Installation for storing and recovering heat energy, particularly for a solar power station

An installation for storing and recovering heat energy, particularly for a solar power station, comprising:

• a first exchanger, associated with a heat source, in which a circulating heat-carrying fluid or thermofluid may undergo a temperature increase;
• a second exchanger in which said thermofluid may yield heat to a user unit;
• a first circuit connecting the outlet of the first exchanger to the inlet of the second;
• a second circuit connecting the outlet of the second exchanger to the inlet of the first;
• a storage reservoir containing a heat storage material capable of storing heat, connected both to the first circuit and to the second;
• and distributing means for automatically effecting a given distribution of either the thermofluid coming from the first exchanger between the second exchanger and the storage reservoir, or the thermofluid coming from the second exchanger between the first exchanger and said reservoir;
• means for streaming said thermofluid over the walls of containers enclosing said heat storage material and which are disposed in said storage reservoir;
• and
• wherein said storage reservoir comprises several superposed compartments or levels, each of which is provided with a thermofluid reserve collecting the thermofluid which has streamed over the containers of the compartment considered and from which, the thermofluid may either be taken through at least one outlet duct, to be directed either towards the first exchanger or towards the second, or this thermofluid may flow, particularly by overflowing, towards the level situated immediately below the level considered, by streaming over the containers of heat storage material of said level situated below.