Intermediate temperature, heat storage and retrieval system

Abstract

Energy is stored by heating a salt to a temperature above its latent heat of fusion to convert the salt to a liquid state. Heat is retrieved by moving a heat transfer fluid that is immiscible with the salt and has a density less than that of the salt over the top surface of the liquid salt at such a velocity that the upper layer of the salt is emulsified with the heat transfer fluid to crystallize the salt in the upper layer. Heat is thereby exothermally surrendered to the heat transfer fluid and the crystallized salt gravitates from said top surface, thereby maintaining the top surface in a liquid state. It is preferred to move the heat transfer fluid over the top surface of the salt in either a vortex pattern, or an outward radial pattern. The heat transfer liquid is a liquid selected from the group consisting essentially of THERMINOL, CALORIA SANTOWAX, and di-butyl phthalate.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.