2482results about "Solar heat storage" patented technology

There is herein described energy storage systems. More particularly, there is herein described thermal energy storage systems and use of energy storable material such as phase change material in the provision of heating and / or cooling systems in, for example, domestic dwellings.

The invention relates to an energy storing method and apparatus for use by end-users of energy, such as commercial property owners and operators. The system differs from past systems, insofar as it is not intended to be used by and in connection with energy suppliers, such as large utility and power supply plants and grids. The system preferably relates to the manner in which an end-user of energy can implement energy and costs savings, by using energy storage and time-shifting methods, to control and regulate the consumption of energy in a manner that achieves a cost savings over a period of time. One aspect of the method relates to accurately forecasting and predicting the energy demands and peaks that might occur on a daily basis, by recording and analyzing the prior day's history, as well as the overall energy demand histories, using short and long term forecasts, and then setting up a variable energy storage / use plan or schedule that helps to reduce the peak demands by time-shifting the energy that is used, i.e., reducing consumption during high demand / high cost periods, and using the energy stored during low demand / low cost periods during the high demand / high cost periods.

A digital fluid heating system may include a solar collection system configured for focusing sunlight on a focal axis, an elongated flow element arranged and configured for transporting fluid along the solar collection system at the focal axis, and a flow-control assembly comprising a digitally controlled valve configured to control the flow of the fluid in the elongated flow element such that pathogens present in the fluid are substantially inactivated before the fluid exits the fluid heating system and at a maximized flow rate under the given energy providing conditions. The system may also include one or more digital controls and communication systems for remote and / or automatic control.

There is herein described energy storage systems. More particularly, there is herein described thermal energy storage systems and use of energy storable material such as phase change material in the provision of heating and / or cooling systems in, for example, domestic dwellings.

A solar power system capable of storing heat energy and converting sun light to electrical power. The solar power system includes a solar collection system which gathers and transmits concentrated solar energy to an absorber / cavity. The thermal energy is extracted from the absorber / cavity via a fluid and transported to a heat conversion system. The heat conversion system uses the thermal energy to create electricity.

A transportable, modular, self-contained shipping container building which has an optional means to collect, store, and distribute power from natural resources and a means to collect store, distribute and / or purify potable and / or non-potable water.

The invention relates to an energy storing method and apparatus for use by end-users of energy, such as commercial property owners and operators. The system differs from past systems, insofar as it is not intended to be used by and in connection with energy suppliers, such as large utility and power supply plants and grids. The system preferably relates to the manner in which an end-user of energy can implement energy and costs savings, by using energy storage and time-shifting methods, to control and regulate the consumption of energy in a manner that achieves a cost savings over a period of time. One aspect of the method relates to accurately forecasting and predicting the energy demands and peaks that might occur on a daily basis, by recording and analyzing the prior day's history, as well as the overall energy demand histories, using short and long term forecasts, and then setting up a variable energy storage / use plan or schedule that helps to reduce the peak demands by time-shifting the energy that is used, i.e., reducing consumption during high demand / high cost periods, and using the energy stored during low demand / low cost periods during the high demand / high cost periods.

The invention discloses an efficient direct-expansion solar heat pump and water source heat pump coupled heat supplying system. The system is characterized in that the angle of a solar heat collector is adjusted in real time through a full-automatic solar tracking device, therefore, sunlight vertically irradiates the solar heat collector, and maximum solar radiation energy is achieved; by arranging a phase change heat storage device on a direct-expansion solar heat pump system, the evaporating temperature of a refrigerating agent is kept within a certain range, and then influences of changes of the solar radiation intensity to the system stability are greatly reduced; solar energy is stored through a heat storage water tank, intermediate water is preheated through the heat storage water tank, therefore, heat obtained through the direct-expansion solar heat pump system is effectively transmitted to a user, and then effective coupling of a solar heat collection and heat storage technology and a water source heat pump is completed. The efficient direct-expansion solar heat pump and water source heat pump coupled heat supplying system has the advantages that the problems of intermittency and unstability of solar energy sources are effectively solved, it is guaranteed that the system can stably supply energy, the system performance is significantly improved, and high efficiency and environmental friendliness are achieved.

Apparatus and method for efficiently storing thermal energy, in particular thermal energy transferred from a concentrated solar energy receiver. The apparatus consists of a collection of modular thin walled tube pressure vessels enclosing solid sensible heat thermal storage elements. The high temperature solid is separated from the thin wall by thermal insulation and two thin gaps that carry the cold in and cold out high-pressure working fluids. Hot in and hot out working fluids circulate in counter flow channels within the solid sensible heat thermal storage elements. The solar receiver can also be modular to match the thermal storage elements, facilitating manufacturing and on site assembly. The design enables scalable thermal storage and concurrent thermal charging and discharging with no circuit switching between charge and discharge.

A thermal energy storage (“TES”) device including a vessel housing a continuous volume of a TES media, an input portion, an output portion, and a plurality of thermal energy transport members connected to the input portion and / or the output portion. The input portion receives thermal energy from a thermal energy source. The received thermal energy is transported by one or more of the thermal energy transport members to the output portion and / or the TES media for storage. One or more of the thermal energy transport members connected to the output portion transport stored thermal energy from the TES media to the output portion. The output portion is coupled to an external device, such as a Stirling engine, and configured to transfer thermal energy the external device. Optionally, selected ones of the thermal energy transport members connected to both the input and output portions may be insulated from the TES media.

A system and methods for utilizing solar energy is proposed. The invention consists of: (i) A sunlight concentrator that is either panel-shaped or take the form of separate containers, either of which allow at least 45 degrees light incidence angle deviation from the orthogonal, and therefore does not require a tracking device. Said panel is planar, or has a gentle curvature, but is of fixed shape. Said concentrator has two embodiments, one of which is based on a plurality of light-tubes, the other is based on a plurality of mirrors. (ii) Methods of energy conversion to electricity, embodied in a concentrator exit structure combined with a spatial arrangement of photovoltaic cells. (iii) Methods for conversion of solar radiation to heat, embodied in a concentrator exit structure combined with a heat energy storage unit built according to principles set forth herein. (iv) Methods of dual land use of a concentrator field and of conversion to electricity from an area covered with water, by the use of adapted support structures.

A system and method are provided for storing electric energy in the form of thermal energy. A thermoelectric energy storage system includes a working fluid circuit for circulating a working fluid through a heat exchanger, and a thermal storage medium circuit for circulating a thermal storage medium. The thermal storage medium circuit includes at least one hot storage tank, an intermediate temperature storage tank, and a cold storage tank connected together via the heat exchanger. A proportion of the storage medium is redirected to or from the intermediate storage tank from or to the hot or cold storage tank, joining another proportion which flows directly between the cold and hot storage tank.

A fluidized bed high temperature endothermic device used for solar tower thermal power generation and heat absorbing-accumulating double fluidized bed system is provided. The double fluidized bed system consists of a fluidized bed heat absorber (15) and a fluidized bed heat accumulator (14). A regenerative ball (8) flows between the fluidized bed heat absorber (15) and the fluidized bed heat accumulator (14). The regenerative ball is both a heat absorbing media and a heat accumulating media, which makes heat absorbing-accumulating integration realized. The invention can adjust the absorbed heat and the accumulated heat according to the conditions of sunlight. The fluidized bed heat absorber (15) makes full use of the flow characteristics of the fluidized bed to overcome the heat exchange problem caused by the uneven distributed radiation after the aggregation of the sunlight. With the heat capacity of the regenerative ball (8), thermal shock influences on the heat absorber under the conditions such as cloudy can be eliminated. The invention has the advantages of safety, reliability and low cost.

A roof product has a thermal heat storage layer, a vent layer with channels for transferring excess heat through a length of the roof product, and a flame retardant to suppress fire through the vent layer. These three materials form a unitary structure. The roof product may have a radiant layer, the thermal heat storage layer and the vent layer to form the unitary structure. The roof products are assembled in an abutting configuration on the roof of a building. The vent layer vents excess heat from an eave of the roof up to a ridge of the roof and out to atmosphere. The roof products manage thermal energy in the roof by storing thermal heat with the unitary roof product during a heating cycle; venting excess heat through the unitary product; and releasing the stored thermal heat from the unitary product into or out of the building during a cooling cycle.

A solar light (heat) absorption material is provided which has an excellent solar light (heat) absorbing ability and a simple structure, and may be usable as a low-cost and high-performance heat absorption / accumulation material, the inventive material being usable also as a solar light (heat) absorption / control building component that allows easy change of its solar light (heat) absorption / control ability. The material comprises particles dispersed into a liquid medium having a specific heat ranging from 0.4 to 1.4 cal / g / ° C. and a melting point of 5° C. or lower. The dispersed particles have L*value of 30 or less as determined by the CIE-Lab color system (light source D65).

The invention provides a solar phase change heat storage wall and a ventilation system provided with the same. The solar phase change heat storage wall is formed by connecting a high-temperature phase change layer, a medium-temperature phase change layer and a low-temperature phase change layer sequentially, wherein the phase change temperatures of the high-temperature phase change layer, the medium-temperature phase change layer and the low-temperature phase change layer are set from high to low. A glass cover plate is arranged on the south side of the outer wall of the ventilation system; the rest part of the ventilation system is composed of an enclosure structure; an outdoor air inlet is formed in the upper part of the north side of the outer wall; and an outdoor air outlet is formed in the upper part of the south side. The solar phase change heat storage wall is positioned in the outer wall and close to the glass cover plate; the high-temperature phase change layer faces south; and an upper vent hole and a lower vent hole are formed in the upper part and lower part of the solar phase change heat storage wall respectively. A hot water system penetrates through the solar phase change heat storage wall to perform heat exchange. The solar phase change heat storage wall can overcome shortcomings of a conventional heat collection wall, has the advantages of good heat storage capability, diversified functions, simplicity for operation and no energy consumption, can achieve the effects of cooling by ventilation and domestic water heating in summer, and can be used for providing heat in winter, thereby having good application prospects.

The invention relates to a converging type solar thermal power device capable of condensing sunlight, storing heat using high temperature phase change energy storage material and driving double loops, belonging to the technical field of solar energy collection and solar energy heat utilization. The device comprises a funnel-shaped converging type solar energy condenser, a transparent light transmitting window, an energy accumulator, a high temperature heat-conducting oil heat supply circulating system, a superheated steam generator, and a Rankine cycle-based heat-power converting system. The sunlight is condensed by the funnel-shaped converging type solar energy condenser, and entered into the energy accumulator through the transparent light transmitting window to realize high temperature storage therein, the high temperature heat-conducting oil heat supply circulating system transmits the high temperature in the energy accumulator to the superheated steam generator to heat working fluid to generate high pressure high temperature superheated steam therein, and converts heat energy to power through thermodynamic cycle. The invention is a device for supplying power or electric energy for user by condensing sunlight, storing heat using high temperature phase change energy storage material, and driving heat-power converting system using high temperature heat energy.

The solar heating, distilling, and pasteurizing system of this invention comprises an integrated distillation column-reflector-bracket assembly, a heat storage system of composite construction, and at least one evacuated glass solar collector having selective absorption. The distillation column subassembly is filled with the fluid medium to be boiled which flows into the solar vacuum tube collectors where an evaporation process takes place. A float valve mechanism mounted to the frame automatically maintains the correct liquid level inside the distillation column. The height of float valve mechanism is adjustable by means of an adjustable float bracket. The distillation column subassembly collects and concentrates the steam or vapor generated inside the attached evacuated glass solar collector tubes. The column also separates the vapor from the boiling liquid medium and conducts the vapor into a heat and distilled fluid storage system. The reflector-bracket subassembly has a reflecting panel made from at least one sheet of reflective material typically flat or formed into a plurality of substantially parallel linear troughs shaped to concentrate solar radiation ideally. This reflector also acts as a means of further stress and strain distribution and dissipation into the structural elements of the bracket subassembly.

The invention provides a solid heat storage device which is formed by combining at least one heat storage unit in series and / or parallel. The heat storage unit comprises a casing, a solid heat storage medium arranged in the casing and a heat insulation layer arranged outside the casing. The outer surface of the solid heat storage medium is a heat exchange interface. Heat insulation layers are regularly arranged in the heat storage unit, an inclined temperature layer is arranged in the axial direction, and a layering control system is arranged in the heat storage unit to ensure high grade storage and output of heat. The heat storage unit of an array can be vertically arranged and can also be horizontally arranged with a certain inclined angle. The solid heat storage medium utilizes solid sensible heat to store heat, and is safe in running, simple to process and low in cost. The surface of the solid heat storage medium has good heat exchange efficiency and good heat storage performance and can be widely applied to various heat storage applications, especially a solar photo-thermal utilization system.

Solar water heating systems that are formed as all-in-one kits that include all the components necessary for assembling the solar water heating systems at a chosen site is disclosed. Depending on the desired system, the kit may for example include a solar collector, one or more supplemental storage tanks, pumps, heat exchangers, valves, fittings, piping, timers, insulation, flashings, hose bibs, supports, brackets, fasteners, sealants and / or the like. In fact, the kit may further include all or some of the necessary tools required to assemble the solar water heating system.

The invention relates to a solar collector. The collector has a heat regulating medium which defines a cavity therein. An aperture communicates with the cavity so as to allow solar energy incident on the aperture to enter the cavity. An energy collection device is disposed in the cavity and in thermal contact with the heat regulating medium to collect solar energy entering the cavity.

Systems, methods, and apparatus relating to the use of phase change material to store, transfer and convert heat, such as from solar radiation, to mechanical work or electricity. Apparatus, systems, components, and methods relating to thermal energy transfer and energy conversion are described herein. In one aspect, the invention relates to a containment vessel having a heat receiving region and a heat transfer region such that a plurality of phase change materials are disposed therein and a sequence of solid, liquid and vapor phases are used to transfer heat from a source to a heat receiver of a power conversion unit.

The invention discloses a high-efficiency solar phase-change heat-accumulation heat-collection wall system, which belongs to the technical field of a heat-accumulation heat-collection building utilizing solar energy. A phase-change material plate is attached to the surface of the wall body of a building in a passage of the solar heat-collection heat-accumulation wall, various vortex generators are arranged at the surface of the phase-change material plate at a certain attack angle of incident flow by an array mode, and vortex is induced to thin and destroy a boundary layer clinging to the wall surface or increase the turbulence intensity so as to reinforce the heat exchange of air at the surface and the phase-change material plate and enhance the heat-accumulation / heat-release rate of the phase-change material, thereby enhancing the efficacy of the solar phase-change heat-accumulation heat-collection wall system. Openings at the top end and the bottom of the passage are respectively communicated with a room of the building and an outdoor space, different operation strategies are respectively adopted in winter and summer, and heat is supplied to an indoor space in winter; and hot air in the passage is exhausted in summer, and the comfort level of the indoor space is enhanced. The solar heat-collection heat-accumulation wall has the characteristics of simple manufacture and convenient installation and has extensive application prospect and popularization value in a solar building.

A method and apparatus for storing, transporting, and releasing high grade, thermodynamically useful energy for a wide variety of uses. Solar energy is collected and reflected onto a heat storage container using a three-mirror reflecting system. This invention involves a method of heating the heat storage container using a primary, secondary, and tertiary system, which has a core that is partially comprised of an aluminum alloy and a metallic shell with a higher melting point than the aluminum alloy contained within. Once heated, the storage containers can then be transported to different storage areas in order to heat secondary storage containers or can be used in processes such as cooking, powering heat engines, water heating, absorption refrigeration, or drying garbage, waste, or biomass.

The heat absorber / heat storage includes cavity, heat exchanger, heat absorbent surface, and cycle working-medium inside the heat exchanger. Characters are that the heat absorber / accumulator also includes heat storage working medium. Filled between the heat exchanger and case, heat storage working-medium and the heat exchanger are in same case. Obtaining quantity of heat from heat absorbent surface, the heat storage working-medium stores energy and passes part of quantity of heat to cycle working-medium. The heat exchanger is metal coil pipe in single helix or dual helixes, or heat exchanger of ribbing heat pipe etc. Heat storage working-medium is molten salt of phase change in high temperature. Air, gas or water is adopted as cycle working-medium. Heat absorber / heat storage is in shape of circular truncated cone or taper. Heat absorption coating in high temperature is coated on heat absorbent surface. Features are: low cost and high thermal efficiency.

The invention provides a large trailing-type Fresnel lens point-focusing solar power system, it comprises a box body, a point-focusing glass matrix Fresnel lens, a reflecting low-radiation glass, a photovoltaic component, a high-temperature heat accumulator and a tracker. The point-focusing glass Fresnel lens, the reflecting low-radiation glass and the photovoltaic component are arranged in proper sequence from up to down, and respectively arranged on the upper part, the middle part and the low part of the box body. The high-temperature heat accumulator is positioned on the point-focusing glass matrix Fresnel lens. The high-temperature heat accumulator is fixed and arranged on a transverse bracket connected with the box body. The box body is arranged on the tracker, and traces the sun by the drive of the tracker. The invention relates to a trailing and spotlighting technique and a sunlight selective transmission technique, it is a high-efficiency clean photoelectric and photothermic utilization method.

Embodiments of this invention relate generally to high temperature thermal energy storage, and more specifically, to the use of the latent heat of fusion of melting and solidifying metals to receive from and provide heat to a gaseous medium. Embodiments of this invention are also known as the Liquid Metal Thermal Storage system or LIMETS. Also described are methods of containing the storage material, heat transfer means, and choices of metals and alloys for thermal storage materials.

The invention relates to a solar energy heat storage device, in particular to a solar energy heat storage device using gas as heat transfer medium, comprising a housing of a heat storage chamber, thermal insulation material (2), a metal pipeline (4), a holding frame (5), an inlet pipe (6), an outlet pipe (7) and a door of the heat storage chamber (8). The solar energy heat storage device is characterized in that the housing of the heat storage chamber is composed of an outer wall of the heat storage chamber (1) and an inner wall of the heat storage chamber (3); the door (8) and the inner wall (3) of the heat storage chamber form a sealed heat storage space; the inlet pipeline (6) and the outlet pipeline (7), communicated with the heat storage space respectively, are positioned asymmetrically on the housing of the heat storage chamber; at least one layer of the holding frame (5) is positioned in the heat storage space; the holding frame (5) is fixedly connected with the inner wall of the heat storage chamber (3); the metal pipeline (4) is positioned on the holding frame (5); the heat storage material is encapsulated in the metal pipeline (5); the heat transfer medium in the heat storage space is gas. The olar energy heat storage device has the advantages of simple structure, and high efficiency, suitability for using gas as the transfer medium.