Thermal Energy Storage Plant Countercurrent Heat Exchange
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current thermal energy storage plants face challenges with humidity-related corrosion, condensation, and fouling due to water presence, and require energy-intensive and time-consuming open cycle operations to reduce humidity, which is not suitable for larger storage systems.
Innovation Solution
A thermal energy storage plant design featuring a fluid transporting machine, a heating device, and a thermal energy storage system with countercurrent thermal exchange paths that facilitate the exchange of hot humid working fluid for hot dry fluid, reducing energy consumption and accelerating the drying process, while allowing dust removal and using a granular material for efficient thermal energy storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If open cycle mode is used to reduce humidity in the storage, then humidity-related corrosion and condensation are reduced, but energy consumption and operation time increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful hot humid exhaust flow into a useful resource by using it to preheat the cold working fluid in the heat exchanger. This extracts thermal energy from the waste stream, reducing the energy required for heating while simultaneously removing humidity from the storage system through the continuous flow exchange.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the humidity reduction function with the thermal energy storage and transfer functions by integrating the heat exchanger into the existing system. The heat exchanger serves dual purposes: transferring thermal energy between flows and enabling continuous humidity extraction through the flow exchange mechanism, eliminating the need for separate drying operations.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If open cycle mode is used to reduce humidity in the storage, then humidity-related corrosion and condensation are reduced, but operation time increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent establishes continuous operation by implementing permanent insertion and extraction points that enable continuous flow exchange between cold and hot streams. This continuous countercurrent heat exchange process maintains constant humidity reduction without requiring periodic shutdowns or extended operation cycles, making the process suitable for large-scale applications.
3Reliability
If thermal energy storage plant processes dust from production and erosion, then material purity is maintained, but energy consumption and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the hot humid exhaust flow, which carries dust particles from production and erosion, to flush and clean the thermal energy storage system. The continuous flow exchange mechanism transports dust-laden exhaust through the system, utilizing the existing flow dynamics to remove contaminants without requiring additional energy-intensive filtration or cleaning equipment.
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 design significantly reduces energy and cost requirements for humidity extraction, accelerates the drying process, and enables efficient dust removal, improving the operational efficiency and stability of thermal energy storage plants.
Implementation Method 1
a first thermal exchange path along which the temperature of the working fluid is raised from an initial temperature to a first temperature
Implementation Method 2
a second thermal exchange path along which the temperature of the working fluid is lowered from a second temperature higher than the first temperature to a final temperature
Implementation Method 3
the first thermal exchange path and the second thermal exchange path being in thermal contact with each other
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
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AI summary
A thermal energy storage plant (10) comprising: - a fluid transporting machine (110) for generating a flow of a working fluid, - a heating device (120), - a thermal energy storage (130), - a first flow path (141) from a source (151) of the working fluid to an insertion point (111), the first flow path (141) including a first thermal exchange path (141a) along which the temperature of the working fluid is raised from an initial temperature (T0) to a first temperature (T1), - a second flow path (142) from an extraction point (112) to a waste (152), the second flow path (142) including a second thermal exchange path (142a) along which the temperature of the working fluid is lowered from a second temperature (T2) higher than the first temperature (T1) to a final temperature (T3), the first thermal exchange path (141a) and the second thermal exchange path (142a) being in thermal contact with each other.