A vertical regenerator based on phase change energy storage

Abstract

The application discloses a vertical cold storage tank based on phase change energy storage, which comprises a tank body and multiple groups of cold storage components arranged in the tank body. Multiple baffle plates are arranged in the tank body along the height direction of the tank body, the baffle plates are provided with liquid passing holes between the baffle plates and the inner wall of the tank body, the liquid passing holes of two adjacent baffle plates are staggered, and multiple baffle flow channels are formed in the tank body from bottom to top. Multiple cold storage plates are horizontally stacked on each baffle plate, and gaps for the flow of the cold carrier are arranged between the adjacent cold storage plates. The thickness of the cold storage plates and the plate spacing are uniquely designed, the thickness of the cold storage plates gradually thins along the flow direction of the cold carrier, and meanwhile, the flow rate of the cold carrier is consistent or higher in the rear, so that the completion time of the cold charging can be guaranteed to be consistent, and the completion time of the cold charging of the entire heat exchanger is longer, which is caused by the phase change of the front cold storage plates and the non-phase change of the rear cold storage plates.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of cold storage equipment, in particular to a vertical cold storage tank based on phase change energy storage. BACKGROUND

[0002] In order to make full use of electric power resources, cold storage air conditioners are favored by people. At present, water storage equipment and ice storage equipment have been developed on the market. Both of the above use the difference between peak and valley electricity prices to store cold / heat during the low valley electricity price period and use the stored cold / heat to provide air conditioning cold / heat during the daytime peak electricity consumption period. When the air conditioning use time is synchronized with the non-air conditioning use time and the power grid peak and valley, the air conditioning electricity consumption during the power grid peak time can be transferred to the power grid low valley time.

[0003] Reference 1: Chinese patent document with publication number CN 117029545 A

[0004] Reference 1 describes a cold storage tank, a cold storage system and a control method thereof, which can be used in the financial field or other fields. The cold storage tank is internally provided with multiple partitions for separating the cold storage tank into multiple cold storage spaces, wherein each cold storage space is placed with a hollow energy storage small ball filled with phase change cold storage material inside; the upper part of the cold storage tank is provided with a water inlet pipeline for flowing in high temperature water; the lower part of the cold storage tank is provided with a water outlet pipeline for flowing out low temperature water.

[0005] Reference 2: Chinese patent document with publication number CN 118757966 A

[0006] Reference 2 describes a water storage and phase change storage combined type cold storage device and a cold storage release control method thereof. The device includes a cold storage tank, an isolation support net is arranged near the bottom of the cold storage tank, a phase change material distribution rack is supported in the cold storage tank and located on the isolation support net, the phase change material distribution rack is distributed with phase change material cold storage units, the phase change material distribution rack makes the phase change material cold storage units dispersed in the water in the cold storage tank, and the water is used for cold storage and heat conduction. The cold storage device uses 5℃ phase change material cold storage units and uses water as the medium for cold storage and heat conduction, solving the problem of low heat conduction efficiency in the cold storage release process; in particular, the phase change material cold storage module is separated into multiple small phase change material cold storage units dispersed in the water medium, thereby greatly improving the working efficiency of cold storage release. The cold storage control method adopts a segmented step-by-step cold storage mode, further improving the working efficiency of cold storage.

[0007] However, the existing phase change cold storage equipment still has the following problems:

[0008] The charging and discharging of the cold storage plates at different positions in the cold storage device are not balanced. The cold storage plates close to the inlet of the cold carrier are fully charged in a short time, while the cold storage boxes far from the inlet of the cold carrier need a longer time to be fully charged, and finally the charging time of the whole cold storage device is prolonged. SUMMARY

[0009] The technical problem of the uneven charging and discharging of the cold storage plates at different positions in the phase change cold storage device in the prior art is solved, and a vertical cold storage tank based on phase change energy storage is provided.

[0010] In order to solve the above technical problems, the technical scheme adopted by the present application is as follows: a vertical cold storage tank based on phase change energy storage, comprising a tank body composed of an intermediate cylinder and upper and lower heads;

[0011] A plurality of baffle plates are arranged in the intermediate cylinder of the tank body along the height direction thereof, the baffle plates above the lowermost baffle plate have liquid passing holes between the baffle plates and the inner wall of the tank body, the liquid passing holes of adjacent two baffle plates are arranged alternately, and a plurality of flow channels are formed in the tank body from bottom to top.

[0012] A limiting net and a water distribution plate are further arranged between adjacent baffle plates, and the water distribution plate and the limiting net are respectively located at the inlet end and the outlet end of the flow channel.

[0013] A plurality of cold storage plates are horizontally stacked on each baffle plate, the cold storage plates are located in the space surrounded by the limiting net and the water distribution plate, and a gap for the flow of the cold carrier is formed between adjacent cold storage plates.

[0014] The thickness of the cold storage plates on the same baffle plate and the gap between adjacent cold storage plates are the same, and the thickness of the cold storage plates on different baffle plates and the gap between adjacent cold storage plates have the following rules: from bottom to top, the thickness of the cold storage plates gradually decreases, and the flow rate of the cold carrier through the cold storage assembly remains unchanged or gradually increases.

[0015] As a further optimization of the vertical cold storage tank based on phase change energy storage, the ratio of the thickness of the cold storage plates on the same baffle plate to the distance between adjacent cold storage plates is k, 1≤k≤7, the value of k is different on different baffle plates, and the value of k changes as follows: from bottom to top, k gradually increases.

[0016] As a further optimization of the vertical cold storage tank based on phase change energy storage, the phase change materials of the cold storage plates on the same baffle plate are the same, the phase change materials filled in the cold storage plates on different baffle plates are different, and the phase change materials change as follows: from bottom to top, the thermal conductivity of the phase change materials gradually increases.

[0017] As a further optimization of the vertical cold storage tank based on phase change energy storage, the phase change material in the cold storage plate is a hydrated salt phase change material.

[0018] As a further optimization of the vertical phase change energy storage tank of the present application: the cold carrier is water.

[0019] As a further optimization of the vertical phase change energy storage tank of the present application: the peripheral cold storage plates are limited by positioning angle steels.

[0020] As a further optimization of the vertical phase change energy storage tank of the present application: a distributor is arranged at the cold carrier inlet in the tank body.

[0021] As a further optimization of the vertical phase change energy storage tank of the present application: the cold storage plate comprises a cold storage plate body having a phase change cold storage material storage cavity, one end of the cold storage plate body is provided with a loading port, and the upper and lower surfaces of the cold storage plate body are each provided with a plurality of mutually parallel flow guide grooves, and a plurality of V-shaped protrusions or arc-shaped protrusions are distributed along the length direction between adjacent two flow guide grooves and between the outermost flow guide groove and the body side edge on the surface of the cold storage plate body.

[0022] As a further optimization of the vertical phase change energy storage tank of the present application: the top of the upper head is provided with an exhaust valve and a safety valve.

[0023] As a further optimization of the vertical phase change energy storage tank of the present application: the lowermost baffle plate is a grid plate, and the bottom of the lower head is provided with a drain valve.

[0024] The present application has the following beneficial effects: the thickness of the cold storage plate and the plate spacing are uniquely designed, along the flow direction of the cold carrier, the thickness of the cold storage plate gradually thins, and the product of the number of cold storage plates and the spacing between adjacent cold storage plates remains unchanged or gradually decreases, so that the flow rates before and after the cold carrier flow direction are consistent or the flow rate after is higher, so that the completion time of the charging and cooling can be guaranteed to be consistent, avoiding the completion of phase change of the front cold storage box and the lack of phase change of the rear cold storage box, resulting in longer charging and cooling time of the entire heat exchanger. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0025] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the vertical phase change energy storage tank;

[0026] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the layout of the cold storage plate on the baffle plate;

[0027] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the setting position of the liquid passing hole between two adjacent baffle plates;

[0028] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the cold storage plate (form one);

[0029] Figure 5Assembled state schematic diagram of the cold storage plate (Form One);

[0030] Figure 6 Overall structure schematic diagram of the cold storage plate (Form Two);

[0031] Figure 7 Structure schematic diagram of the V-shaped protrusion and V-shaped groove of the cold storage plate (Form Two);

[0032] Figure 8 Assembled state schematic diagram of the cold storage plate (Form Two);

[0033] Figure 9 Overall structure schematic diagram of the cold storage plate (Form Three);

[0034] Figure 10 Structure schematic diagram of the first protrusion and the second protrusion of the cold storage plate (Form Three);

[0035] Figure 11 Assembled state schematic diagram of the cold storage plate (Form Three);

[0036] Figure 12 Overall structure schematic diagram of the cold storage plate (with avoidance groove);

[0037] Markings in the figure:

[0038] 1. Cold storage plate;

[0039] 2. Flow guide groove;

[0040] 3. V-shaped protrusion;

[0041] 4. V-shaped groove;

[0042] 5. First protrusion;

[0043] 6. Second protrusion;

[0044] 7. Avoidance groove;

[0045] 8. Tank body;

[0046] 9. Baffle plate;

[0047] 10. Limiting net;

[0048] 11. Positioning angle steel;

[0049] 12. Liquid passing hole;

[0050] 13. Water distribution plate. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0051] In order to better understand the present application, the content of the present application is further illustrated below in combination with examples, but the content of the present application is not limited to the following examples.

[0052] As shown in Figures 1-3 : a vertical regenerative tank based on phase change energy storage, comprising a tank body 8, which is composed of a middle cylinder and upper and lower heads.

[0053] A plurality of baffle plates 9 are arranged in the middle cylinder of the tank body 8 along the height direction thereof, the baffle plate 9 above the lowermost baffle plate 9 has a liquid passage 12 between the baffle plate 9 and the inner wall of the tank body 8, the liquid passages 12 of adjacent two baffle plates 9 are staggered, and the inside of the tank body 8 forms a plurality of baffle flow channels from bottom to top.

[0054] The lowermost baffle plate 9 is a grid plate, and the bottom of the lower head is provided with a drain valve. The top of the upper head is provided with an exhaust valve and a safety valve.

[0055] A limiting net 10 and a water distribution plate 13 are further arranged between adjacent baffle plates 9, and the water distribution plate 13 and the limiting net 10 are respectively located at the inlet end and the outlet end of the flow channel.

[0056] A plurality of regenerative plates 1 are horizontally stacked on each baffle plate 9, the regenerative plates 1 are located in the space surrounded by the limiting net 10 and the water distribution plate 13, and the adjacent regenerative plates 1 have a gap for the flow of the cold carrier. Of course, the displacement of the regenerative plate 1 can also be prevented by arranging a positioning angle steel 11 around the regenerative plate 1.

[0057] The water distribution plate 13 can make the distribution and flow of the cold carrier more uniform. The water distribution plate 13 makes the fluid uniformly distributed on the cold exchange surface, increases the contact area of the fluid and the cold exchange surface, makes the energy transfer more sufficient, reduces the local dead zone, improves the overall cold transfer coefficient, and thus improves the cold transfer efficiency.

[0058] The thickness of the regenerative plates 1 on the same baffle plate 9 and the gap between adjacent regenerative plates 1 are the same, and the thickness of the regenerative plates 1 on different baffle plates 9 and the gap between adjacent regenerative plates 1 have the following rules: from bottom to top, the thickness of the regenerative plates 1 gradually decreases, and the product of the number of regenerative plates 1 and the gap between adjacent regenerative plates 1 remains unchanged or gradually decreases.

[0059] The specifications of the regenerative plates 1 on the same baffle plate 9 are the same, and the phase change materials filled in the regenerative plates 1 are also the same. It can be foreseen that, since the thickness of the regenerative plates 1 gradually decreases along the flow direction of the cold carrier, the number of regenerative plates 1 on the baffle plate 9 also has a trend of increasing along the flow direction of the cold carrier.

[0060] The ratio of the thickness of the regenerative plates 1 on the same baffle plate 9 to the gap between adjacent regenerative plates 1 is k, and 1≤k≤7. The k values of different regenerative assemblies are different, and the k values change as follows: along the flow direction of the cold carrier, k gradually increases.

[0061] The phase change material filled in the cold storage plates 1 on the same baffle 9 is the same, the phase change material filled in the cold storage plates 11 of different groups of cold storage assemblies is different, and the phase change material changes in the following rules: along the flow direction of the cold carrier, the thermal conductivity of the phase change material gradually increases.

[0062] Along the flow direction of the cold carrier, the thickness of the plate body of the cold storage plate 1 gradually thins, and the product of the number of cold storage plates 1 and the distance between adjacent cold storage plates 1 remains unchanged or gradually decreases, so that the flow rates of the cold carrier in front and behind are consistent or the flow rate behind is higher, so that the time for completing the charging and cooling can be guaranteed to be consistent, and the completion of the phase change of the front cold storage box and the non-phase change of the rear cold storage box are avoided, so that the charging and cooling time of the entire heat exchanger is longer.

[0063] Water can be used as the cold carrier, water has a high specific heat capacity, can absorb or release a large amount of heat while the temperature change is relatively small, which makes it can effectively store and transfer cold in the process of cold storage and cold release. Moreover, the chemical properties of water are stable, and it will not react under normal cold storage and cold release conditions, and will not cause corrosion and other adverse effects on the cold storage equipment and the cooled object.

[0064] The cold storage plate 1 comprises a cold storage plate body, the cold storage plate body has a phase change cold storage material storage cavity, one end of the cold storage plate body is provided with a loading port, and the upper and lower surfaces of the cold storage plate body are provided with a plurality of parallel flow guide grooves 2. A plurality of V-shaped protrusions 3 or arc-shaped protrusions are arranged on the surface of the cold storage plate body between adjacent two flow guide grooves 2 and between the outermost flow guide groove 2 and the side edge of the body along the length direction.

[0065] The phase change material filled in the cold storage plate can be a hydrated salt phase change material, which mainly realizes cold storage through solid-liquid phase change at a specific temperature. In the cold storage process, when the ambient temperature is lower than the phase change temperature of the hydrated salt, the hydrated salt changes from liquid to solid and releases latent heat of phase change, thereby realizing cold storage. In the cold release process, when the ambient temperature is higher than the phase change temperature of the hydrated salt, the hydrated salt changes from solid to liquid and absorbs heat around, thereby realizing cold release.

[0066] The loading port of the cold storage plate body is provided with a loading nozzle and a cap, which is mainly convenient for filling the phase change material into the cold storage plate 1. There are at least two setting modes of the loading nozzle:

[0067] The loading port of the cold storage plate body is located in the notch, and the loading nozzle is just hidden in the notch. The shape of the entire cold storage plate body is relatively regular, but the loading nozzle of this form cannot completely fill the inside of the cold storage plate body. Some organic phase change materials are liquid at room temperature, and they will solidify into solid state when the temperature drops below the melting point. The volume of the organic phase change material will shrink during the solidification process, because the molecules are relatively loose in liquid state, and the arrangement is more compact in solid state. Even if the material is filled, it will not cause the cold storage plate 1 to deform during the phase change process.

[0068] Another form is that the loading port of the cold storage plate body is provided with a threaded loading nozzle, a cap is screwed on the loading nozzle, and the end of the cold storage plate body opposite to the loading nozzle is provided with a suitable avoiding slot 7. The avoiding slot 7 is used when multiple cold storage plates 1 are connected. The loading nozzles of adjacent cold storage plates 1 can be placed in the avoiding slot 7 (see Figure 12 ).

[0069] The specific form of the cold storage plate body has the following three forms:

[0070] Form one: as shown in Figures 4-5 , the material of the cold storage plate body can usually be selected from plastic materials such as HDPE and PE. Plastic materials are widely used in the manufacture of cold storage plates 1 due to their good plasticity, durability and cost-effectiveness. HDPE high-density polyethylene and PE polyethylene plastic materials are not only safe and non-toxic, but also have good cold preservation performance and repeated use.

[0071] The upper and lower surfaces of the cold storage plate body are provided with a plurality of parallel flow guide grooves 2, and the cross section of the flow guide groove 2 is inverted trapezoidal. The surface of the cold storage plate body between the adjacent two flow guide grooves 2 and between the outermost flow guide groove 2 and the side of the body is uniformly distributed with a plurality of V-shaped protrusions along the length direction.

[0072] The protrusion openings on the upper and lower surfaces of the cold storage plate body face opposite directions. The upper and lower surfaces of the cold storage plate body are also provided with end grooves, and the cross section of the end groove is V-shaped. One end of the end groove is communicated to the end face of the cold storage plate body, and the other end extends into the interval between the flow guide grooves 2.

[0073] Through the unique surface structure design, the degree of turbulence of the heat transfer medium on the surface of the cold storage plate body can be improved, and the heat transfer efficiency is improved. The cold storage plate 1 has strong external pressure capacity and the sealing port does not leak.

[0074] Form two: as shown in Figures 6-8 , the overall structure of this form is the same as that of <form one>, and the difference is that a V-shaped groove 4 is arranged between two adjacent protrusions in the same column, and the direction of the V-shaped groove 4 or the arc-shaped groove is consistent with that of the V-shaped protrusion 3.

[0075] Form three: as shown in Figures 9-11As shown, this form has the same overall structure as <Form 1>, the difference being that the heights of the protrusions in the same column are inconsistent.

[0076] The protrusions in the same column include a first protrusion 5 with a height of h1 and a second protrusion 6 with a height of h2, where h1 > h2. The multiple protrusions in the same column are arranged in a pattern of "first protrusion, second protrusion, second protrusion, first protrusion, second protrusion, second protrusion, first protrusion..."

[0077] Cold storage plates utilize their unique design and internal phase change materials to effectively capture the cooling energy carried by the cooling water generated by chillers. These phase change materials possess specific thermodynamic properties and can undergo phase changes at low temperatures, such as changing from a liquid to a solid state or from one crystalline state to another. In this process, they absorb a large amount of latent heat, thereby achieving the storage of cold energy.

[0078] When daytime arrives and peak electricity consumption occurs, the numerous heat-generating electronic components in the data center, such as servers and storage devices, require a stable low-temperature environment to ensure their normal operation. At this time, the phase change cold storage tank begins to release cooling energy. Through a rationally arranged heat exchange system, a reverse phase change process occurs within the cold storage tank, transferring the stored cooling energy to the refrigerant. The refrigerant then distributes the cooling energy evenly to various areas of the data center through a precisely designed piping network, thereby effectively reducing the temperature of the data center and meeting its cooling needs.

[0079] This operating mode effectively achieves peak shaving and valley filling of electricity demand. During peak electricity consumption periods, by utilizing phase change cold storage tanks to release cold for data center cooling, the amount of electricity the data center draws from the grid for cooling is significantly reduced, alleviating the power supply pressure on the grid during peak periods. Simultaneously, during off-peak hours at night, the process of chillers storing cold in the cold storage tanks increases the off-peak electricity load, improving the power system's utilization rate during off-peak hours. This allows for a more rational allocation and utilization of power resources over time, which is of great significance for optimizing the operating efficiency and economy of the power system.

[0080] This invention features a unique design for the thickness and spacing of the cold storage plates. Along the flow direction of the refrigerant, the thickness of the cold storage plates gradually decreases, while the product of the number of cold storage plates and the spacing between adjacent cold storage plates remains constant or gradually decreases. This ensures that the flow velocity of the refrigerant is consistent at the front and rear, or even higher at the rear. This guarantees that the charging time is consistent from front to back, preventing the front cold storage box from completing phase change while the rear cold storage box does not, which would result in a longer charging time for the entire heat exchanger.

[0081] The specific embodiments of the present application are described above. It needs to be understood that the present application is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and various modifications or changes can be made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the claims, which do not affect the essence of the present application.

Claims

1. A vertical cold storage tank based on phase change energy storage, comprising a tank body (8), the tank body (8) being composed of an intermediate cylinder and upper and lower end caps, characterized in that: Multiple baffles (9) are arranged along the height direction in the middle cylinder of the tank (8). The baffle (9) located above the lowest baffle (9) has a liquid passage hole (12) between it and the inner wall of the tank (8). The liquid passage holes (12) of two adjacent baffles (9) are staggered, and multiple baffle channels are formed inside the tank (8) from bottom to top. A limiting mesh (10) and a water distribution plate (13) are also provided between adjacent baffles (9). The water distribution plate (13) and the limiting mesh (10) are located at the inlet end and outlet end of the flow channel, respectively. Multiple cold storage plates (1) are horizontally stacked on each baffle (9). The cold storage plates (1) are all located in the space enclosed by the limiting net (10) and the water distribution plate (13). There is a gap between adjacent cold storage plates (1) for the flow of refrigerant. The thickness of the cold storage plate (1) on the same baffle (9) and the gap between adjacent cold storage plates (1) are the same. The thickness of the cold storage plate (1) on different baffles (9) and the gap between adjacent cold storage plates (1) have the following pattern: from bottom to top, the thickness of the cold storage plate (1) gradually decreases, while the flow rate of the refrigerant through the cold storage component remains unchanged or gradually increases.

2. The vertical cold storage tank based on phase change energy storage as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The ratio of the thickness of the cold storage plate (1) on the same baffle (9) to the distance between adjacent cold storage plates (1) is k, 1≤k≤7. The value of k is different on different baffles (9), and the change of the value of k follows the following pattern: from bottom to top, k gradually increases.

3. A vertical cold storage tank based on phase change energy storage as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The phase change materials of the cold storage plates (1) located on the same baffle (9) are the same, while the phase change materials filled in the cold storage plates (1) on different baffles (9) are different. The change of the phase change materials follows the following pattern: from bottom to top, the thermal conductivity of the phase change materials gradually increases.

4. A vertical cold storage tank based on phase change energy storage as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The phase change material in the cold storage plate (1) is a hydrated salt phase change material.

5. A vertical cold storage tank based on phase change energy storage as described in claim 1 or 4, characterized in that: The refrigerant is water.

6. A vertical cold storage tank based on phase change energy storage as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The cold storage plate (1) located on the periphery is limited by positioning angle steel (11).

7. A vertical cold storage tank based on phase change energy storage as described in claim 1, characterized in that: A distributor is installed inside the tank (8) at the inlet of the refrigerant.

8. A vertical cold storage tank based on phase change energy storage as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The cold storage plate (1) includes a cold storage plate body, which has a phase change cold storage material storage cavity. One end of the cold storage plate body is provided with a loading port. The upper and lower surfaces of the cold storage plate body are provided with multiple parallel guide grooves (2). The surface of the cold storage plate body is provided with multiple V-shaped protrusions (3) or arc-shaped protrusions along its length direction between two adjacent guide grooves (2) and between the outermost guide groove (2) and the side of the body.

9. A vertical cold storage tank based on phase change energy storage as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The top of the upper end cap is equipped with an exhaust valve and a safety valve.

10. A vertical cold storage tank based on phase change energy storage as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The lowest baffle plate (9) is a grid plate, and a drain valve is provided at the bottom of the lower end cap.

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