Refractory Waste Ceramic for High-Temperature Thermal Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current thermal energy storage systems for high-temperature applications are limited by the high cost and limited availability of specialized ceramics, as well as the hazardous nature and limited temperature range of existing heat transfer fluids, which hinders their deployment in industrial sectors.
Innovation Solution
A method for producing thermal energy storage ceramics using recycled refractory waste, involving pretreatment, mixing with clay-like materials, and firing at high temperatures to create ceramic products suitable for packed bed or structured bed systems, capable of storing heat up to 1400°C.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If specialized ceramics are used for thermal energy storage, then thermal resistance and durability at high temperature are improved, but production cost and limited availability worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the compositional parameters of the ceramic material by incorporating refractory waste (30-80 wt%) combined with clay-like materials (20-70 wt%), replacing expensive specialized ceramics with cost-effective waste-based materials while maintaining high-temperature stability through controlled composition ratios
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite ceramic material combining refractory waste with clay-like materials, where the refractory waste provides thermal resistance and the clay-like materials provide binding and plasticity, achieving both performance and cost-effectiveness through material composition
2Ease of operation
If two-tank molten salt system is used for thermal energy storage, then effectiveness and ease of handling are improved, but initial investment cost and hazardous classification worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the heat transfer fluid from the storage system, using air as a simple gas that flows through the ceramic material, eliminating the need for complex two-tank molten salt systems and reducing investment cost while maintaining operational simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces expensive, hazardous molten salt with inexpensive air, using a simple gas that can be easily supplied and removed, dramatically reducing the initial investment cost and eliminating hazardous classification while maintaining the thermal energy storage function
3Ease of manufacture
If thermocline TES system with solid filler is used, then installation cost is reduced, but thermal storage capacity and temperature range are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameters by using refractory waste ceramics with high melting points and high specific heat capacity, enabling the system to operate at temperatures above 1000°C while maintaining cost-effectiveness through waste-based materials
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite system where refractory waste ceramics serve as both the structural filler and the thermal storage medium, combining the advantages of low cost with high-temperature capability through the unique properties of the composite material
4Ease of manufacture
If recycled refractory waste is used for ceramic production, then environmental impact and production cost are improved, but manufacturing precision and material consistency worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary treatment steps including size reduction (crushing, milling), classification (sieving), and homogenization (mixing with clay-like materials) before shaping and firing, ensuring consistent material composition and properties while maintaining cost-effectiveness through waste utilization
Solution Approach 2:
The patent achieves homogeneity by combining refractory waste with clay-like materials in controlled ratios (30-80 wt% waste, 20-70 wt% clay), where the clay-like materials act as a binding agent that distributes the waste particles uniformly, ensuring consistent material properties throughout the ceramic product
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 use of recycled refractory waste ceramics reduces environmental impact, lowers production costs, and provides materials with high thermal resistance and mechanical stability, making them suitable for mass production and efficient thermal energy storage.
Implementation Method 1
thermal energy storage ceramics... capable of storing heat up to 1400°C
Implementation Method 2
firing the green body to form the ceramic product at a temperature in the range of 1100° C. to 1400° C.
Data Source
AI summary
A shaped thermal energy storage ceramic and its method of preparation including milling refractory waste exhibiting a diameter of 1 mm or less to form powder, sieving the powder to retain the powder having a particle size below 250 um, combining with a binder as clay or polymer, and water to form at least one of an extrudable paste and a granulated mixture, forming a green body from at least one of an extrudable paste and a granulated mixture, drying the green body, firing the green body to form the ceramic product at a temperature in the range of 1000 deg C. to 1400 deg C. for a time period in the range of 0.5 hours to 12 hours, and cooling the ceramic product.