Energy storage device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10054339-B2
Application number	US-201515116438-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 6, 2015
Priority date	Feb 6, 2014
Publication date	Aug 21, 2018
Grant date	Aug 21, 2018

Abstract

This invention relates to a chemisorption based energy storage device, able to provide electricity, heating or cooling depending on the desired energy output. The device typically comprises sorbent materials which have an affinity for a refrigerant gas at different temperatures.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A chemisorption based energy storage device comprising:
a first chemical reactor containing a first sorbent material and a second chemical reactor containing a second sorbent material different from the first sorbent material, the first sorbent material having an affinity towards a refrigerant gas at a high temperature and the second sorbent material having an affinity towards the refrigerant gas at a low temperature, the first and second chemical reactors being further provided with means for putting heat in to, or taking heat out of, the first and/or the second sorbent materials;
a compressor/expander module selectively connected to the first and second chemical reactors, the compressor/expander module being configured to either compress or expand the refrigerant;
wherein the means for putting heat in to, or taking heat out of, the first and/or the second sorbent materials provides a flow of refrigerant between the compressor/expander module and the first and second chemical reactors, and wherein the compressor/expander module is operable to compress or expand the refrigerant depending on energy storage requirements.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the refrigerant is ammonia.

3. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the refrigerant is methanol.

4. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the refrigerant is steam.

5. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the first sorbent material is a salt selected from a metal halide, a metal sulphide and a metal sulphate.

6. The device according to claim 5 , wherein the first sorbent material is a salt selected from the group: NiCl 2 , CaCl 2 , MgCl 2 , MgSO 4 and MnCl 2 .

7. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the second sorbent material is a salt selected from a metal halide, a metal sulphide and a metal sulphate.

8. The device according to claim 7 , wherein the salt is selected from the group: CaCl 2 , SrCl 2 , BaCl 2 and NaBr.

9. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the first sorbent material and/or the second sorbent material is porous.

10. The device according to claim 1 , wherein a valve is provided to provide selective connection to the compressor/expander module.

11. A method of operating a chemisorption based energy storage device to store energy, the device comprising:
a first chemical reactor containing a first sorbent material and a second chemical reactor containing a second sorbent material, the first sorbent material having an affinity towards a refrigerant gas at high temperature and the second sorbent material having an affinity towards the refrigerant gas at low temperature, the first and second chemical reactors being further provided with means for putting heat in to, or taking heat out of, the first and second chemical reactors and a compressor/expander module selectively connected to the first and second chemical reactors, the compressor/expander module being configured to either compress or expand the refrigerant,
the method comprising:
heating the first chemical reactor to release refrigerant gas from the first sorbent material;
compressing the refrigerant gas released from the first chemical reactor; and
entraining compressed refrigerant gas to the second chemical reactor, the compressed refrigerant gas adsorbing onto the second sorbent material.

12. A method of operating a chemisorption based energy storage device to store energy, the device comprising:
a first chemical reactor containing a first sorbent material and a second chemical reactor containing a second sorbent material, the first sorbent material having an affinity towards a refrigerant gas at high temperature and the second sorbent material having an affinity towards the refrigerant gas at low temperature, the first and second chemical reactors being further provided with means for putting heat in to, or taking heat out of, the first and second chemical reactors and a compressor/expander module selectively connected to the first and second chemical reactors, the compressor/expander module being configured to either compress or expand the refrigerant,
the method comprising:
heating the first chemical reactor to release refrigerant gas from the first sorbent material;
expanding the refrigerant gas released from the first chemical reactor; and
entraining refrigerant gas to the second chemical reactor, the refrigerant gas adsorbing onto the second sorbent material.

13. A method of operating a chemisorption based energy storage device to store energy and generate electric power and refrigeration, the device comprising:
a first chemical reactor containing a first sorbent material and a second chemical reactor containing a second sorbent material, the first sorbent material having an affinity towards a refrigerant gas at high temperature and the second sorbent material having an affinity towards the refrigerant gas at low temperature, the first and second chemical reactors being further provided with means for putting heat in to, or taking heat out of, the first and second chemical reactors and a compressor/expander module selectively connected to the first and second chemical reactors, the compressor/expander module being configured to either compress or expand the refrigerant,
the method comprising:
heating the second chemical reactor to release a high pressure refrigerant gas;
entraining the high pressure refrigerant gas to the compressor/expander module;
expanding the high pressure refrigerant gas to produce electricity and an exhausted refrigerant gas; and
entraining the exhausted refrigerant gas to the first chemical reactor for adsorption onto the first sorbent material.

14. A method of operating a chemisorption based energy storage device to store energy and generate heat, the device comprising:
a first chemical reactor containing a first sorbent material and a second chemical reactor containing a second sorbent material, the first sorbent material having an affinity towards a refrigerant gas at high temperature and the second sorbent material having an affinity towards the refrigerant gas at low temperature, the first and second chemical reactors being further provided with means for putting heat in to, or taking heat out of, the first and second chemical reactors and a compressor/expander module selectively connected to the first and second chemical reactors, the compressor/expander module being configured to either compress or expand the refrigerant,
the method comprising:
heating the second chemical reactor to release a high pressure refrigerant gas; and
entraining the high pressure refrigerant gas directly to the first chemical reactor causing the high pressure refrigerant gas to adsorb onto the first sorbent material to provide heat.

15. A method of operating a chemisorption based energy storage device to store energy and generate refrigeration, the device comprising:
a first chemical reactor containing a first sorbent material and a second chemical reactor containing a second sorbent material, the first sorbent material having an affinity towards a refrigerant gas at high temperature and the second sorbent material having an affinity towards the refrigerant gas at low temperature, the first and second chemical reactors being further provided with means for putting heat in to, or taking heat out of, the first and second chemical reactors and a compressor/expander module selectively connected to the first and second chemical reactors, the compressor/expander module being configured to either compress or expand the refrigerant,
the method comprising:
extracting heat from an external source and directi

Assignees

• Univ Newcastle

Inventors

• Bao Huashan
• Roskilly Anthony Paul

Classifications

• F25B27/007

  in sorption type systems · CPC title

• F25B25/02

  Compression-sorption machines, plants, or systems · CPC title

• F25B11/02

  as expanders (F25B9/06 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F25B2400/14

  Power generation using energy from the expansion of the refrigerant · CPC title

• F25B17/083 Primary

  with two or more boiler-sorbers operating alternately · CPC title