight % to 35 weight % of the composite material, the composite material having porosity of about 5% to 40%;
- resistively heating the composite material to above about 1500° C.;
- and
- transferring heat in the composite material to a heat transfer fluid.
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Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.