A heat machine system for long-term energy storage with zero pollution

Abstract

A thermal mechanical system that stores thermal energy and further converts it into electrical energy and hot water. This system consists of two main units: a heat storage unit and a conversion unit that converts the stored energy from heat into electrical energy and hot water.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention disclosed in this patent application relates to the fields of energy and electricity. Here, an innovative method of storing energy by a new thermo-mechanical energy storage system made from renewable natural materials, easily biodegradable materials, or recyclable and reusable materials will be described. The closed system can operate continuously over a longer energy storage capacity and a longer storage time (long-term storage) than normal. It is also characterized by low carbon emissions during manufacturing and no chemical emissions during operation or at the end of the life cycle when discarded.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0002] The invention included in this patent application mainly solves the technical problems well-known in the current state of the art by appropriately combining natural materials and thermo-mechanical processes:

[0003] That is, today, in the context of humanity's goal of decarbonizing society, renewable energy mainly generated by sunlight, wind, and hydropower provides an alternative means of more sustainable energy generation. At the current state of the art, problems occur when this energy has to be stored because the available storage methods are limited or of a type that is not cost-effective, and as a result, most of the generated energy is irreversibly lost. When the present invention is operating, the loss of generated energy is negligible.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0004] The thermomechanical system provides an energy storage solution for 5 - 7 days. As a result, the present invention is classified as a long - term ESS (Energy Storage System), which not only provides more efficient storage conditions but also can offer energy at a lower final price. Since the invented system has long - term storage capacity, it supplies energy "where it is needed when it is needed".

[0005] The following patented inventions are known to the applicant of this patent application: -US11,391,181B2 It is considered to be the closest to the current patent application, at least within the knowledge of the applicant.

[0006] US11,391,181B2 describes an energy storage system that converts variable renewable power into continuous heat above 1,000 °C. Intermittent electrical energy heats a solid medium, and the heat from the solid medium is continuously supplied as required. In this system, an array of bricks is used to incorporate an internal radiation cavity, and they are directly heated by thermal radiation.

[0007] The thermomechanical system for long - term energy storage in this application is designed to store the generated energy in the form of thermal energy (heat) and further convert it into electrical energy and hot water for final output. In this system, instead of bricks as the storage material, a pre - calculated amount of material with appropriate properties (latent heat of fusion, specific heat) that stores the thermal energy generated by a heater connected to an energy source (such as the sun, wind, etc.) is used. As a result, recycled glass particles with a low melting temperature (potential melting) of 500 microns or less are recycled. DE202018005659U1

Advantages of the Invention

[0008] Therefore, since the present invention has a sufficient power storage capacity to supply electricity and hot water to one or more households, it can also be shared with neighboring people. Thus, the present invention becomes interesting not only for individual homeowners and businesses but also for energy companies. By connecting and stacking multiple storage systems of the present invention to each other, operators and energy suppliers can store energy (and hot water for heating) and supply it to the entire street or business park, which can further flatten the energy peaks not only during power generation but also during consumption and the load on the grid, which is a major problem for energy companies.

[0009] The storage system included in this patent application can be installed in addition to existing or new energy generation systems, so it does not disrupt the existing grid and the system investment cost: price / KWh ratio is low.

[0010] In fact, this is a rechargeable system based on the logic of a circular economy and is produced from ordinary raw materials available worldwide. It requires little maintenance and is expected to be used for 25 years.

[0011] The stored energy can be supplied simultaneously as electricity and hot water.

[0012] The present invention enables maximum utilization of renewable energy sources.

[0013] The storage system included in this patent application fully complies with the zero-carbon policy and is an effective and innovative product for long-term energy storage management without any chemical treatment or use of environmentally harmful raw materials such as zinc, silicon, germanium, manganese, lithium, cobalt, etc., which are frequently used in conventional batteries.

[0014] Current technology Today, as humanity aims for the decarbonization of society, renewable energy, mainly generated by sunlight, wind, and hydropower, provides an alternative means of generating more sustainable energy. With current technologies, problems occur when this energy has to be stored because the available storage methods are limited or cost-ineffective, and most of the generated energy is irreversibly lost.

Brief Description of the Drawings

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Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] The proposed system is a device designed as a new energy storage system that stores the generated energy in the form of thermal energy (heat), and further converts it into electrical energy and hot water for final output. Its schematic diagram is shown in Figure 1.

[0017] This consists of two main units: - a heat storage unit and - a conversion unit - which converts the stored energy from heat to electrical energy.

[0018] These two units are shown in Figure 2 as an integrated component. The heat storage unit and its elements are shown in Figure 3.

[0019] The first unit of the thermomechanical system is a well-insulated container (cell) filled with a natural, sustainable, and fully recyclable energy storage material that has the ability to absorb a large amount of heat due to a change in state (from solid to liquid, or vice versa) caused by a temperature change. Due to the high heat resistance of the insulation material of the container, heat loss is minimized, and the stored thermal energy can be preserved for a long time. Electrical energy from various natural discontinuous energy sources (such as the sun, wind, etc.) is used as an input to the energy storage system. When an electric heater of an appropriate model is placed inside the container (cell), the generated electrical energy (input) is further converted into thermal energy. In the next step, by raising the temperature of the electric heater when the energy source is active, the thermal energy from the heater is transferred to the material (for thermal energy storage) placed inside the container (cell), and its internal temperature rises to the melting temperature in the form of sensitive thermal energy, and the process of energy storage is carried out. When the internal temperature of the energy storage material reaches the melting temperature, the state of the material begins to change from solid to liquid, and further absorption and storage of thermal energy from the heater are promoted. During this process, the internal temperature of the material rises slightly, and the energy is stored in the form of latent thermal energy. This process can achieve the effect of storing a large amount of thermal energy in a relatively small mass of heat storage material.

[0020] The elements that make up the heat storage unit are as follows. - A container (also called a case or cell) shown in Fig. 4, which is composed of two parts (a main body made of refractory cement and a cover), and houses all components of the storage unit (inside) and the conversion unit (outside, attached to the outer wall). It is made of steel, reinforced concrete, other materials, or combinations thereof, which have stable rigidity characteristics even at high temperatures. - Heat insulation material - One or more layers of commercially available, recyclable, environmentally friendly heat-insulating layers with heat resistance minimize heat loss and store thermal energy for a long time. - Storage material - A pre-calculated amount of material with appropriate properties (latent heat of fusion, specific heat) stores the thermal energy generated by a heater connected to an energy source (such as the sun, wind). Glass, silicon, salt, basalt, silicon carbide, etc. are part of the materials that function as thermal energy storage materials. In the prototype of the present invention, due to the low melting temperature (potential melting), recycled glass particles of 500 microns or less are used. - High-temperature heater - One with appropriate specifications (material SiC) is connected to an energy source, heat is generated, and this is stored as thermal energy. - Cover - Composed of an upper plate, a rotating butterfly wing, and a heat exchanger, it plays a role in controlling the amount of thermal energy transferred from the storage material to the heat exchanger. - Heat exchanger - The pipes of the heat exchanger connected to the remaining part of the water storage tank and the conversion unit network absorb thermal energy in the form of heat from the storage material, convert water into dry steam, and further operate the engine in the conversion unit. - Rotating butterfly wing - Connected to an angle motor, by rotating at an angle of ±90 degrees, it controls the opening and closing of the gap through which heat from the storage material is transmitted to the heat exchanger, and adjusts the temperature of water / steam in the pipes of the heat exchanger.

[0021] The second unit of the system, i.e., the unit that converts stored heat energy into electrical energy, is shown in Figure 5. Basically, it follows the principle of the Rankine machine cycle and consists of several basic elements: - A reservoir for the working fluid (water) - A fluid pump - A heat exchanger - An expander - A condenser for the working fluid - A cooler - A generator

[0022] The pump sends the working fluid from the reservoir to the heat exchanger and at the same time raises the pressure controlled by the safety valve up to 8 bar. The heat exchanger is placed directly above an isolated container (cell) within the cover, separated by a rotating butterfly plate, and does not physically contact the storage (heating) material. On the other hand, the heat energy (heat) is transmitted by thermal radiation from the material through the butterfly plate to the working fluid absorbed by the heat exchanger. A set of heat-resistant rotating plates serves as a partition, opening or reducing the gap space between the container and the heat exchanger to regulate the amount of heat transferred to the working fluid passing through the exchanger by utilizing the heat conductivity.

[0023] When the thermomechanical system is in the discharge mode (when the device is powered on in the user's home) - the butterfly plate is placed in the "open" position, and the working fluid enters the heat exchanger, takes part of the thermal energy by convection, and increases the internal temperature and volume. Due to a constant mass flow typical of the Rankine cycle, a difference occurs in the volume of the working fluid at the inlet and outlet points of the heat exchanger. This difference causes an increase in the moving speed of the particles of the working fluid at the outlet point of the heat exchanger. When the speed increases in this way, the working fluid enters the injector at the inlet of the expander, and the speed further increases. In this context, a typical expander that produces work is represented by a simple steam engine or turbine. We use a uniquely designed bladeless turbine with multiple rotating disks to enhance the efficiency as an expander, which is a work-generating element. When the working fluid moves around the rotating disk of the expander / turbine, part of its kinetic energy is transmitted to the rotor / rotating disk by friction and then to the rotating shaft.

[0024] When the working fluid transmits kinetic energy to the rotating disk, the working fluid exits the expander / turbine and enters the piping system, and finally is taken into the condenser, where the excess thermal energy is released to the coolant. The working fluid maintains a temperature of about 70 °C and then enters the reservoir, where it is stored until a new cycle occurs. The cooling fluid (refrigerant) receives part of the thermal energy from the working fluid in the condenser, its internal temperature rises, and then it enters the cooler, where the temperature is lowered. This small amount of thermal energy is released to the environment.

[0025] To increase the overall efficiency of the system, the excess thermal energy (heat) that should be completely released to the environment is actually sent to the object (residential unit or industrial unit) via a separate pipeline and further used (for winter hot water or heating purposes in the case of a residential unit, and for technical processes, etc. in the case of an industrial unit).

[0026] The system is also equipped with a bypass pipe that can bypass the expander / turbine and directly guide the working fluid to the condenser, and can increase the system's capacity as needed to generate more hot water. This is achieved by installing two solenoid valves that regulate the flow of the working fluid in these lines. In this way, the overall parameters of the system can be adjusted according to the actual on-site situation as required, enabling more hot water generation and more energy storage.

[0027] The elements that make up the conversion unit are as follows: - The water pump shown in Figure 6. The purpose of the water pump is to increase the pressure of the water (1 - 6 bar in this application) while ensuring a low mass flow rate (0.0036 kg / s in this application) before the water is injected into the heat exchanger. Due to the low mass flow rate, the energy consumption of the water pump is very low. (In this application, the inlet and outlet temperatures of the water are 95°C). Any commercially available model that meets the above specifications can be used. - The heat exchanger shown in Figure 7. This is a high-temperature heat exchanger where the water coming from the reservoir through the water pump (95°C, 6 bar in this application) is heated to 350°C to generate steam. The pressure remains constant at all times, but the velocity of the superheated steam increases up to the point where it is injected into the steam turbine. - The expansion engine shown in Figure 8 As the expansion engine, various types and models of commercially available engines such as steam turbines, multi-disk turbines, floating piston engines, power drop generators, acoustic engines, and vacuum engines can be used. The purpose of the steam turbine is to convert heat into mechanical energy at the highest possible speed. In the system described in this application, a uniquely designed multi-disk steam turbine (Tesla turbine) is used. This turbine generates the rotational force of the shaft using the friction coefficient of the boundary layer on a smooth disk, and thus generates energy. - The power droplet generator shown in Fig. 9. This is a generator with a unique concept that utilizes the phenomenon where water droplets explode when inserted into a heated chamber. When a preheated water droplet (85 °C) is placed on a hot plate (300 °C), it is initially rapidly heated, but then the water droplet explodes and releases energy. This explosion is used to move a cylinder. In reality, the principle is the same as that of an internal combustion engine, but the explosion is caused not by ignition but by an overheated plate. This system can be easily extended to the principle of a rocket engine, and rotational motion is performed instead of the movement of the moon. - The steam condenser shown in Fig. 10. The role of the steam condenser is to reconvert the working fluid (steam) into a liquid by condensing it, thus changing the phase from gas to liquid. - The radiator shown in Fig. 11. The role of the radiator is to cool the coolant of the steam condenser and release excess heat to the surroundings. Any commercially available radiator with appropriate technical specifications can be used. - The generator shown in Fig. 12 The generator is connected to the steam turbine by a belt (estimated belt reduction rate is about 1:6). The generator generates electricity for houses and factories. It was prototyped at 6 KW. - The flow control valve shown in Fig. 13. The flow control valve regulates the flow of steam and passes the steam through the steam turbine or the bypass line. When electricity needs to be generated, the steam passes through the steam turbine and then is sent to the condenser, where the coolant is heated. Then, the coolant is sent to the heating system of the user's house or the radiator of the battery. When it is necessary to heat the house heating system without electricity production, with the help of the flow control valve, the steam is redirected to the bypass line, so the steam is sent directly to the steam condenser, where the coolant is heated, and then the heat is transferred to the house heating system.

[0028] Technical specifications of the thermomechanical system The expected lifespan of the operating thermal-mechanical energy storage system is 25 years and it is fully recyclable and reusable. This system first stores 2MW of green energy generated by renewable energy sources (such as sunlight, wind power, etc.) or generated by simple grid-guided (off-peak low-rate) charging, and can further utilize the energy when it is most needed (during power outages, peak high-rate times, or industrial-grade rate times, etc.).

[0029] This system is a rugged steel / concrete housing with dimensions of 2.4m × 1.9m × 2.4m (length × width × height). This enables the system to be installed underground and not occupy space inside or around the house. It connects to the following: - Input connection: Energy sources (such as solar power generation systems, wind turbines, biomass plants, etc.); - Output connection: The main power supply of the object (and water supply connection in the case of hot water supply). It can also be operated from an app or synchronized with the rest of the smart home.

[0030] The system is standard equipped with low-voltage connections and 230 / 415-volt connections. The low-voltage connection allows solar panels to be directly connected to the system. The system has low-voltage outputs and 230 / 415-volt outputs. This system is also equipped with hot and cold water connections and can supply hot water for household, heating, and even pool use. Since this system can store a total of 2Mw / h of energy for more than 5 to 7 days, it is classified into the category of long-term ESS (Energy Storage System). The expected efficiency of this system is 94%. The maximum output of the current model is 6Kw / h (continuous). In future models, it can be adjusted up to 30kW / h with the same dimensions.

[0031] Prototype System - Operating Temperature Range: Since recycled glass is used as the storage material, its contents are assumed to be mainly granular glass collected from bottles, pickling jars, and windows, and all are made of SLS (soda lime silica) glass. The temperature at which SLS glass changes from solid characteristics to liquid characteristics is approximately 580 °C. Therefore, the operating temperature range is between the softening point and the working point, which is 580 - 1000 °C for SLS glass. According to this assumption, the following table provides information on how long the prototype invention can store thermal energy when using recycled glass as the storage material.

[0032] In the winter operating mode, when calculating the heat loss, the temperature of the storage material drops below the minimum temperature of the operating mode on the 11th day, so recharging is required. This means that the invented storage system can hold energy for exactly 10 days, which is a much longer period than the current storage system.

Claims

1. A thermal mechanical system for long-term energy storage, designed to store the generated energy in the form of thermal energy (heat), and further convert it into electrical energy and hot water for final output, consisting of two main units: - A heat storage unit and - A conversion unit - which converts the stored energy from heat to electrical energy; The heat storage unit consists of the following: - A container composed of two parts (a body and a cover made of refractory cement) - which houses all components of the heat storage unit (inside) and the conversion unit (outside, attached to the outer wall), made of steel, reinforced concrete, or other materials, or combinations thereof, having stable rigid properties even at high temperatures; - An insulating material or one or more layers of insulating materials - recyclable and environmentally friendly, commercially available, heat-resistant, minimizing heat loss, and storing thermal energy for a long time; - A storage material - a pre-calculated volume of material with appropriate properties (latent heat of fusion, specific heat) to store the thermal energy generated by a heater connected to an energy source (such as the sun, wind, etc.); due to its low melting temperature, recycled glass particles of 500 microns or less are used; - A high-temperature heater - one with appropriate specifications (material SiC) is connected to the energy source, heat is generated, and this is stored as thermal energy; - A cover - consisting of an upper plate with a built-in heat exchanger and a rotating butterfly wing, which plays a role in controlling the amount of thermal energy transferred from the storage material to the heat exchanger; - A heat exchanger - The pipes of the heat exchanger connected to the water storage tank and the rest of the conversion unit network absorb thermal energy in the form of heat from the storage material, convert water into dry steam, and further operate the engine in the conversion unit; - A rotating butterfly wing - connected to an angle motor, rotating at an angle of ±90 degrees, controls the opening and closing of the gap through which heat from the storage material is transmitted to the heat exchanger, and adjusts the temperature of water / steam in the pipes of the heat exchanger; The conversion unit consists of the following system: - A reservoir for the working fluid (water); - A fluid pump; - A heat exchanger; - An expander; - A condenser for the working fluid; - A cooler; - A generator.

2. The heat storage unit according to claim 1, which is composed of a sufficiently insulated container (cell) filled with a natural, sustainable, and fully recyclable energy storage material having the ability to absorb a large amount of heat by a state change (from solid to liquid or vice versa) due to temperature change. Since the heat resistance of the heat insulating material of the container is high, heat loss is minimized and the stored thermal energy can be stored for a long time. A heat storage unit characterized by this.

3. The heat storage unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein electrical energy from various natural discontinuous energy sources (such as the sun, wind, etc.) is used as an input to the storage system, and an electric heater is arranged inside the container (cell). The generated electrical energy (input) is further converted into thermal energy, and by raising the temperature of the electric heater when the energy source is active, the thermal energy from the heater is transferred to the material (for thermal energy storage) arranged inside the container (cell), and its internal temperature rises to the melting temperature in the form of sensitive thermal energy, and the energy storage process is carried out. When the internal temperature of the energy storage material reaches the melting temperature, the state of the material begins to change from solid to liquid, and further absorption and storage of thermal energy from the heater are promoted. During this process, the internal temperature of the material rises slightly, and the energy is stored in the form of latent thermal energy. A heat storage unit.

4. The conversion unit according to claim 1, which sends the working fluid from the reservoir to the heat exchanger, and at the same time raises the pressure controlled by the safety valve to up to 8 bar. The heat exchanger is arranged directly above the isolated container (cell) inside the cover and is separated by a rotating butterfly plate. It does not physically contact the storage (heating) material. On the other hand, thermal energy (heat) is transmitted by thermal radiation from the material through the butterfly plate to the working fluid absorbed by the heat exchanger. A set of heat-resistant rotating plates serves as a partition, and by opening or reducing the gap space between the container and the heat exchanger, the amount of heat transmitted to the working fluid passing through the exchanger is adjusted using the heat conductivity. A conversion unit.

5. The thermomechanical system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein when the thermomechanical system is in the discharge mode (when the device is powered on in the user's home) - the butterfly plate is placed in the "open" position, the working fluid enters the heat exchanger, takes over a part of the thermal energy by convection, increases the internal temperature and volume, and with a constant mass flow typical of the Rankine cycle, the internal temperature and volume increase, resulting in a difference in the volume of the working fluid at the inlet and outlet points of the heat exchanger, and the moving speed of the particles of the working fluid increases at the outlet point of the heat exchanger. When the speed increases in this way, the working fluid enters the injector at the inlet of the expander and the speed further increases, the thermomechanical system.

6. The thermomechanical system according to claim 5, wherein a typical expander that generates work is represented by a uniquely designed bladeless turbine with a plurality of rotating disks to enhance the efficiency as an expander-work generating element. When the working fluid moves around the rotating disk of the expander / turbine, a part of its kinetic energy is transmitted to the rotor / rotating disk by friction and then to the rotating shaft. And when the working fluid transmits kinetic energy to the rotating disk, the working fluid exits the expander / turbine and enters the piping system, and finally is taken into the condenser, where the excess thermal energy is released to the coolant, the working fluid maintains a temperature of about 70 °C, then enters the reservoir and is stored until a new cycle occurs. The cooling fluid (refrigerant) receives a part of the thermal energy from the working fluid in the condenser, and after the internal temperature rises, it enters the cooler where the temperature is lowered, the thermomechanical system.

7. The thermomechanical system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein in order to improve the overall efficiency of the system, the excess thermal energy (heat) that should be completely released to the environment is actually sent to an object (residential unit or industrial unit) via a separate pipeline and further used (for winter hot water or heating purposes in the case of a residential unit, for technical processes, etc. in the case of an industrial unit), the thermomechanical system.

8. A thermomechanical system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further equipped with a bypass pipe capable of bypassing the expander / turbine and directly guiding the working fluid to the condenser, which can increase the capacity of the system to generate more hot water as needed. This is achieved by installing two solenoid valves for regulating the flow of the working fluid in these lines. In this way, the overall parameters of the system can be adjusted according to the actual on-site situation as required, enabling more hot water generation and more energy storage. A thermomechanical system.

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