1657 results about "Thermal energy storage" patented technology

A large-scale, capacitor-based electrical energy storage and distribution system capable of effectuating load-leveling during periods of peak demand on a utility, and of effectuating a cost savings associated with the purchase of electrical energy. A capacitor or multitude of capacitors may be charged with electrical energy produced by the utility, such as during periods of low demand or low cost, and discharged during periods of high electrical energy consumption or high electrical energy cost. One or more capacitors may be located at a consumer's residence or business. Alternatively, a farm of capacitors may be provided at or near a utility, or at or near a location experiencing high demand. In another embodiment, one or more capacitors may be located in or on a vehicle, such as an automobile, a truck, or a train of a light rail system.

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.

Thermal energy derived from a low temperature heat source is stored in one reservoir above ambient temperature and in another reservoir below ambient temperature for use in driving an organic Rankine cycle engine to produce electricity. The organic Rankine cycle engine may utilize an organic working fluid that boils below or near ambient temperature. Solar energy may be used to power a heat pump or chiller that provides the hot and cold storage fluids stored in hot and cold reservoirs for use in the organic Rankine cycle engine.

A fireproof insulating foamed cementitious composition with thermal energy storage capacity is provided for use in producing wall insulation boards, fireproof claddings for steel structures, inner cores of fire resistant wall or door panels, and the like. The composition demonstrates improved energy efficiency in which phase change materials, such as microencapsulates, are used in conjunction with a cementitious mixture of calcined gypsum and hydraulic cement, lightweight aggregates, a polymer latex, and a foaming solution to create stable air bubbles inside the cementitious matrix. The calcined gypsum and the hydraulic cement are present in a weight ratio range from about 1:3 to about 3:1. The composition may further include reinforced fibers, surfactants, inorganic flame retardants, and other additives. The presence of the phase change material not only increases energy efficiency of the cured cementitious foam material, but also improves compatibility between calcined gypsum and cement during slurry mixing and hardening.

A power generation plant with a compressed air energy storage system comprises a means to reduce the pressure of air extracted from a compressed air storage cavern for the use in a combustion turbine. The means to reduce the air pressure comprises at least one expansion turbine and means to control the size of pressure reduction. Furthermore, the expansion turbine is arranged on a rotor shaft that drives a generator. The means for pressure redact, according to the invention, avoid power losses and provide an increased overall efficiency of the power generation plant.

A system and method are provided for thermoelectric energy storage. A thermoelectric energy storage system having at least one hot storage unit is provided. In an exemplary embodiment, each hot storage unit includes a hot tank and a cold tank connected via a heat exchanger and containing a thermal storage medium. The thermoelectric energy storage system also includes a working fluid circuit for circulating working fluid through each heat exchanger for heat transfer with the thermal storage medium. Improved roundtrip efficiency is achieved by minimizing the temperature difference between the working fluid and the thermal storage medium in each heat exchanger during heat transfer. Exemplary embodiments realize this improved roundtrip efficiency through modification of thermal storage media parameters.

An ACAES system operable in a compression mode and an expansion mode of operation is disclosed and includes a compressor system configured to compress air supplied thereto and a turbine system configured to expand compressed air supplied thereto, with the compressor system including a compressor conduit and the turbine system including a turbine conduit. The ACAES system also includes a plurality of thermal energy storage (TES) units positioned on the compressor and turbine conduits and configured to remove thermal energy from compressed air passing through the compressor conduit and return thermal energy to air passing through the turbine conduit. The compressor conduit and the turbine conduit are arranged such that at least a portion of the plurality of TES units operate at a first pressure state during the compression mode of operation and at a second pressure state different from the first pressure state during the expansion mode of operation.

The invention provides compositions for use in thermal energy storage systems, including thermal energy storage mediums, fluid channeling devices and thermally conductive heat transfer elements, and methods for storing thermal energy. A thermal energy storage system is provided, comprising: (a) a granular thermal energy storage medium comprising at least a first size class and a second size class; wherein the individual granules of each size class deviate from the average granular size for that size class by no more than about ±50%; wherein first size class is the largest size class; wherein the ratio of the average size of the first size class to the average size of the second size class is at least about 2:1; and (b) one or more conduits disposed within the medium, and arranged to receive a source of thermal energy.

High temperature thermal energy storage system comprised of solid-liquid phase change material that is fully encapsulated in helically grooved, sealed, thin-wall, metal tubes. Multitude of horizontally oriented, pressure-rated steam pipes or vessels filled with PCM tube capsules form a battery of thermal storage system. The steam pipes in the battery are connected through a common liquid-side distribution header system and a common steam-side distribution header system. Multitude of steam pipes stacked up to fill a block-shaped container space. This insulated enclosure provides the basis for simple fabrication, transport and filed-erection and forms the basic building block for a modular thermal storage system.

A compressed-air energy storage system according to embodiments of the present invention comprises a reversible mechanism to compress and expand air, one or more compressed air storage tanks, a control system, one or more heat exchangers, and, in certain embodiments of the invention, a motor-generator. The reversible air compressor-expander uses mechanical power to compress air (when it is acting as a compressor) and converts the energy stored in compressed air to mechanical power (when it is acting as an expander). In certain embodiments, the compressor-expander comprises one or more stages, each stage consisting of pressure vessel (the “pressure cell”) partially filled with water or other liquid. In some embodiments, the pressure vessel communicates with one or more cylinder devices to exchange air and liquid with the cylinder chamber(s) thereof. Suitable valving allows air to enter and leave the pressure cell and cylinder device, if present, under electronic control.

The invention discloses a multi-source fluid waste heat recovery and comprehensive utilization system which comprises a high-temperature heat exchanger, a heat source end heat exchanger group, a heat source end small-cycle system, a direct heat exchanging device, a heat energy storage device, a use end heat exchanger group, a waste heat utilization system, a heat pump system and an intelligent control system, wherein the intelligent control system is connected with the high-temperature heat exchanger, the heat source end heat exchanger group, the heat source end small-cycle system, the direct heat exchanging device, the heat energy storage device, the use end heat exchanger group and the heat pump system through control cables respectively. According to the system, two independent internal circulations are set, so that dirt and impurities in water can be prevented while the temperature of a heat source end of a heat pump is guaranteed, independent physical and chemical treatment of circulating water can be performed, and the water quality of the heat source end is guaranteed; and besides, mutual contact between the heat pump and liquids containing different components is isolated through internal circulations, the cleaning and maintaining times are reduced, and the stability and the reliability of operating of the heat pump are guaranteed.

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 latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) device for an electric vehicle (EV) comprises a chamber, a plurality of thermal conductivity enhancement units disposed in the chamber, and phase change material (PCM) filled in the chamber, allowing storage of coolness or thermal energy produced when the EV is being charged and retrieval of the coolness or thermal energy when the EV is driven to regulate the temperature of a passenger compartment of the EV. In addition, systems comprising LHTES devices and methods for controlling the same are also introduced.

The invention discloses a microgrid running optimization system and method based on power and heat combined dispatching. Running restrains such as the output force characteristic, start, stop and climbing of a distributed type generator set and the charge and discharge characteristics of power and heat energy storage are comprehensively considered, a microgrid power and heat combined dispatching model containing a fan, a photovoltaic cell, a combined heat and power generation system, an electric boiler, a fuel cell and an energy storage (electrical energy storage and heat energy storage) is built, the 0-1 mixed integer nonlinear programming method is adopted for solving the optimal output force and total running cost of all units in the network, and power and heat dispatching contrastive analysis is carried out on the system and a traditional separated generation and combined generation optimization model. In addition, the influences of the heat and power reliability difference on the running are analyzed and discussed, and therefore the heat and power dispatching module is more reasonable, comprehensive and universal.

Because the efficiency of the thermal energy storage technology is inherently restricted, its beneficial use is limited to very particular economic boundary conditions, i.e. a large difference between the value of electricity going into the unit and the value of electricity coming out of the unit. With the reduction in wind power equipment prices and the cost of fossil fuels and/or their combustion products this is occasionally the case for wind power. Wind is a free fuel and the value of wind power when there is too little load demand is essentially zero, and the value of wind power when there is demand is considerable indeed. Under these circumstances, a combination of electrothermal energy storage and combustion of (fossil) fuels as an auxiliary heat source provides for a cost efficient system for storing energy and an economical way of generating electricity.

A solar power system capable of storing heat energy and converting sun light to electrical power. The solar power system includes a solar collection system which gathers and transmits concentrated solar energy to an absorber/cavity. The thermal energy is extracted from the absorber/cavity via a fluid and transported to a heat conversion system. The heat conversion system uses the thermal energy to create electricity.