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WO2011163039A2 - Système d'utilisation d'énergie thermique et procédé de fonctionnement associé - Google Patents

Système d'utilisation d'énergie thermique et procédé de fonctionnement associé Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2011163039A2
WO2011163039A2 PCT/US2011/040606 US2011040606W WO2011163039A2 WO 2011163039 A2 WO2011163039 A2 WO 2011163039A2 US 2011040606 W US2011040606 W US 2011040606W WO 2011163039 A2 WO2011163039 A2 WO 2011163039A2
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
thermal energy
fluid
storage unit
energy utilization
energy storage
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Ceased
Application number
PCT/US2011/040606
Other languages
English (en)
Other versions
WO2011163039A3 (fr
Inventor
Daniel C. Sherman
Dean A. Warner
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Saint Gobain Ceramics and Plastics Inc
Original Assignee
Saint Gobain Ceramics and Plastics Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Saint Gobain Ceramics and Plastics Inc filed Critical Saint Gobain Ceramics and Plastics Inc
Publication of WO2011163039A2 publication Critical patent/WO2011163039A2/fr
Publication of WO2011163039A3 publication Critical patent/WO2011163039A3/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Ceased legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F03—MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS; WIND, SPRING, OR WEIGHT MOTORS; PRODUCING MECHANICAL POWER OR A REACTIVE PROPULSIVE THRUST, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F03G—SPRING, WEIGHT, INERTIA OR LIKE MOTORS; MECHANICAL-POWER PRODUCING DEVICES OR MECHANISMS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR OR USING ENERGY SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F03G6/00—Devices for producing mechanical power from solar energy
    • F03G6/003—Devices for producing mechanical power from solar energy having a Rankine cycle
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F03—MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS; WIND, SPRING, OR WEIGHT MOTORS; PRODUCING MECHANICAL POWER OR A REACTIVE PROPULSIVE THRUST, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F03G—SPRING, WEIGHT, INERTIA OR LIKE MOTORS; MECHANICAL-POWER PRODUCING DEVICES OR MECHANISMS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR OR USING ENERGY SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F03G6/00—Devices for producing mechanical power from solar energy
    • F03G6/071—Devices for producing mechanical power from solar energy with energy storage devices
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
    • Y02E10/00—Energy generation through renewable energy sources
    • Y02E10/40—Solar thermal energy, e.g. solar towers
    • Y02E10/46—Conversion of thermal power into mechanical power, e.g. Rankine, Stirling or solar thermal engines

Definitions

  • a wide variety of heat transfer processes are known in the patent literature and are used in many commercial operations.
  • One example is a regenerative thermal oxidizer which recovers heat from a portion of a manufacturing process and then uses the recovered heat to preheat waste streams of effluents prior to their combustion.
  • Another example of a process that utilizes heat transfer equipment is a solar powered space heater which uses heat from the sun to warm air which is then used in residential and commercial environments.
  • Another example of a process in which heat transfer may be used is a solar powered generating station which captures and uses heat to produce electricity. Examples of patents and published patent applications that disclose capturing solar energy and using it to produce electricity include US 4,286,141 and WO 2008/108870.
  • Embodiments of the present invention enable the efficient transfer of heat to and from heat transfer media in a thermal energy storage unit while reducing the amount of equipment and process steps to complete the capture, storage and ultimate use of the heat.
  • the present invention includes a thermal energy utilization system comprising a thermal energy capturing apparatus connected to a thermal energy transfer component and a thermal energy utilization component.
  • the thermal energy transfer component comprises a fluid accumulator connected in series to a thermal energy storage unit and a fluid buffer.
  • Another embodiment relates to a process that may include the following steps. Capturing thermal energy in a heat transfer fluid flowing through a thermal energy capturing apparatus connected, via a fluid distribution system, to a thermal energy transfer component and a thermal energy utilization component.
  • the thermal energy transfer component comprises a fluid accumulator connected in series to a thermal energy storage unit and a fluid buffer. Transferring the fluid from the energy capturing apparatus to the fluid accumulator. Conveying the fluid from the accumulator to the thermal energy storage unit. Conveying the fluid from the thermal energy storage unit to the buffer and from the buffer to the thermal energy capturing apparatus. Conveying the fluid to the thermal energy utilization component.
  • the Figure is a schematic representation of a thermal energy utilization system of an embodiment.
  • Thermal energy utilization systems that absorb thermal energy at a variable rate but use the energy at a constant rate are inherently faced with the problems of how to efficiently (1) store excess energy generated during periods of peak energy absorption and then (2) recover and use the energy during periods of low energy absorption.
  • Some commercially available heat transfer processes have attempted to solve these problems by using a heat sink reservoir containing heat transfer media. Upon contact with a heat transfer fluid the media absorbs the thermal energy therefrom. As the heat transfer fluid enters the reservoir, the temperature and rate of flow of the fluid into the reservoir are allowed to vary in direct response to the temperature fluctuations and variable rate at which the thermal energy is received.
  • heat absorption media absorb and release heat most efficiently when the temperature of the fluid and the rate of flow of the fluid onto the media are constant and optimized.
  • Fluctuations in the temperature of the fluid may decrease the efficiency of the thermal transfer process.
  • variations in the rate of flow of the fluid onto the media may also decrease the efficiency of the thermal transfer process. For example, if the rate of flow is too high, the efficiency of the thermal transfer process may decrease.
  • the inventors of this application have discovered how to substantially improve the efficiency of the thermal transfer process in a thermal energy utilization system that may use a reservoir of heat transfer media to store excess thermal energy which the system receives at a variable rate of flow and variable temperature and subsequently may utilize at a constant rate of flow and constant temperature.
  • the phrase "transferring a fluid” denotes a process step in which the fluid is moved at a variable rate of flow for a specified period of time.
  • the phrase "conveying a fluid” denotes a process step that in which the fluid may be moved at either a variable or a constant rate of flow for a specified period of time. Conveying a fluid may be used to mean moving fluid at a variable rate of flow, a constant rate of flow or a combination of a variable rate for a first period of time and a fixed rate of flow for a second period of time.
  • a fluid having a "constant rate of flow” is a fluid that flows within plus or minus five percent of the fluid' s nominal rate of flow for a specified of time.
  • a fluid having a "constant temperature” is a fluid whose temperature over a specified period of time is within plus or minus five percent of the fluid's nominal temperature during the same period of time.
  • thermal energy utilization system 20 that includes thermal energy capturing apparatus 22, thermal energy transfer component 24 and thermal energy utilization component 26.
  • Capturing apparatus 22 is connected to transfer component 24 and utilization component 26 by fluid distribution system 28 which includes pipes 28a, 28b, 28c, 28d, 28e, 28f, 28g and 28h.
  • Transfer component 24 includes fluid accumulator 32, thermal energy storage unit 34 and fluid buffer 36.
  • fluid accumulator 32 is connected in series to thermal energy storage unit 34 and fluid buffer 36.
  • fluid accumulator 32 may also be described as a prestorage fluid reservoir and fluid buffer 36 may also be described as a post- storage fluid reservoir.
  • the fluid accumulator acts as a fluid reservoir before the heat in the fluid is conveyed to the thermal energy storage unit and the fluid buffer acts as a fluid reservoir after the fluid is conveyed from the thermal energy storage unit.
  • fluid distribution system 28 may include a first controller 40, a second controller 42, a third controller 44, a fourth controller 46 and a fifth controller 48.
  • First controller 40 may control fluid flow between capturing apparatus 22 and fluid accumulator 32.
  • Second controller 42 may control fluid flow between fluid accumulator 32 and thermal energy storage unit 34.
  • Third controller 44 may control fluid flow between thermal energy storage unit 34 and fluid buffer 36.
  • Fourth controller 46 may control fluid flow between fluid buffer 36 and thermal energy capturing apparatus 22.
  • Fifth controller 48 may control fluid flow between thermal energy storage unit 34 and utilization component 26.
  • the first, second, third, fourth and fifth fluid flow controllers may be a combination of pumps, valves, switches, piping, sensors, etc that cooperate to move fluid as desired between two locations in the thermal energy storage system.
  • First controller 40 may use input received from the capturing apparatus to determine the rate and duration of fluid flow from the capturing apparatus to the fluid accumulator. The rate of fluid flow from the thermal energy capturing apparatus may be varied as needed to accommodate changes in the rate the thermal energy is captured by the capturing apparatus.
  • the rate at which first controller 40 allows the fluid to flow to the fluid accumulator may be relatively high. If the capturing apparatus is receiving little thermal energy because the capturing apparatus has been shielded from the sun by clouds, then the rate at which first controller 40 allows fluid to flow to the fluid accumulator may be lower.
  • second controller 42 uses input received from fluid accumulator 32 to determine the frequency at which a known quantity of fluid is conveyed to the thermal energy storage unit. In one embodiment, the rate at which fluid is conveyed from the accumulator to the thermal energy storage unit may vary.
  • the rate at which fluid is conveyed from the accumulator to the thermal energy storage unit is constant. Disposing fluid to and through the thermal energy storage unit at a fixed rate and temperature may allow the thermal energy storage unit to operate at a desirably high thermal transfer efficiency. Because the first, second, third, fourth and fifth controllers are independently controllable, the system can be operated so that fluid can be: (1) transferred at an optimum and variable rate from the capturing apparatus to the fluid accumulator; (2) conveyed from the fluid accumulator to the thermal energy storage unit; (3) conveyed to the fluid buffer and (4) conveyed from the thermal energy storage unit to the thermal energy utilization component.
  • Fluid accumulator 32 may include upper and lower volumetric level indicators which provide input to second controller 42 concerning the ability or inability of the thermal energy storage unit to receive heated transfer fluid from the accumulator.
  • the level of fluid rises until the upper volumetric level indicator is activated.
  • the upper level indicator may cause the conveyance of a fixed quantity of the fluid from the accumulator to the thermal energy storage unit.
  • the fluid may be conveyed at a variable rate or at a constant rate. The rate may be measured as liters per second.
  • the fluid may also be conveyed for a fixed period of time, such as five minutes, thereby regulating the volumetric quantity of fluid conveyed. If each conveyance of fluid from the accumulator to the thermal energy storage unit is essentially identical in quantity to every other conveyance of fluid, then each conveyance may be referred to herein as an aliquot. While conveying aliquots of fluid is consistent with operating the accumulator by allowing the fluid to begin flowing from the accumulator when the upper volumetric level indicator is activated and stopping the flow of fluid when the drop in the level of fluid triggers the lower volumetric level indicator, conveying the fluid in aliquots may be optional.
  • fluid buffer 36 receives fluid that has been cooled by passing the fluid through the thermal energy storage unit or the thermal energy storage utilization component.
  • the cooled fluid may flow into the buffer at a variable rate of flow and at a variable temperature.
  • cooled fluid may be transferred from the buffer to the thermal energy capturing apparatus at a variable rate of flow and at a variable temperature.
  • Thermal energy storage unit 34 may include sensible heat transfer media such as a plurality of ceramic heat transfer elements as disclosed in US 6,889,963 and/or latent heat transfer elements as disclosed in US 4,504,402.
  • the elements may be randomly oriented and stacked upon one another thereby forming a bed of heat transfer elements.
  • larger packing elements known as monoliths may be stacked to align passageways therethrough.
  • the storage unit may include a single vessel containing a single bed of heat transfer elements and described herein as having a single storage zone or the storage unit may contain a plurality of vessels and be described herein as having a plurality of thermal energy storage zones. Each zone may have similar or dissimilar characteristics such as volume, shape, thermal capacity, pressure drop, etc.
  • Thermal energy capturing apparatus 22 represents any apparatus that functions as a source of thermal energy by generating or receiving thermal energy at a variable rate.
  • apparatuses that may receive thermal energy at a variable rate include solar collectors such as concentrated solar collectors, tower solar collectors and flat plate solar collectors.
  • Other examples include processes that may generate heat sporadically such as nuclear reactors and geothermal heat pumps.
  • Thermal energy utilization component 26 represents any component that uses thermal energy from the heat transfer fluid to perform a useful function such as heating water to generate steam which is used to drive a turbine that produces electricity.
  • a thermal oxidizer which uses heat from the fluid to preheat an industrial waste stream prior to combustion of the waste.
  • thermal energy capturing apparatus is a concentrated solar collector that has been exposed to full sun (i.e. maximum solar gain) for several hours and the thermal energy utilization component is a steam driven turbine that generates electricity
  • the system could function as follows. Transfer fluid could be made to flow through the capturing apparatus at a sufficient rate of flow, which could be varied as needed, to heat the fluid to an optimum temperature defined herein as Ti. A first portion of the heated fluid exiting the solar collector could be made to flow directly to the turbine where the heat would be extracted, thereby reducing the temperature of the fluid to temperature T 2 , and used to produce steam.
  • a second portion of the heated fluid flowing from the solar collector could be made to flow into the accumulator.
  • the second controller could convey heated fluid to the thermal energy storage unit where the fluid could contact the heat transfer media and heat could be absorbed from the fluid thereby cooling the fluid to a lower temperature defined herein as T3.
  • the second controller could convey heated fluid at a constant rate of flow and constant temperature to the thermal energy storage unit. The fluid' s temperature and rate of flow could be selected to facilitate the transfer of heat to the heat transfer media at a desired and predetermined thermal transfer efficiency.
  • the cooled fluid from the turbine, having a temperature T 2 , and the cooled fluid from the thermal energy storage unit, having a temperature T3, could be transferred to the buffer.
  • the temperature of the fluid in the buffer would rise or fall depending on the temperatures (i.e. T2 and T 3 ) and the relative rates of flow of the incoming fluids.
  • cooled fluid in the buffer could be transferred to the solar collector where the fluid could be reheated and made to flow to the accumulator and turbine. After the solar collector has transferred thermal energy to the thermal energy storage unit for several hours and the solar collector is no longer capturing thermal energy, heated fluid in the thermal energy storage unit could be conveyed to the turbine.
  • Heated fluid from the thermal energy storage unit and heated fluid from the thermal energy capturing apparatus may simultaneously flow to the utilization component.
  • all of the heated fluid supplied to the utilization component may flow solely from the thermal energy storage unit.
  • the rate of flow of the heated fluid from the thermal energy storage unit to the turbine is selected to facilitate the transfer of heat at a desired and predetermined thermal transfer efficiency.
  • embodiments of a thermal energy storage system of this invention can stabilize and improve the efficiency of the thermal transfer process within the thermal energy storage unit.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Sustainable Development (AREA)
  • Sustainable Energy (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Engine Equipment That Uses Special Cycles (AREA)
  • Separation By Low-Temperature Treatments (AREA)
  • Central Heating Systems (AREA)

Abstract

La présente invention concerne un système de stockage d'énergie thermique comprenant un appareil de capture d'énergie thermique relié à un élément de transfert d'énergie thermique et à un élément d'utilisation de l'énergie thermique. L'élément de transfert d'énergie thermique comprend un accumulateur de fluide relié en série à une unité de stockage d'énergie thermique et un fluide tampon. L'invention concerne également un procédé d'utilisation d'énergie thermique.
PCT/US2011/040606 2010-06-22 2011-06-16 Système d'utilisation d'énergie thermique et procédé de fonctionnement associé Ceased WO2011163039A2 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US35713610P 2010-06-22 2010-06-22
US61/357,136 2010-06-22

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2011163039A2 true WO2011163039A2 (fr) 2011-12-29
WO2011163039A3 WO2011163039A3 (fr) 2012-04-05

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PCT/US2011/040606 Ceased WO2011163039A2 (fr) 2010-06-22 2011-06-16 Système d'utilisation d'énergie thermique et procédé de fonctionnement associé

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Family Cites Families (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2002090747A2 (fr) * 2001-05-07 2002-11-14 Battelle Memorial Institute Systeme d'utilisation d'energie thermique
KR20070009349A (ko) * 2005-07-15 2007-01-18 위니아만도 주식회사 김치저장고에서의 냉각시스템 효율 향상구조
MX2009009627A (es) * 2007-03-08 2009-11-26 Univ City Planta de energia solar y metodo y/o sistema de almacenamiento de energia en una planta concentradora de energia solar.
MA33287B1 (fr) * 2009-05-18 2012-05-02 Saint Gobain Ceramics Dispositif de stockage d'energie thermique

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WO2011163039A3 (fr) 2012-04-05

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