A thermal energy storage plant
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional thermal energy storage plants face issues with surface cover leakage, unsatisfactory service life, and difficulty in locating leaks due to water expansion and evaporation, as well as heat loss through the surrounding ground.
Innovation Solution
A thermal energy storage plant design featuring a surface cover divided into segments with tilting devices and insulating materials, allowing for efficient drainage of precipitation and improved insulation, reducing stress on the cover and facilitating leak detection and maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If a surface cover is used to insulate the thermal energy storage pit, then heat loss is reduced, but the cover is prone to leaking and has unsatisfactory service life
Solution Approach 1:
The surface cover is divided into multiple segments that can independently move and adjust. Each segment is equipped with its own tilting device, allowing localized drainage without compromising the entire cover structure. This segmentation improves reliability by isolating potential failure points while maintaining overall insulation effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The surface cover segments are designed to be dynamic rather than static, with tilting devices that allow each segment to adjust its angle independently. This dynamic capability enables the cover to respond to water accumulation, thermal expansion, and other environmental factors, preventing stress buildup and extending service life while maintaining heat retention.
2Loss of energy
If a surface cover is used to prevent thermal energy escape, then insulation is improved, but the cover may be damaged due to water expansion and evaporation stresses
Solution Approach 1:
Dividing the cover into segments allows each piece to move independently in response to thermal expansion and water stress, preventing crack propagation across the entire structure. The segmented design localizes stress effects, maintaining overall cover integrity while preserving insulation performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The tilting devices are pre-configured to automatically drain water before it can accumulate to damaging levels. This preliminary action counteracts the harmful effects of water expansion and evaporation stresses before they can compromise the cover's strength and integrity.
3Quantity of substance
If the thermal energy storage pit size increases to meet energy demands, then energy storage capacity is improved, but leak detection and maintenance difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
Segmenting the surface cover into smaller, numbered sections makes leak detection systematic and manageable even in large storage pits. Each segment can be independently inspected, and leaks can be localized to specific segments rather than searching the entire large surface area, maintaining ease of maintenance despite increased storage capacity.
4Loss of energy
If precipitation accumulates on the surface cover, then insulation is maintained, but water weight creates stress and prevents proper drainage
Solution Approach 1:
The dynamic tilting devices allow the cover segments to automatically adjust their angle in response to water accumulation. When precipitation accumulates, the tilting mechanism activates to create a steeper drainage angle, reducing water weight stress on the cover while maintaining insulation effectiveness by quickly removing excess water.
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 segmented surface cover design enhances the durability and efficiency of thermal energy storage by reducing stress, improving leak detection, and maintaining insulation, while allowing for easier maintenance and assembly.
Implementation Method 1
a weight of the first tilting device tilting a draining surface of the first surface cover segment from its circumferential periphery downwards towards a first draining location of the first surface cover segment, whereby water from precipitate falling on the first surface cover segment will flow by gravity towards the first draining location
Implementation Method 2
a surface cover comprising an insulating material, such as extruded polystyrene (XPS), for retaining heat energy stored in said liquid
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2a
Figure 2b
AI summary
This disclosure relates to a thermal energy storage plant for storing thermal energy from an energy source, the storage plant comprising: a liquid reservoir for being coupled to an energy source and comprising a reservoir volume with a top side, said top side coinciding with a liquid level of a thermal energy storage liquid in the liquid reservoir, and a surface cover comprising an insulating material, such as extruded polystyrene (XPS), for retaining heat energy stored in said liquid, said surface cover at least partly covering said top side, said surface cover being divided into at least a first and a second surface cover segment positioned adjacently to each other and each comprising a circumferential periphery, wherein the first surface cover segment further comprises a first tilting device, a weight of the first tilting device tilting a draining surface of the first surface cover segment from its circumferential periphery downwards towards a first draining location of the first surface cover segment, whereby water from precipitate falling on the first surface cover segment will flow by gravity towards the first draining location where it can be drained off from the first surface cover segment, and wherein the second surface cover segment similarly further comprises a second tilting device, a weight of the second tilting device tilting a draining surface of the second surface cover segment from its circumferential periphery downwards towards a second draining location of the second surface cover segment, whereby water from precipitate falling on the second surface cover segment will flow by gravity towards the second draining location where it can be drained off from the second surface cover segment.