Device and method for storage and transfer of thermal energy originated from solar radiation based on fluidization of a bed of particles

A method of storage and subsequent transfer of solar thermal energy, the transfer occurring to pipe bundles of a heat exchanger, in which pipe bundles a working fluid flows, wherein the method comprises the following steps:

• providing a bed of particles adapted to receive and store the solar thermal energy;
• and
• fluidizing said bed of particles by a controlled feeding of a fluidization gas, such as to cause or foster a thermal exchange between the bed of particles and the pipe bundles,
• wherein the fluidizing is a selective and/or differentiated fluidization of one or more selected portions of said bed of particles by the fluidization gas, said gas feeding taking place only at bed portions selectable according to specific operating requirements, so that one or more of said bed portions act as storage means and one or more of said bed portions act as heat transfer means to the pipe bundles.

A device for storage and transfer of thermal energy, adapted to receive a solar radiation, the device comprising:

• a containment casing;
• a first and a second bed of particles inside said containment casing, said first and second bed of particles adapted to store and transfer solar thermal energy received inside said containment casing, wherein the first bed of particles is configured to receive the solar thermal energy and to act as a storage means of the solar thermal energy and the second bed of particles is configured to act as a transfer means of the solar thermal energy to pipe bundles in which a working fluid flows;
• and
• feed inlets for feeding a fluidization gas through said beds of particles,
• wherein
• the fluidization gas moves the particles of said first or second bed of particles causing a heat exchange between the particles of the first bed of particles and the second bed of particles and/or the fluidization gas moves the particles of said second bed of particles causing a heat exchange between the particles of the second bed of particles and the pipe bundles, and
• the device is configured to allow an independent actuation of each of said beds of particles.

A method of storage and subsequent transfer of solar thermal energy, comprising:

• providing a first and a second bed of particles adapted to store and transfer solar thermal energy, wherein the first bed of particles is configured to receive the solar thermal energy and to act as a storage means of the solar thermal energy and the second bed of particles is configured to act as a transfer means of such thermal energy to pipe bundles in which a working fluid flows;
• and
• fluidizing said beds of particles by a controlled feeding of a fluidization gas, such as to cause or foster a thermal exchange between the particles of the two beds of particles and/or the particles of the second bed of particles and the pipe bundles,
• wherein the fluidizing is a selective and/or differentiated fluidization of said beds of particles by the fluidization gas which allows an independent actuation of each of said beds of particles.