Energy storage systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current heating and cooling systems face efficiency issues and rely on fossil fuels, which are environmentally unfriendly and unsustainable, with challenges in storing electrical energy for on-demand use and achieving effective thermal energy storage.
Innovation Solution
A thermal energy storage system utilizing phase change materials in a series of banks that can store and release energy at different temperatures, allowing for efficient heating and cooling by balancing energy demand between day and night and incorporating heat exchanger means for thermal energy transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If thermal energy storage material stores energy at a single temperature, then the storage system is simple, but the heating and cooling efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The thermal energy storage system is divided into multiple temperature zones or banks, each containing storage material with different phase change temperatures. This segmentation allows the system to store and release thermal energy at different temperature levels, improving heating and cooling efficiency by matching supply temperatures to demand requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the storage system are assigned different thermal properties, with each bank containing material optimized for a specific temperature range. This local differentiation enables efficient heat transfer to both heating and cooling loads while maintaining overall system simplicity through modular design.
2Quantity of substance
If phase change material is used for thermal energy storage, then energy storage density is improved, but heat transfer efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The phase change material is configured in a porous structure or combined with porous support materials that provide extensive surface area for heat transfer. This porous configuration maintains high energy storage density through phase change while dramatically improving heat transfer efficiency by creating numerous heat exchange pathways between the PCM and heat transfer fluid.
Solution Approach 2:
A heat transfer fluid circulation system is implemented to continuously move thermal energy into and out of the phase change material banks. The hydraulic system ensures efficient heat exchange by maintaining fluid flow through the porous PCM structure, overcoming the natural heat transfer limitations of phase change materials while preserving their high storage density.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system enhances thermal energy storage efficiency, reduces reliance on fossil fuels, and provides a sustainable solution for heating and cooling by effectively managing energy demand and storage.
Implementation Method 1
A thermal energy storage system utilizing phase change materials in a series of banks that can store and release energy at different temperatures
Implementation Method 2
incorporating heat exchanger means for thermal energy transfer
Data Source
AI summary
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.