A composite heat storage system based on dynamic thermal management
By introducing physically isolated but thermally coupled molten salt and liquid metal zones into the thermal storage system, and combining them with thermally conductive structures and flow channel designs, dynamic flow of molten salt and efficient heat transfer of liquid metal are achieved. This solves the problems of low heat transfer rate and safety in traditional thermal storage systems, and achieves a balance between high energy storage density, high power density, and high economy.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- XIAN THERMAL POWER RES INST CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2026-03-18
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-10
AI Technical Summary
In existing thermal storage systems, the low thermal conductivity of molten salt leads to slow heat transfer rates and makes it easy to form temperature stratification. The high cost and safety requirements of liquid metal complicate matters. Existing technologies have failed to effectively integrate the advantages of both, resulting in limited overall performance of thermal storage systems.
The system employs a physically isolated but thermally coupled molten salt zone and liquid metal zone. Dynamic flow of molten salt is achieved through thermally conductive structures and flow channel design. The high thermal conductivity of liquid metal is used for rapid heat transfer and uniform diffusion. Dynamic thermal management is achieved through detection components and electric heating components.
It achieves a balance between high energy storage density, high power density, and high operational reliability, overcoming the low heat transfer rate of traditional molten salt thermal storage and the safety and cost issues of liquid metal, and improving the system's heat transfer rate and temperature uniformity.
Smart Images
Figure CN122360199A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application relates to the field of energy storage technology, and more specifically, to a composite thermal storage system based on dynamic thermal management. Background Technology
[0002] As the global energy structure shifts towards renewable energy, large-scale, efficient, and safe thermal energy storage technology has become crucial for improving grid flexibility and energy utilization efficiency. In the field of high-temperature sensible heat storage, existing technologies mainly rely on a single storage medium, whose inherent limitations restrict the overall performance of the storage system.
[0003] Thermal storage technologies, represented by molten salt, have the advantages of relatively low cost and good thermal stability, but their application faces two major bottlenecks: First, molten salt has extremely low thermal conductivity (usually below 1 W / (m·K)), which leads to slow heat transfer rates during the charging and discharging process and makes it easy for severe temperature stratification to form inside, significantly reducing the effective utilization rate of thermal storage capacity and the instantaneous power density of the system; Second, molten salt has a high freezing point (commercial molten salt is about 220℃), which makes it very easy for local solidification to occur during startup, shutdown, or low-load operation, causing risks such as pipe blockage and thermal stress concentration, making cold start of the system difficult and posing safety hazards.
[0004] In contrast, liquid metals (such as sodium and sodium-potassium alloys) possess extremely high thermal conductivity (reaching tens of W / (m·K)) and a wide liquid phase temperature range, theoretically enabling rapid heat transfer and cryogenic operation. However, liquid metals (especially alkali metals) are chemically extremely reactive, placing stringent requirements on system sealing, inert gas protection, and leak monitoring, resulting in extremely high engineering complexity and safety costs. Furthermore, their high raw material costs make it difficult to guarantee the economic viability of large-scale energy storage projects.
[0005] While existing technologies have explored combining different media, none have fundamentally solved the problem of efficient, safe, and controllable coupling of molten salt and liquid metal. In particular, they have failed to fully utilize the fluidity of molten salt to design a dynamic thermal management mechanism that synergistically leverages the high thermal density of molten salt and the high thermal conductivity of liquid metal. Therefore, an innovative composite thermal storage solution is urgently needed to integrate the strengths of both media within a single system while overcoming their respective weaknesses, thereby achieving a balance between high energy density, high power density, high operational reliability, and high economic efficiency. Summary of the Invention
[0006] This application provides at least one composite thermal storage system based on dynamic thermal management, which integrates both molten salt and liquid metal media, achieving a balance of high energy storage density, high power density, high operational reliability, and high economy within a single system.
[0007] This application provides a composite thermal storage system based on dynamic thermal management, including: a physically isolated but thermally coupled molten salt zone and a liquid metal zone, and a device for driving the molten salt to flow controllably within the system channel; wherein the flow of the molten salt is used for heat exchange between the molten salt zone and the liquid metal zone, and as a heat transfer carrier in the heat storage or heat release process, for heat exchange with an external system.
[0008] In one optional embodiment, the system includes a tank with a heat-conducting structure disposed therein, the heat-conducting structure being configured to divide the inner cavity of the tank into a molten salt zone and a liquid metal zone.
[0009] In one optional embodiment, the heat-conducting structure is a porous heat-conducting plate, or the surface of the heat-conducting structure is provided with a fin array or an embedded heat pipe bundle.
[0010] In one optional embodiment, the heat-conducting structure is configured to divide the inner cavity of the tank into a first cavity and a second cavity that are concentrically distributed or parallel and alternately distributed, wherein the first cavity is the liquid metal region and the second cavity is the molten salt region.
[0011] In one optional embodiment, the tank body is provided with a first flow collecting cavity and a second flow collecting cavity, the first flow collecting cavity and the second flow collecting cavity being respectively connected to both ends of the second cavity body.
[0012] In one optional embodiment, the device includes a first flow channel and a second flow channel, the first flow channel being configured to drive the molten salt flow to achieve heat exchange between the molten salt region and the liquid metal region, and the second flow channel being configured to drive the molten salt flow to achieve heat exchange with an external system.
[0013] In one optional embodiment, the first flow channel includes a first connecting pipe, a first valve, and a first circulating pump. The two ends of the first connecting pipe are respectively connected to the two ends of the molten salt zone, and the first valve and the first circulating pump are connected in series in the first connecting pipe. The second flow channel includes a second connecting pipe, a second valve, a second circulating pump, and a heat exchanger. The two ends of the second connecting pipe are respectively connected to the two ends of the molten salt zone. The second valve, the second circulating pump, and the heat exchanger are connected in series in the second connecting pipe.
[0014] In one optional embodiment, the first flow channel includes a first connecting pipe, a first valve, and a first circulating pump. The two ends of the first connecting pipe are respectively connected to the two ends of the molten salt zone, and the first valve and the first circulating pump are connected in series in the first connecting pipe. The second flow channel includes a heat exchange tube, a second connecting pipe, a second valve, a second circulating pump, and a heat exchanger. The heat exchange tube is disposed in the liquid metal zone. The two ends of the second connecting pipe are respectively connected to the two ends of the heat exchange tube. The second valve, the second circulating pump, and the heat exchanger are connected in series in the second connecting pipe.
[0015] In one optional embodiment, the system further includes an electric heating assembly comprising an electric heater and a power source. The electric heater is disposed in the liquid metal region, and the power source is connected to the electric heater for applying voltage to heat the liquid metal region.
[0016] In one optional embodiment, the system further includes a detection component comprising a plurality of temperature sensors for detecting the temperature at different locations in the molten salt zone and transmitting the data to a controller, so that the controller determines the temperature difference at each location based on the signals from the temperature sensors, and controls the device to drive the molten salt flow when the temperature difference exceeds a threshold.
[0017] The above-mentioned technical solution of this application has the following beneficial technical effects: The composite thermal storage system based on dynamic thermal management in this application significantly improves the heat transfer rate and temperature uniformity through the synergy of dynamic flow of molten salt and the high thermal conductivity of liquid metal. This overcomes the shortcomings of traditional molten salt thermal storage, such as low thermal conductivity and easy stratification and solidification, while avoiding the safety and cost issues associated with directly using liquid metal for thermal storage. In this system, molten salt serves as the primary thermal storage and heat transfer medium, ensuring high energy density and economy. Liquid metal, as an auxiliary heat transfer medium, significantly enhances instantaneous power density and system response speed, and reduces the risks of cold start and low-load operation. Thus, a unified system of high energy density, high power density, high operational reliability, and high economy is achieved within a single system.
[0018] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, preferred embodiments are described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description
[0019] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly described below. These drawings are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. They illustrate embodiments conforming to this application and, together with the specification, serve to explain the technical solutions of this application. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of this application and should not be considered as limiting the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.
[0020] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a composite thermal storage system based on dynamic thermal management provided in an embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 2 A schematic diagram of another composite thermal storage system based on dynamic thermal management provided in an embodiment of this application is shown; In the diagram: 1. Tank; 2. Molten salt zone; 3. Liquid metal zone; 4. Fin array; 5. First connecting pipe; 6. First valve; 7. First circulating pump; 8. Second connecting pipe; 9. Second valve; 10. Second circulating pump; 11. Heat exchanger; 12. Temperature sensor; 13. Electric heater; 14. Power supply; 15. First manifold; 16. Second manifold; 17. Heat exchange tube; 18. First manifold; 19. Second manifold. Detailed Implementation
[0021] Various exemplary embodiments of the present application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement, numerical expressions, and values of the components and steps set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the present application.
[0022] The embodiments of this application will now be described in detail. Examples of these embodiments are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain this application, and should not be construed as limiting this application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this application.
[0023] The terms "first" and "second" in the specification and claims of this application may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "multiple" means two or more. Furthermore, "and / or" in the specification and claims indicates at least one of the connected objects, and the character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following objects are in an "or" relationship.
[0024] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application.
[0025] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.
[0026] This application provides a composite thermal storage system based on dynamic thermal management, including: a physically isolated but thermally coupled molten salt zone (filled with molten salt) and a liquid metal zone (filled with liquid metal), and a device for driving the molten salt to flow controllably within the system channel; wherein, the flow of molten salt is used for heat exchange between the molten salt zone and the liquid metal zone, and as a heat transfer carrier for heat storage or heat release processes, to exchange heat with an external system.
[0027] In the composite thermal storage system provided in this application embodiment, since the molten salt zone and the liquid metal zone are physically isolated but maintain close thermal coupling, during the energy storage stage, the heat from the external heat source (such as concentrated solar energy or waste heat) is transferred to the system through the flow of molten salt, and is rapidly and uniformly diffused to the entire thermal storage unit by means of the high thermal conductivity of the liquid metal zone, avoiding local overheating or temperature stratification; during the energy release stage, the controlled flow of molten salt efficiently transports the stored heat to the external heat exchanger (such as a steam generator), while the liquid metal, as a fast heat transfer medium, continuously replenishes the heat of the molten salt, maintaining a stable output temperature.
[0028] In some embodiments, the system includes a tank with a heat-conducting structure disposed within it. The heat-conducting structure is configured to divide the inner cavity of the tank into a molten salt zone and a liquid metal zone. For example, the heat-conducting structure can be a plate-like structure or an inner liner. By physically dividing the inner cavity of the heat storage tank into a molten salt zone and a liquid metal zone through the heat-conducting structure, when the molten salt experiences temperature changes due to the charging and releasing process or internal circulation, heat can be rapidly conducted to the liquid metal zone through the heat-conducting structure. The highly thermally conductive liquid metal then quickly diffuses the heat to the entire corresponding area, thereby achieving efficient thermal coupling between the two zones.
[0029] In some embodiments, the heat-conducting structure is a porous heat-conducting plate, or the surface of the heat-conducting structure is provided with a fin array or embedded heat pipe bundle. The porous heat-conducting plate, fin array, or embedded heat pipe bundle can form a highly efficient heat transfer interface between the molten salt region and the liquid metal region, significantly increasing the effective heat transfer area and efficiency between the two regions. This overcomes the bottleneck of the low thermal conductivity of the molten salt itself, ensuring that heat can be exchanged rapidly and uniformly between the heat storage medium (molten salt) and the heat transfer enhancement medium (liquid metal). This not only significantly improves the system's charge / discharge power density and response speed but also helps eliminate the internal temperature gradient of the molten salt, improving the utilization rate of the heat storage capacity.
[0030] In some embodiments, the heat-conducting structure is configured to divide the inner cavity of the tank into a first cavity and a second cavity that are concentrically distributed or parallel and alternately distributed. The first cavity is a liquid metal region, and the second cavity is a molten salt region. For example, the tank contains an inner liner, the inner cavity of which is the first cavity, and the annular cavity between the inner liner and the tank is the second cavity, both forming a concentric circular structure. Another example is that the tank contains multiple baffles that divide the inner cavity of the tube into multiple parallel independent vertical cavities, some of which serve as the first cavity, and the remaining independent vertical cavities serve as the second cavity, with the two types alternately distributed.
[0031] In some embodiments, the tank body is provided with a first flow collector and a second flow collector, which are respectively connected to the two ends of the second cavity. By providing the first flow collector and the second flow collector, efficient and uniform fluid distribution and collection channels can be provided for multiple independent molten salt zones (second cavities), ensuring that the molten salt can flow synchronously and smoothly among multiple parallel cavities, achieving rapid temperature field equilibrium within the entire thermal storage unit, and effectively improving the overall thermal response speed and thermal management efficiency of the system.
[0032] In some embodiments, the device includes a first flow channel and a second flow channel. The first flow channel is configured to drive molten salt flow to achieve heat exchange between the molten salt region and the liquid metal region, and the second flow channel is configured to drive molten salt flow to achieve heat exchange with an external system. By configuring the first and second flow channels, the molten salt is driven to circulate internally and externally, respectively: the first flow channel is dedicated to promoting rapid heat exchange between the molten salt region and the liquid metal region to dynamically equalize the internal temperature of the system and prevent stratification and solidification; the second flow channel is responsible for driving the molten salt to flow through an external heat exchanger to achieve efficient heat storage and release with an external heat source or heat load.
[0033] In some embodiments, the first flow channel includes a first connecting pipe, a first valve, and a first circulating pump. The two ends of the connecting pipe are respectively connected to the two ends of the molten salt zone, and the valve and circulating pump are connected in series in the connecting pipe. The second flow channel includes a second connecting pipe, a second valve, a second circulating pump, and a heat exchanger. The two ends of the second connecting pipe are respectively connected to the two ends of the molten salt zone, and the second valve, second circulating pump, and heat exchanger are connected in series in the second connecting pipe. During operation, the first flow channel drives the molten salt in the molten salt zone to circulate in a closed loop within the thermal storage system, specifically for efficient heat exchange with the liquid metal zone to optimize the internal temperature field. The second flow channel drives the molten salt in the molten salt zone to flow through an external heat exchanger, specifically responsible for the system's heat storage or release processes with the external environment. This efficiently decouples internal dynamic thermal management from external energy exchange, improving the overall performance and operational reliability of the system.
[0034] In some embodiments, the first flow channel includes a first connecting pipe, a first valve, and a first circulating pump. The two ends of the connecting pipe are respectively connected to the two ends of the molten salt zone, and the valve and circulating pump are connected in series in the connecting pipe. The second flow channel includes a heat exchange tube, a second connecting pipe, a second valve, a second circulating pump, and a heat exchanger. The heat exchange tube is disposed in the liquid metal zone, and the two ends of the second connecting pipe are respectively connected to the two ends of the heat exchange tube. The second valve, the second circulating pump, and the heat exchanger are connected in series in the second connecting pipe. Unlike the previous embodiments, in this embodiment, the second flow channel is a closed flow channel flowing through the liquid metal zone. During use, when the medium (molten salt) in the closed flow channel flows inside the heat exchange tube, its heat is rapidly exchanged with the highly thermally conductive liquid metal through the tube wall. The liquid metal then efficiently transfers the heat to the molten salt heat storage medium through a thermally conductive structure. This achieves heat exchange between the system and the outside while fully utilizing the extremely high thermal conductivity of the liquid metal to improve the overall heat transfer rate and temperature uniformity.
[0035] In some embodiments, the system further includes an electric heating assembly comprising an electric heater and a power supply. The electric heater is disposed in the liquid metal zone, and the power supply is connected to the electric heater to apply voltage to heat the liquid metal zone. When needed (such as during cold starts or off-peak charging), the electric heating assembly can be used to directly and rapidly heat the highly thermally conductive liquid metal. The liquid metal then efficiently diffuses the heat to the entire thermal storage unit through the thermally conductive structure, thereby enabling the entire system to safely, energy-efficiently, and quickly return to operating status.
[0036] In some embodiments, the system further includes a detection component comprising multiple temperature sensors. These sensors detect the temperature at different locations within the molten salt zone and transmit the data to a controller. The controller then determines the temperature difference at each location based on the sensor signals and controls the device to drive the molten salt flow when the temperature difference exceeds a threshold. During operation, when there are significant temperature differences across the molten salt zone, the detection component can detect this and activate the device's first circulation pump, driving the molten salt to circulate internally in a targeted manner. This achieves automatic and proactive management of the system's internal temperature, effectively preventing temperature stratification and localized solidification, enabling rapid temperature uniformity, and improving the effective utilization rate of the thermal storage capacity.
[0037] The composite thermal storage system based on dynamic thermal management in this application significantly improves the heat transfer rate and temperature uniformity through the synergy of dynamic flow of molten salt and the high thermal conductivity of liquid metal. This overcomes the shortcomings of traditional molten salt thermal storage, such as low thermal conductivity and easy stratification and solidification, while avoiding the safety and cost issues associated with directly using liquid metal for thermal storage. In this system, molten salt serves as the primary thermal storage and heat transfer medium, ensuring high energy density and economy. Liquid metal, as an auxiliary heat transfer medium, significantly enhances instantaneous power density and system response speed, and reduces the risks of cold start and low-load operation. Thus, a unified system of high energy density, high power density, high operational reliability, and high economy is achieved within a single system.
[0038] Example 1 refer to Figure 1 A composite thermal storage system based on dynamic thermal management includes: Tank 1 is a pressure vessel.
[0039] The inner liner is located at the central axis position inside the tank body 1. The inner cavity of the inner liner is the liquid metal zone 3, which is filled with liquid metal. The annular cavity between the inner liner and the tank body 1 is the molten salt zone 2, which is filled with molten salt.
[0040] Fin array 4 is set on the outer surface of the inner tank to expand the heat transfer area.
[0041] The first flow channel includes a first connecting pipe 5, a first valve 6 and a first circulating pump 7. The two ends of the first connecting pipe 5 are respectively connected to the upper and lower ends of the tank body 1 (i.e. the two ends of the molten salt zone 2). The first valve 6 and the first circulating pump 7 are connected in series in the first connecting pipe 5.
[0042] The second flow channel includes a second connecting pipe 8, a second valve 9, a second circulating pump 10, and a heat exchanger 11. The two ends of the second connecting pipe 8 are respectively connected to the upper and lower ends of the tank body 1 (i.e. the two ends of the molten salt zone 2). The second valve 9, the second circulating pump 10, and the heat exchanger 11 are connected in series in the second connecting pipe 8.
[0043] The detection component includes multiple temperature sensors 12, which are spaced apart along the height of the tank 1.
[0044] The electric heating assembly includes an electric heater 13 and a power supply 14. The electric heater 13 is disposed in the liquid metal zone 3, and the power supply 14 is connected to the electric heater 13 to supply power to the electric heater 13.
[0045] The controller, which is connected in communication with the detection component, is used to determine the temperature difference at each location based on the signal from the temperature sensor 12, and to control the first flow channel to drive the molten salt flow when the temperature difference exceeds a threshold.
[0046] This composite thermal storage system based on dynamic thermal management can dynamically switch between the following modes: Basic charging / discharging mode: Open the second valve 9 and the second circulation pump 10. Molten salt flows through the second connecting pipe 8 and the heat exchanger 11 to exchange heat with the external heat source or cold source. At the same time, the liquid metal zone 3 quickly equalizes the temperature of the molten salt through the inner wall of the liner.
[0047] Intelligent temperature equalization mode: When the axial temperature difference of tank 1 is too large, the controller opens the first valve 6 and the first circulation pump 7 to start the closed circulation of molten salt inside the tank. The flowing molten salt mixes the hot and cold fluids in the upper and lower layers and continuously washes the high-temperature inner wall, achieving rapid temperature equalization and greatly improving the effective utilization rate of the heat storage capacity.
[0048] Safe anti-condensation start-up mode: In the cold state, the liquid metal zone 3 is first heated and activated by the electric heater 13. Then, the closed circulation of molten salt in the tank is started (the first valve 6 and the first circulation pump 7 are opened). The liquid metal zone 3 melts the adjacent molten salt through the inner wall of the tank. The flowing molten salt transports heat to a distance, realizing "melting from the inside out, flowing melting", which safely, energy-savingly and quickly restores the entire system to the working state.
[0049] Example 2 refer to Figure 2 A composite thermal storage system based on dynamic thermal management includes: The tank body 1 is divided into multiple parallel independent vertical cavities by several vertically placed porous heat-conducting plates. Some of these independent vertical cavities serve as liquid metal zones 3, while the remaining independent vertical cavities serve as molten salt zones 2. The liquid metal zones 3 and molten salt zones 2 are distributed alternately. In addition, a first flow-collecting cavity 15 is provided at the top of the tank body 1, and a second flow-collecting cavity 16 is provided at the bottom of the tank body 1. The first flow-collecting cavity 15 is connected to the top of each molten salt zone 2, and the second flow-collecting cavity 16 is connected to the bottom of each molten salt zone 2.
[0050] The first flow channel includes a first connecting pipe 5, a first valve 6 and a first circulating pump 7. The two ends of the first connecting pipe 5 are respectively connected to the first collecting chamber 15 and the second collecting chamber 16. The first valve 6 and the first circulating pump 7 are connected in series in the first connecting pipe 5.
[0051] The second flow channel includes a heat exchange tube 17, a second connecting pipe 8, a second valve 9, a second circulating pump 10, and a heat exchanger 11. The heat exchange tube 17 is disposed in the liquid metal zone 3. The upper end of the heat exchange tube 17 passes through the first manifold 15 and is connected to the first manifold 18. The lower end of the heat exchange tube 17 passes through the second manifold 16 and is connected to the second manifold 19. The two ends of the second connecting pipe 8 are respectively connected to the first manifold 18 and the second manifold 19. The second valve 9, the second circulating pump 10, and the heat exchanger 11 are connected in series in the second connecting pipe 8.
[0052] This composite thermal storage system based on dynamic thermal management can dynamically switch between the following modes: Thermal storage mode: The second valve 9 and the second circulation pump 10 are activated, allowing high-temperature molten salt to flow through the heat exchange tubes 17 within the liquid metal zone 3, heating the liquid metal. Simultaneously, the first valve 6 and the first circulation pump 7 are activated, allowing molten salt to enter the first collection chamber 15 from the first flow channel. Under gravity, it flows downwards through all molten salt zones 2 and enters the second collection chamber 16. During this process, the molten salt undergoes near-countercurrent lateral heat exchange with the adjacent liquid metal zone 3 through a porous heat-conducting plate, gradually and uniformly heating to the set temperature before flowing out from the bottom, completing efficient thermal storage.
[0053] Heat release mode: The second valve 9 and the second circulation pump 10 are activated, allowing the low-temperature molten salt to flow through the heat exchange tube 17 within the liquid metal zone 3 and be heated by the liquid metal. Simultaneously, the first valve 6 and the first circulation pump 7 are activated, allowing the molten salt to enter the first collection chamber 15 from the first flow channel. Under gravity, it flows downwards through all molten salt zones 2 and enters the second collection chamber 16. During this process, the molten salt undergoes approximately counter-current lateral heat exchange with the adjacent liquid metal through the porous heat-conducting plate, gradually and uniformly heating the liquid metal to complete the heat release. One or more embodiments of this specification are intended to cover all such substitutions, modifications, and variations falling within the broad scope of the appended claims. Therefore, any omissions, modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of one or more embodiments of this specification should be included within the scope of protection of this application.
[0054] The above are merely specific embodiments of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.
Claims
1. A composite thermal storage system based on dynamic thermal management, characterized in that, include: A physically isolated but thermally coupled molten salt region and liquid metal region, and a device for driving the molten salt to flow controllably within the system channel; wherein the flow of the molten salt is used for heat exchange between the molten salt region and the liquid metal region, and for heat exchange with an external system as a heat transfer carrier in heat storage or heat release processes.
2. The composite thermal storage system based on dynamic thermal management according to claim 1, characterized in that, The system includes a tank, and a heat-conducting structure is provided inside the tank. The heat-conducting structure is configured to divide the inner cavity of the tank into a molten salt zone and a liquid metal zone.
3. The composite thermal storage system based on dynamic thermal management according to claim 2, characterized in that, The heat-conducting structure is a porous heat-conducting plate, or the surface of the heat-conducting structure is provided with a fin array or an embedded heat pipe bundle.
4. The composite thermal storage system based on dynamic thermal management according to claim 2, characterized in that, The heat-conducting structure is configured to divide the inner cavity of the tank into a first cavity and a second cavity that are concentrically distributed or parallel and alternately distributed, wherein the first cavity is the liquid metal region and the second cavity is the molten salt region.
5. The composite thermal storage system based on dynamic thermal management according to claim 4, characterized in that, The tank body is provided with a first flow collecting cavity and a second flow collecting cavity, and the first flow collecting cavity and the second flow collecting cavity are respectively connected to the two ends of the second cavity body.
6. The composite thermal storage system based on dynamic thermal management according to claim 1, characterized in that, The device includes a first flow channel and a second flow channel. The first flow channel is configured to drive the molten salt flow to achieve heat exchange between the molten salt region and the liquid metal region. The second flow channel is configured to drive the molten salt flow to achieve heat exchange with an external system.
7. The composite thermal storage system based on dynamic thermal management according to claim 6, characterized in that, The first flow channel includes a first connecting pipe, a first valve, and a first circulating pump. The two ends of the first connecting pipe are respectively connected to the two ends of the molten salt zone. The first valve and the first circulating pump are connected in series in the first connecting pipe. The second flow channel includes a second connecting pipe, a second valve, a second circulating pump, and a heat exchanger. The two ends of the second connecting pipe are respectively connected to the two ends of the molten salt zone. The second valve, the second circulating pump, and the heat exchanger are connected in series in the second connecting pipe.
8. The composite thermal storage system based on dynamic thermal management according to claim 6, characterized in that, The first flow channel includes a first connecting pipe, a first valve, and a first circulating pump. The two ends of the first connecting pipe are respectively connected to the two ends of the molten salt zone. The first valve and the first circulating pump are connected in series in the first connecting pipe. The second flow channel includes a heat exchange tube, a second connecting pipe, a second valve, a second circulating pump, and a heat exchanger. The heat exchange tube is disposed in the liquid metal zone. The two ends of the second connecting pipe are respectively connected to the two ends of the heat exchange tube. The second valve, the second circulating pump, and the heat exchanger are connected in series in the second connecting pipe.
9. The composite thermal storage system based on dynamic thermal management according to claim 1, characterized in that, The system also includes an electric heating component, which includes an electric heater and a power source. The electric heater is disposed in the liquid metal zone, and the power source is connected to the electric heater to apply voltage to heat the liquid metal zone.
10. The composite thermal storage system based on dynamic thermal management according to claim 1, characterized in that, The system also includes a detection component comprising multiple temperature sensors. These temperature sensors detect the temperature at different locations within the molten salt zone and transmit the data to a controller. The controller then determines the temperature difference at each location based on the signals from the temperature sensors and controls the device to drive the molten salt flow when the temperature difference exceeds a threshold.