Device and system for the intermediate storage of thermal energy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Solid-state thermal energy storage devices face challenges in achieving both high thermal conductivity and cost-effectiveness, as materials like steel have high conductivity but are expensive, while concrete has limited conductivity, requiring dense tube arrangements that increase production costs.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating heat-conducting elements with higher thermal conductivity, such as metals or graphite, that extend from pipes into the solid storage medium to facilitate rapid and even heat distribution, allowing for larger radial distances between pipes and reducing loading and unloading times while maintaining economic efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If metal storage medium is used, then thermal conductivity is improved, but investment costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines metal components (pipes, heat-conducting elements) with mineral storage material (gravel, stones, or solid blocks) to create a composite storage medium. This allows the system to benefit from the high thermal conductivity of metals while using the cost-effective mineral material as the primary storage medium, thereby resolving the contradiction between thermal conductivity and investment costs.
2Productivity
If tube density is increased, then heat distribution is improved, but production costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces heat-conducting elements as intermediaries between the pipes and the mineral storage medium. These elements (such as metal plates, grids, or rods) facilitate heat transfer from the pipes to the surrounding storage material, improving heat distribution speed without requiring increased tube density, thus resolving the contradiction between productivity and production costs.
3Ease of manufacture
If radial distance between pipes is increased, then production costs are reduced, but heat conduction is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
Heat-conducting elements serve as thermal bridges that extend from the pipes into the mineral storage medium, enabling effective heat conduction even when pipes are spaced farther apart. This intermediary approach allows larger radial distances between pipes (reducing production costs) while maintaining adequate heat conduction through the enhanced thermal pathways provided by the heat-conducting elements.
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
This approach enables quick and uniform charging and discharging of thermal energy across the solid storage volume, achieving a high specific thermal output with reduced production costs by using fewer pipes and less expensive materials.
Implementation Method 1
heat-conducting elements with higher thermal conductivity, such as metals or graphite, that extend from pipes into the solid storage medium to facilitate rapid and even heat distribution
Implementation Method 2
The circulation of liquid storage media results in convective heat transfer, with the advantage of fast and even loading and unloading of the storage medium
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~7b
AI summary
The invention relates to a device for the intermediate storage of thermal energy and to a system comprising a plurality of such devices. The device has a solids store (2) and a pipe system (5), which is formed of individual pipes (6) and runs through the solids store (2) and through which an energy carrier medium flows. In order to be able to quickly and uniformly charge the solids store (2) with thermal energy or discharge thermal energy therefrom, heat conducting elements (20, 21, 26, 27, 29, 31, 33, 36, 39) are provided, each forming heat transmission regions with the individual pipes (6) and each extending into the regions of the solids store (2) that are free of individual pipes (6). For said purpose, the heat conducting elements (20, 21, 26, 27, 29, 31, 33, 36, 39) have higher heat conductivity than the solids store (2).