Storage of electrical energy in insulation and shielding

Abstract

To store electrical energy by charging electrical and / or electrochemical energy storage devices, the energy storage devices are integrated into insulating and / or shielding elements, which are used for thermal and / or acoustic insulation and / or electromagnetic shielding of an object.

Description

TECHNICAL AREA OF INVENTION

[0001] The invention relates to a method and a device for storing electrical energy by charging electrical and / or electrochemical energy storage devices. In particular, the invention relates to a method with the features of the preamble of independent claim 1 and to a device with the features of the preamble of claim 4.

[0002] Electrical energy storage devices include, in particular, capacitors. Electrochemical energy storage devices include, in particular, accumulators, but also so-called supercapacitors.

[0003] Storing electrical energy is a challenge that must be addressed for the energy transition. When batteries are used for electrical energy storage, their high energy storage density is advantageous. However, the power density of batteries is relatively low, regardless of the chemical reactions underlying the storage of the electrical energy.

[0004] Capacitors, on the other hand, exhibit very high power densities, but their achievable energy storage densities are much lower than those of batteries. Due to their high power densities, batteries are able to buffer very large electrical power levels, both when receiving and discharging electrical energy. It is also advantageous that capacitors age much more slowly than batteries over many charge and discharge cycles and rapid changes in power direction.

[0005] Very large capacitors, i.e., capacitors with very large electrical capacitance, can not only complement accumulators, but also completely replace them, at least in the case of short-term storage of electrical energy. STATE OF THE ART

[0006] M. Feng et al.: “Recent Advances in Multilayer-Structure Dielectrics for Energy Storage Application”, Adv. Sci. 2021, 8, 2102221 provide an overview of current designs of capacitors with high energy storage density.

[0007] Insulation boards with a foam core, for example made of expanded polystyrene, and two metallic facing layers, for example aluminum foils, as vapor barriers are just as well known as sandwich panels with a rigid foam core made of polystyrene and facing layers made of sheet metal, which are used in roof and facade construction. TASK OF INVENTION

[0008] The invention is based on the objective of demonstrating a method and a device for storing electrical energy in electrical and / or electrochemical energy storage devices, thereby unlocking previously untapped energy storage potential. SOLUTION

[0009] The object of the invention is achieved by a method having the features of independent claim 1 and a device having the features of claim 4. Preferred embodiments of the method according to the invention are defined in dependent claims 2, 3 and 5 to 13, and preferred embodiments of the device according to the invention are defined in dependent claims 5 to 13. DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] In an inventive method for storing electrical energy by charging electrical and / or electrochemical energy storage devices, the energy storage devices are integrated into insulating and / or shielding elements, which are used for thermal and / or acoustic insulation and / or electromagnetic shielding of an object.

[0011] The energy storage devices can comprise accumulators and / or supercapacitors and / or capacitors of any technology. Although the method according to the invention is described in more detail below using capacitors as energy storage devices, this description always also applies to all other electrical and electrochemical energy storage devices.

[0012] The object can be any object that requires thermal and / or acoustic insulation and / or electromagnetic shielding. The direction of the relevant insulation or shielding can be from the object to its environment and / or from the environment to the object.

[0013] For any object requiring thermal and / or acoustic insulation and / or electromagnetic shielding, it is advantageous if the insulation and / or shielding completely encloses the object in at least one virtual plane, except for windows and / or doors and / or connections and / or openings that are relevant to the function of the respective object.

[0014] The object can, in principle, have surfaces of any shape to which the respective insulation and / or shielding is to be applied. Preferably, however, the object has standardized surfaces with respect to their shape, for example, cylindrical and flat surfaces. Specifically, the object can be a pipe system or a building. Accordingly, the insulation and / or shielding elements can comprise pipe cladding shells and / or jackets and / or, in particular, insulation and / or shielding panels. Although the method according to the invention is described in more detail below using insulation panels with a main extension plane as insulation elements, this description always also refers to insulation and / or shielding elements with a differently shaped main extension plane for the thermal and / or acoustic insulation and / or electromagnetic shielding of the respective object.

[0015] Thermal insulation of buildings is another challenge that must be addressed for the success of the energy transition. It is not enough to simply equip new buildings with thermal insulation. Existing buildings must also be retrofitted with thermal insulation. Overall, a very large building surface area will need to be thermally insulated in the coming years. One embodiment of the present invention takes advantage of this to meet the simultaneously growing demand for electrical energy storage by storing electrical energy through the charging of electrical and / or electrochemical energy storage devices integrated into insulation panels used for the thermal insulation of buildings.

[0016] Due to the very large building surface area on which thermal insulation will be applied in the coming years, the effectiveness of the present invention does not depend on providing a high energy storage density or power density relative to the surface area, because a lower energy storage density or power density can be compensated for by a very large area of ​​the insulation panels used for thermal insulation.

[0017] Specifically, the electrodes of the electrical and / or electrochemical energy storage devices charged according to the inventive method can run parallel to a main plane of extension of the respective insulation plate. An insulating material of the respective insulation plate can be arranged between the electrodes as the dielectric or at least as part of the dielectric of a capacitor serving as an energy storage device. Alternatively or additionally, the insulating material can form the electrical insulation, or at least part of it, of the respective energy storage device.

[0018] The insulating material can, in particular, be a closed-cell foam. The gas in the pores of the closed-cell foam is preferably one with a higher dielectric coefficient than air, and the solid component of the foam also has the highest possible dielectric coefficient, so that the capacitance of a capacitor serving as an energy storage device, in which the insulating material forms the dielectric or at least part of the dielectric, is significantly increased compared to a plate capacitor with air between the plates.

[0019] To increase the capacity of a capacitor used as an energy storage device, a small distance between the electrodes also contributes, but this must still prevent a short circuit between the electrodes through direct electrical contact or breakdown of the dielectric.

[0020] The insulation panels in which the energy storage units for the inventive method are formed can have an insulating material with a specific thermal conductivity of no more than 0.1 W / m·K and preferably no more than 0.05 W / m·K.

[0021] If several energy storage devices are arranged in series within the respective insulation panel, perpendicular to its main plane of extension, the available electrode area increases, and thus, for example, the potential electrical capacitance of a capacitor serving as an energy storage device increases accordingly. However, the electrical capacitance of individual capacitors only adds up when they are connected in parallel. In contrast, when electrical capacitors are connected in series, the total capacitance decreases compared to the individual capacitances. A series connection of electrical and / or electrochemical energy storage devices, however, can be charged to a higher overall voltage at the same voltage across the individual energy storage devices and can therefore provide correspondingly higher output voltages.

[0022] In the method according to the invention, the energy storage devices arranged spatially one behind the other in an insulating panel can be connected in parallel or in series, whereby parallel circuits of groups of energy storage devices can also be connected in series.

[0023] The energy storage devices arranged one behind the other in the individual insulation panels can be separated from each other by insulating layers made of the insulation material. In principle, this can be the only "electrical" use of the insulation material in the method according to the invention, and the dielectric of individual capacitors serving as energy storage devices can be a high-performance dielectric, as known from the prior art, to maximize their capacitance.

[0024] In one embodiment of the method according to the invention, the capacitors serving as energy storage devices are each folded into several layers running parallel to each other along the main extension plane of the respective insulation plate in order to provide capacitors whose area is each a multiple of the area of ​​the respective insulation plate.

[0025] Preferably, the energy storage devices omit fastening areas along the main plane of the respective insulation panel, so that no consideration needs to be given to the energy storage devices integrated into the insulation panels when fastening the panels, particularly to a building surface. This eliminates the risk of short-circuiting the electrodes of the energy storage devices with a metallic fastener used when fastening the respective insulation panel, as well as the risk of otherwise damaging the energy storage devices during fastening, for example, by compressing a foam located between their electrodes at a specific point and / or by locally interrupting an electrode or an electrical conductor.

[0026] Preferably, the energy storage devices, which are integrated into adjacent insulation panels in the inventive method, are electrically connected to each other in series or parallel. For this purpose, electrically conductive adhesive films, conventional connectors, in particular flat connectors, which are attached either to short cables or directly to the insulation panels, snap fasteners, and soldered or welded connections can be provided. To facilitate the creation of these electrical connections, at least two electrodes of the energy storage device(s) can be exposed on opposite surfaces of the respective insulation panel. They are then provided with electrical insulation only during the installation of the insulation panels.

[0027] In an inventive device for storing electrical energy by charging electrical and / or electrochemical energy storage devices according to the inventive method, several energy storage devices and a device for charging the energy storage devices are provided. The energy storage devices are integrated into insulating and / or shielding elements, which are designed for thermal and / or acoustic insulation and / or electromagnetic shielding of an object.

[0028] For an explanation of these features of the device according to the invention and the features of further preferred embodiments of the device according to the invention, reference is made to the preceding descriptions of the method according to the invention.

[0029] Advantageous further developments of the invention result from the patent claims, the description and the drawings.

[0030] The advantages of features and combinations of features mentioned in the description are merely exemplary and can have an effect alternatively or cumulatively, without the advantages necessarily having to be achieved by embodiments according to the invention.

[0031] Regarding the disclosure content—not the scope of protection—of the original application documents and the patent, the following applies: Further features can be derived from the drawings—in particular, the geometries depicted and the relative dimensions of several components to one another, as well as their relative arrangement and functional connection. The combination of features from different embodiments of the invention or from features of different claims is also possible, deviating from the chosen cross-references of the claims, and is hereby encouraged. This also applies to features that are illustrated in separate drawings or mentioned in their description. These features can also be combined with features from different claims.Likewise, features listed in the patent claims may be omitted for further embodiments of the invention, but this does not apply to the independent patent claims of the granted patent.

[0032] The features mentioned in the claims and the description are to be understood, with regard to their number, as meaning that exactly that number or a greater number than the stated number is present, without the need for the explicit use of the adverb "at least". Thus, for example, if a dielectric is mentioned, this is to be understood as meaning that exactly one dielectric, two dielectrics, or more dielectrics are present. The features listed in the claims may be supplemented by further features or may be the only features that the subject matter of the respective claim possesses.

[0033] The reference numerals contained in the patent claims do not constitute a limitation of the scope of the subject matter protected by the patent claims. They merely serve the purpose of making the patent claims easier to understand. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0034] The invention will now be further explained and described with reference to preferred embodiments shown in the figures. Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of a device according to the invention, although only one insulating panel is shown as an example. Fig. 2 is a schematic representation of a further embodiment of the device according to the invention, in which again only one insulating panel is shown as an example. Fig. 3 shows a detail of an insulating panel of an embodiment of the device according to the invention in a cross-section along its main extension plane. Fig. 4 shows a detail of an insulation panel of a different embodiment of the device according to the invention than in Fig. 3, but also in a cross-section along its main extension plane. Fig. 5 is a schematic representation of a device according to the invention with three insulating plates, the integrated capacitors of which are connected in series; and Fig. 6 is a schematic representation of a device according to the invention with four insulation plates, wherein the integrated capacitors of each pair of insulation plates are connected in parallel and these two parallel circuits are connected in series. FIGURE DESCRIPTION

[0035] Fig. 1 shows in schematic isometric representation a device 1 for storing electrical energy in capacitors 2, wherein in Fig. Figure 1 shows only one capacitor 2, which is described in more detail below. A device 3 is provided for charging the typically multiple capacitors 2. The device 3 is a bidirectional voltage regulator or AC / DC converter that provides a DC voltage drop across the capacitors 2 to charge the capacitors 2 for storing electrical energy or to draw stored electrical energy from the capacitors 2. The capacitor 2 is formed by two electrodes 4 and 5, between which an insulating material 6, for example in the form of a closed-cell foam 7, such as expanded polystyrene, is arranged as a dielectric 8. The electrodes 4 and 5 can, in particular, be metal foils 9, for example made of aluminum. The capacitance C of the capacitor 2 is calculated according to C=εrε0A / d from the dielectric coefficient ε rof the dielectric 8, the dielectric constant ε0, the area A of electrodes 4 and 5, and the distance d between electrodes 4 and 5, which corresponds to the thickness of the insulating material 6 between electrodes 4 and 5. Assuming a realistic dielectric coefficient ε for the insulating material 6 r of approximately 10, the dielectric constant ε0 = 8.854 x 10 -12 , an area A of 1 m² 2 and a distance d of 1 cm, so that the capacitor 2 simultaneously forms an insulating plate 10 suitable for thermal insulation, the capacitance C is on the order of 10 -8 F = 10 nF. However, the total capacitance of a device 1 with a plurality of capacitors 2, for example to thermally insulate a very large building surface with insulation panels 10, multiplies this value, as does a significantly smaller spacing d, the formation of several capacitors 2 stacked on top of each other within the insulation panel 10, and an optimization of the dielectric 8 with respect to the dielectric coefficient ε. r , even taking into account the lowest possible thermal conductivity for the formation of the insulation panel 10, so that the device 1 according to the invention has a capacity C sufficient for meaningful energy storage.

[0036] The embodiment of the device 1 according to Fig. 2 differs from that according to Fig. 1 in that the electrodes 4 and 5 omit fastening areas 11 in which the insulation plate 10 can be attached to, for example, a building facade with fastening elements extending through it, without risk of damaging the capacitor 2, and in particular without short-circuiting the electrodes 4 and 5 when using metallic fastening elements.

[0037] Fig. 3 illustrates how four capacitors 2, whose electrodes 4 and 5 run parallel to each other, are formed in the insulating panel 10. The dielectric 8, which is arranged between the electrodes 4 and 5 of each of the capacitors 2, can have a different composition than the insulating material 6 in the form of closed-cell foam 7, which here only acts as an insulator 12 between the individual capacitors 2.

[0038] Fig. 4 illustrates the possibility of folding a capacitor 2 within the insulation plate 10 to double its area compared to the area of ​​the insulation plate 10. By repeatedly folding the capacitor 2 with its electrodes 4 and 5 and the dielectric 8 arranged between them, an even greater multiplication of the area of ​​the capacitor 2 compared to the area of ​​the insulation plate 10 can be achieved.

[0039] Fig. Figure 5 schematically illustrates three insulation panels 10 adjoining each other without gaps, for example for the formation of thermal insulation of a building, whose capacitors 2 are connected to each other by adhesive conductive metal foil sections 13 connecting their front and back sides, such that the capacitors 2 of the three insulation panels 10 are connected in parallel.

[0040] In contrast, Fig. 6 illustrates, using four insulation panels 10 arranged side by side, that the capacitors 2 of the two insulation panels 10 on the left are connected in parallel, as are the capacitors 2 of the two insulation panels 10 on the right. However, these two parallel circuits are connected in series by the two central metal foil sections 13 running alternately from front to back and from back to front. In principle, the capacitors 2 of the individual insulation panels 10 can be connected to each other and to the device 3 in any configuration. REFERENCE MARK LIST 1 Device 2 Capacitor 3 Device for charging the capacitors 2 4 electrode 5 electrode 6 Insulation material 7 closed-cell foam 8 Dielectric 9 Metal foil 10 Insulation board 11 Mounting area 12 Isolator 13 Metallfolie

Claims

Method for storing electrical energy by charging electrical and / or electrochemical energy storage devices, characterized in that the energy storage devices are integrated into insulating and / or shielding elements used for thermal and / or acoustic insulation and / or electromagnetic shielding of an object. Method according to claim 1, wherein the object is a building. Method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the insulation and / or shielding completely encloses the object in at least one virtual plane except for windows and / or doors and / or connections and / or openings that are relevant to the function of the object. Device (1) for storing electrical energy by charging electrical and / or electrochemical energy storage devices according to the method according to one of claims 1 to 3, with several energy storage devices and with a device (3) for charging the energy storage devices, characterized in that the energy storage devices are integrated into insulating and / or shielding elements designed for thermal and / or acoustic insulation and / or electromagnetic shielding of an object. Method according to one of claims 1 to 3 or device according to claim 4, wherein the energy storage devices comprise accumulators and / or supercapacitors and / or capacitors (2) and wherein the insulating and / or shielding elements comprise insulating and / or shielding plates (10) and / or pipe cladding shells and / or jackets. Method according to one of claims 1 to 3 and 5 or device according to claim 4 or 5, wherein planar electrodes (4, 5) of the energy storage run parallel to a main surface of the respective insulation and / or shielding element. Method according to one of claims 1 to 3, 5 and 6 or device according to one of claims 4 to 6, wherein an insulating material (6) of the respective insulating element is arranged as a dielectric (8) between electrodes (4, 5) of the energy storage device and / or as an insulator (12) on at least one electrode (4, 5) of the energy storage device. Method or apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the insulating material (6) is a closed-pore foam (7) and / or wherein the insulating material (6) has a specific thermal conductivity of no more than 0.1 W / m·K and preferably no more than 0.05 W / m·K. Method according to one of claims 1 to 3 and 5 to 8 or device according to one of claims 4 to 8, wherein several energy storage devices are formed in series in the respective insulation element in the direction normal to their main extension surfaces, wherein the energy storage devices in the respective insulation element are electrically connected in parallel or in series. Method according to one of claims 1 to 3 and 5 to 9 or device according to one of claims 4 to 9, characterized in that at least one energy storage element in the respective insulation element is folded into several layers running parallel to each other along the main extension surface. Method according to one of claims 1 to 3 and 5 to 10 or device according to one of claims 4 to 10, wherein the energy storage devices omit fastening areas (11) along the main extension surface of the respective insulation and / or shielding element. Method according to one of claims 1 to 3 and 5 to 11 or device according to one of claims 4 to 11, characterized in that the energy storage devices integrated into several adjacent insulating elements are electrically connected in parallel or in series, wherein electrodes (4, 5) of the energy storage devices are optionally connected to each other by electrically conductive adhesive films, connectors, in particular flat connectors, push buttons and / or soldered or welded connections. Method according to one of claims 1 to 3 and 5 to 12 or device according to one of claims 4 to 12, characterized in that an electrode of at least one of the energy storage devices is exposed on one side of the insulating element in order to be provided with electrical insulation only when attached to the object.

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