Apparatus and method for storing heat energy
AssigneeResearch Foundation of the City University of New York
InventorReuel Shinnar
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Method and apparatus for storing heat in industrial systems where large sources of stored energy are called upon to meet a work load, storing the heat content of a hot working fluid by using the hot working fluid as a heat transfer fluid in vapor form and depositing its heat content on a heat storage medium and then removing the cooled and condensed liquid phase of that heat transfer fluid, and when hot working fluid again is needed, the liquid heat transfer fluid is returned to the heated storage medium and is reheated as it passes through the hot storage medium and then is returned to the working system to be used as a hot working fluid.
Claims22
A heat storage system for providing/storing heat, heat being stored using a heat transfer fluid at or about a predetermined temperature, the system comprising:
- a storage container;
- and
- a ceramic heat storage medium, said medium having an extended longitudinal section extending along a longitudinal axis of said container, said medium formed with particles, said particles cooperating and defining voids between said particles to facilitate flow of heat transfer fluid in said longitudinal direction, said voids combining to define a longitudinal flow path along said longitudinal axis through said medium;
- said particles and voids enabling flow of said fluid along a plane perpendicular to said axis laterally across said medium, said particles configured to limit particle-to-particle heat transfer, said particles configured to promote and having an affinity for direct transfer of heat with said fluid in said plane and thus defining a heat front along said plane, wherein said medium and fluid cooperate to transfer heat between said fluid and said medium along said plane to form said heat front tending perpendicular to said axis and along said plane;
- said heat front propagating along said axis;
- said particles simultaneously resisting heat transfer by contact with each other and having an affinity for rapidly transferring heat by direct contact with said fluid;
- and
- said container having a heat transfer fluid inlet, at least one insulating layer placed in said longitudinal flow path separated from said inlet to define a compartment, said at least one insulating layer adapted to substantially prevent reduction of temperature gradient within said compartment;
- said at least one insulating layer having a porosity sufficient to allow the flow of heat transfer fluid along said flow path and out of said compartment.
In a power plant, a method for heat storage for providing stored heat using a heat transfer fluid, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a ceramic heat storage medium having an extended longitudinal section extending along a longitudinal axis, said medium formed with particles, said particles cooperating and defining voids between said particles to facilitate flow of heat transfer fluid in said longitudinal direction, said voids combining to define a longitudinal flow path along said longitudinal axis through said medium,
- said particles and voids enabling flow of said fluid along a plane perpendicular to said axis laterally across said medium, said particles configured to limit particle-to-particle heat transfer, said particles configured to promote and having an affinity for direct transfer of heat with said fluid in said plane and thus defining a heat front along said plane, wherein said medium and fluid cooperate to transfer heat between said fluid and said medium along said plane to form said heat front perpendicular to said axis and along said plane, and
- said particles simultaneously resisting heat transfer by contact with each other and having an affinity for rapidly transferring heat by direct contact with said fluid,
- said flow path having a port for passing a working fluid, said flow path having a region at said port for storing the heat of said working fluid at a predetermined temperature after said flow is stopped;
- and
- providing a container for said medium, said container having a heat transfer fluid inlet and a heat transfer fluid outlet, placing at least one insulating layer in said longitudinal flow path separated from said inlet to define a compartment, said at least one insulating layer adapted to substantially prevent reduction of temperature gradient within said compartment;
- said at least one insulating layer having a porosity sufficient to allow the flow of heat transfer fluid along said flow path and out of said compartment,
- the transfer of heat from said working fluid to said medium, when said working fluid is provided through said heat transfer fluid inlet, resulting in heat storage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.