27752 results about "Storage energy" patented technology

A vapor delivery device comprises a housing having a fluid inlet in fluid communication with a fluid outlet along a fluid flow path, and an energy storage unit, an atomizer, and a sensor within the housing. The energy storage unit is disposed in a chamber that fluidically isolates the energy storage unit from the fluid flow path.

An intelligent user-side power management device (PMD) that is comprised of an optional energy storage unit and can interface with a utility grid or microgrid to eliminate power theft and efficiently provide clean energy to the users of the grid while helping the grid to do smart demand response management, particularly for renewable energy based grids that need to efficiently manage the slack due to the large variability in power generation through these energy sources.

A Distributed Energy Storage Control System (DESCS) comprised of one or a plurality of identical BMS (Battery Management System) battery unit (40), series-parallel system controller (60) and DESCS main controller (70). Each BMS battery unit (40) including a smart battery unit (10), a discharge bypass path control switch (43), a super capacitor (45), a charge bypass load (46) and charge bypass path control switch (44). This DESCS system substantially promotes the energy efficiency of battery, provides a large scale and complicated energy storage system with on-line repair or replacement of batteries, proceeds charge / discharge task uninterrupted during maintenance, and possesses high maintainability.

The invention discloses a microcapsule of an organic phase change energy storage material and a preparation method thereof. The microcapsule of an organic phase change energy storage material comprises a core and a nucleocapsid, wherein the material of the core comprises the organic phase change energy storage material; the nucleocapsid at least comprises an inner layer and an outer layer, the inner layer is packaged by any one of an in situ polymerization method, an interface polymerization method, a reaction phase separating method, a double agglomeration method and a sol-gal process, and the outer layer is packaged by any one of an in situ polymerization method, a reaction phase separating method, a sol-gal process and a double agglomeration method. The microcapsule has adjustable size, nucleocapsid composition and shell thickness, favorable flexibility, mechanical strength, penetrability resistance and dispersibility and can be widely applied to the fields of energy sources, materials, aero-space, textile, electric power, medical apparatus, architecture, and the like, such as solar utilization, industrial afterheat and waste heat recovery, architecture energy storage, dress with constant temperature, air conditioners for cool and heat accumulation, constant temperature of electric appliances, and the like.

Disclosed is an electrode for an electrochemical energy storage device, the electrode comprising a self-supporting layer of a mixture of graphene sheets and spacer particles and / or binder particles, wherein the electrode is prepared without using water, solvent, or liquid chemical. The graphene electrode prepared by the solvent-free process exhibits many desirable features and advantages as compared to the corresponding electrode prepared by a known wet process. These advantages include a higher electrode specific surface area, higher energy storage capacity, improved or higher packing density or tap density, lower amount of binder required, lower internal electrode resistance, more consistent and uniform dispersion of graphene sheets and binder, reduction or elimination of undesirable effect of electrolyte oxidation or decomposition due to the presence of water, solvent, or chemical, etc.

A low cost, efficient, and rapid means for transferring energy or balancing charge among multiple, series connected batteries, capacitors, photovoltaic cells, fuel cells, and other types of energy source or storage devices is provided. Modules that transfer energy by moving charge from one or more series connected energy devices directly to one or more other energy devices in the string are disclosed. The modules utilize steering circuits comprised of switches and rectifiers, and energy storage elements such as inductors and transformers, to transfer energy between multiple energy devices in the string. The modules may be used in combination with string charging devices and loads. The modules provide a means to balance charge or potential of the energy devices, which is known to provide benefits of increased life and capacity.

An implantable beneficial agent infusion device featuring a unique energy recovery circuit and a deflectable energy storing member such as a piezo-electric membrane is disclosed. The circuit and deflectable energy storing member cooperate to permit electrical energy employed to activate the member to be at least partially recovered. In a preferred embodiment, the deflectable energy storing member is connected to a seal which is opened to permit the delivery or infusion of a pre-determined amount of a beneficial agent to a patient when the member is deflected or actuated through the application of a sufficiently high voltage thereacross. Charge stored on or in the deflectable energy storing member as a result of the voltage being applied thereacross is recovered by a novel circuit when the deflectable energy storing membrane is permitted to return to its non-actuated state or position.

An applicator for a microprojection array is described. In one embodiment, the applicator comprises an energy-storing element. Application of force causes the compressed energy-storing element to extend or transition from first and second configurations, releasing stored energy to deploy a holding member in the application which is configured to hold an array of microprojections. In another embodiment, the applicator comprises an energy storing element with two stable configurations, a first stable configuration and second stable configuration. Application of force causes the energy-storing element to transition from the higher energy first stable configuration to the lower energy second stable configuration, releasing the difference in energies of the two states to deploy a holding member in the application which is configured to hold an array of microprojections.

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

A plug-in hybrid propulsion system includes a fast energy storage device that preserves battery life, where the energy storage elements of the hybrid drive train may be charged with externally supplied electricity as well as energy from the engine or regenerative braking. Electronic switches, passive electronics, an enclosure, controller circuitry, and / or control algorithms are used to manage the flow of power between a fuel powered engine, a battery, a fast energy storage system, traction motors; a charger, ancillary systems, an electrical distribution system, and / or a drive train.

A circuit for rendering an energy storage device parallelable comprised of an energy storage device connected to a power adapter that converts the potential of the energy storage device into a potential that follows a predetermined function of the state of charge of the energy storage device. When multiple assemblies are paralleled, they may be charged and discharged as a whole with individual storage devices maintaining equal states of charge. The energy storage devices can be batteries with different cell counts, configurations, and energy discharge profiles. In some cases, the power adapters are comprised of DC to DC converters and system controllers that are used to translate each battery's energy discharge profile into a user-determined energy discharge profile that is a predictable function of the battery's state of charge and independent of temperature or other external conditions.

A power system adapted for supplying power in a high temperature environment is disclosed. The power system includes a rechargeable energy storage that is operable in a temperature range of between about seventy degrees Celsius and about two hundred and fifty degrees Celsius coupled to a circuit for at least one of supplying power from the energy storage and charging the energy storage; wherein the energy storage is configured to store between about one one hundredth (0.01) of a joule and about one hundred megajoules of energy, and to provide peak power of between about one one hundredth (0.01) of a watt and about one hundred megawatts, for at least two charge-discharge cycles. Methods of use and fabrication are provided. Embodiments of additional features of the power supply are included.

An electrochemical method and apparatus for high-amperage electrical energy storage features a high-temperature, all-liquid chemistry. The reaction products created during charging remain part of the electrodes during storage for discharge on demand. In a simultaneous ambipolar electrodeposition cell, a reaction compound is electrolyzed to effect transfer from an external power source; the electrode elements are electrodissolved during discharge.

A battery cell converter (BCC) unit including one or more energy-storing battery cells coupled to one or more DC / DC converters is disclosed. A management unit can monitor and control the charging and discharging of each battery cells; including monitoring of voltages & State-of-Charge of each cell as well as controlling the switching of the DC / DC converters. The combined power and cell switching algorithms optimizes the charging and discharging process of the battery cells. A compound battery cell converter system comprising a series stack of BCCs to achieve high effective converter output voltage is also disclosed. The new proposed Battery Cell Converter architecture will enable improvements in battery pack usage efficiencies, will increase battery pack useable time per charge, will extend battery pack life-time and will lower battery pack manufacturing cost.

A refrigerated truck has a power management system for optimally distributing power between one or more energy sources, energy sinks, or energy storage components on the refrigerated truck. One such power consuming component includes a refrigeration unit that cools a refrigerated compartment of the refrigerated truck. Particularly with regard to this refrigeration unit, the power management system is operative to direct power from multiple power sources to the refrigeration unit so as to efficiently use available power. To do so, the power management system dynamically determines the availability of certain power sources and selects a preferred power source based on availability and a defined order of power source preference. For example, one defined order of power source preference may include, in order of preference upon availability, a shore power source, a truck engine generator drivingly connected to the refrigerated truck's engine, one or more auxiliary power sources, and a stand alone refrigerator unit engine.

The present invention concerns systems for storing energy and using the stored energy to generate electrical energy or drive a propeller (505). In particular, the present invention provides a method of storing energy comprising: providing a gaseous input, producing a cryogen from the gaseous input; storing the cryogen; expanding the cryogen; using the expanded cryogen to drive a turbine (320) and recovering cold energy from the expansion of the cryogen. The present invention also provides a cryogenic energy storage system comprising: a source of cryogen; a cryogen storage facility (370); means for expanding the cryogen; a turbine (320) capable of being driven by the expanding cryogen; and means (340, 350) for recovering cold energy released during expansion of the cryogen.

A zinc ion-exchanging battery device comprising: (A) a cathode comprising two cathode active materials (a zinc ion intercalation compound and a surface-mediating material); (B) an anode containing zinc metal or zinc alloy; (C) a porous separator disposed between the cathode and the anode; and (D) an electrolyte containing zinc ions that are exchanged between the cathode and the anode during battery charge / discharge. The zinc ion intercalation compound is selected from chemically treated carbon or graphite material having an expanded inter-graphene spacing d002 of at least 0.5 nm, or an oxide, carbide, dichalcogenide, trichalcogenide, sulfide, selenide, or telluride of niobium, zirconium, molybdenum, hafnium, tantalum, tungsten, titanium, vanadium, chromium, cobalt, manganese, iron, nickel, or a combination thereof. The surface-mediating material contains exfoliated graphite or multiple single-layer sheets or multi-layer platelets of a graphene material.

The invention relates to a graphene composite material and a preparation method thereof. The graphene composite material provided by the invention is characterized in that a graphene material plate fixed on a metallic matrix serves as a carrier, and the elementary substance and / or a compound are compounded on the graphene surface. Meanwhile, the invention also discloses a method for preparing the graphene composite material. The graphene composite material prepared by the invention is opened between graphene sheets and is compounded with a chemical substance under the condition that a space body structure is formed, and the obtained material has high conductivity, high specific surface area and excellent performance of low electrical resistivity between the sheets, and can be widely applied to the fields of energy storage materials such as lithium ion batteries, super-capacitors, super lead carbon batteries, super nickel-carbon electrodes, solar energy and fuel cells, the field of heat dissipation materials, the field of environment-friendly adsorbing materials, the field of sea water desalination materials, the field of photoelectric sensor materials, the biological relevance field, the field of catalyst materials and the fields of conductive ink and coating materials.

An electric arc welder that includes a energy storage device and non-battery power source for the formation of an electric arc. The welder also includes battery charging circuit that controls the charging of the energy storage device by the non-battery power source. The non-battery power source can include an engine driven electric generator, power grid or a fuel cell.

The invention relates to an external skeleton assisting robot, in particular to a portable energy-storage type external skeleton assisting robot. The problems that an existing lower limb external skeleton assisting robot worn on the human body is poor in assisting effect so that the loading capacity of the human body can be reduced, the wearing comfort for the human body is poor, the universality is poor, and the field environmental suitability is poor are solved. The portable energy-storage type external skeleton assisting robot comprises the upper body back, the left leg and the right leg, and the left leg and the right leg respectively comprise a hip driving system, a thigh driving system and a shank wearing system. A hip joint energy-storage mechanism comprises a connecting base, a stretching rod, a second spring and a stopping sheet, and a first bevel gear is meshed with a second bevel gear. Each hip driving system comprises a second motor with a coder, a second reducer, a third bevel gear, a fourth bevel gear, a thigh connecting rod, a knee joint support, a knee joint connecting plate, an angle sensor, a series connection elastic combination body, a knee joint gearbox body, a knee joint shaft and an end cover. The portable energy-storage type external skeleton assisting robot is suitable for being worn outdoors for walking assisting.

The invention relates to systems and methods for rapidly and isothermally expanding gas in a cylinder. The cylinder is used in a staged hydraulic-pneumatic energy conversion system and includes a gas chamber (pneumatic side) and a fluid chamber (hydraulic side) and a piston or other mechanism that separates the gas chamber and fluid chamber while allowing the transfer of force / pressure between each opposing chamber. The gas chamber of the cylinder includes ports that are coupled to a heat transfer subassembly that circulates gas from the pneumatic side and exchanges its heat with a counter flow of ambient temperature fluid from a reservoir or other source.

A surface-enabled, metal ion-exchanging battery device comprising a cathode, an anode, a porous separator, and a metal ion-containing electrolyte, wherein the metal ion is selected from (A) non-Li alkali metals; (B) alkaline-earth metals; (C) transition metals; (D) other metals such as aluminum (Al); or (E) a combination thereof; and wherein at least one of the electrodes contains therein a metal ion source prior to the first charge or discharge cycle of the device and at least the cathode comprises a functional material or nano-structured material having a metal ion-capturing functional group or metal ion-storing surface in direct contact with said electrolyte, and wherein the operation of the battery device does not involve the introduction of oxygen from outside the device and does not involve the formation of a metal oxide, metal sulfide, metal selenide, metal telluride, metal hydroxide, or metal-halogen compound. This energy storage device has a power density significantly higher than that of a lithium-ion battery and an energy density dramatically higher than that of a supercapacitor.

An apparatus and method for managing consumption of electricity of loads at a site which includes energy storage, a system controller, and load shedding ability. The system controller monitors energy consumption of the site and discharges energy into the site when consumption exceeds a maximum consumption threshold. If energy storage is depleted while consumption remains in excess of the threshold the controller may engage load shedding to prevent consumption from exceeding the maximum threshold. Additionally, the energy storage device may recharge during a peak consumption period due to load shedding reducing consumption below the maximum threshold, and the energy storage device may use this recovered energy to further mitigate the peak; in some embodiments, repetitively. Supplemental and additional load mitigation techniques may also be implemented to increase effectiveness and efficiency of the systems and methods.

The invention relates to systems for stored compressed air without use of combustion. The systems can be installed on the customer side of the meter and creates electricity during peak hours after it has been stored in off peak hours. The invention creates a financial incentive for conserving energy costs by building compressed air storage systems which heretofore have seen little application.

An electrochemical energy storage device, lithium super-battery, comprising a positive electrode, a negative electrode, a porous separator disposed between the two electrodes, and a lithium-containing electrolyte in physical contact with the two electrodes, wherein the positive electrode comprises a plurality of chemically functionalized nano graphene platelets (f-NGP) or exfoliated graphite having a functional group that reversibly reacts with a lithium atom or ion. In a preferred embodiment, a lithium super-battery having a f-NGP positive electrode and Li4Ti5O12 negative electrode exhibits a gravimetric energy ˜5 times higher than conventional supercapacitors and a power density ˜10 times higher than conventional lithium-ion batteries. This device has the best properties of both the lithium ion battery and the supercapacitor.

An electric power load management system and method that uses a multiplicity of remote power supplies in a controlled manner such that the aggregate system has the capacity to offset critical power company peak electric demand periods thereby preventing severe and detrimental power shortages and interruptions.

Different types of energy storage systems are described, in particular hydro-pneumatic storage systems. In one, energy is stored by compressing gas in a chamber (44,45,54,55) with a liquid piston and released by gas expansion. A spray head or grid at the top of the chamber (44,45,54,55) supplies liquid as a shower through the gas being compressed or expanding in the cylinder (11,12) to maintain an isothermal condition. In another, energy is stored from an array of solar cells connected to an array of supercapacitors forming an auxiliary storage, and a main energy storage device such as a hydro-pneumatic storage system, for supply to an AC or DC network. The efficiency is improved by connecting the solar cells via the array of supercapacitors to the AC or DC network. An immersed hydro-pneumatic storage device for off-shore / on-shore power generation systems comprises a cylinder that is immersed in a liquid mass, wherein energy is stored by compressing gas with a liquid piston and energy is released by gas expansion. The mass of liquid maintains an isothermal condition in the cylinder during compression and expansion.

A method, device and system is disclosed for rapidly and safely discharging remaining energy stored in an electrochemical battery 104 in the event of an internal short circuit or other fault. In its best mode of implementation, if a sensor 116 detects one or more parameters such as battery temperature 204 or pressure 206, exceeding a predetermined threshold value 334, the terminals 144 of the battery or cell are intentionally short-circuited external to the battery through a low or near zero resistance load 150 which rapidly drains energy from the battery 104. The rate energy is drained via the external discharge load 150 may be controlled with an electronic circuit 136 responsive to factors such as state of charge and battery temperature. Devices such as piezoelectric and Peltier devices 300, may also be used as emergency energy discharge loads.

The present application is generally directed to energy storage materials such as activated carbon comprising enhanced particle packing properties and devices containing the same. The energy storage materials find utility in any number of devices, for example, in electric double layer capacitance devices and batteries. Methods for making the energy storage materials are also disclosed.

An energy generation and storage system that uses a buoyant balloon suspended in a fluid and connected by a tether to a reel. The tether is taut and keeps the balloon from rising due to the buoyant force. A motor can do work to wind the reel in such a way that the balloon is pulled down against the buoyant force. Energy can be extracted from the system by allowing the balloon to rise, pulling on the tether and turning the reel that is connected to a generator. The generator and the motor can be the same unit, or they can be independent units which both connect to the reel.