Air cooling day cycle-based processing and systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10488120-B2
Application number	US-201715434743-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 16, 2017
Priority date	Feb 16, 2017
Publication date	Nov 26, 2019
Grant date	Nov 26, 2019

Abstract

Processes and systems applying day cycle temperature changes in conjunction with cool storage are provided. A thermal energy storage material is placed in heat transfer communication with lower temperature nighttime air resulting in a cooled thermal energy storage material. The cooled thermal energy storage material is subsequently utilized to cool an item such as a supply of higher temperature air, such as daytime air, or a cooling medium.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A process employing air cooling, the process comprising:
gravitationally conveying a thermal energy storage material to place the thermal energy storage material in heat transfer communication with a first supply of air, the first supply of air being at a temperature of T 1 , resulting in a cooled thermal energy storage material, and
placing the cooled thermal energy storage material in heat transfer communication with an item selected from the group consisting of:
a second supply of air, the second supply of air being at a temperature of T 2 , where T 2 >T 1 , to form product air having a temperature T 3 , where T 3 <T 2 ; and
a cooling medium, the cooling medium being at a temperature of T 4 , where T 4 >T 1 , to form treated cooling medium having a temperature T 5 , where T 5 <T 4 ;

wherein the placing of the thermal energy storage material in heat transfer communication with the first supply of air comprises the first supply of air moving in a direction transverse to the gravitationally conveyed thermal storage material and
wherein the placing of the cooled thermal energy storage material in heat transfer communication with the selected item comprises the selected item also moving in a direction transverse to the gravitationally conveyed thermal storage material.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein the thermal energy storage material comprises particles of a solid material.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein the thermal energy storage material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of glass, sand, plastic, minerals, composites, phase change materials and combinations thereof.

4. The process of claim 1 comprising placing the cooled thermal energy storage material in heat transfer communication with a condenser cooling medium comprising condenser cooling air.

5. The process of claim 1 comprising placing the cooled thermal energy storage material in heat transfer communication with a condenser cooling medium comprising condenser cooling water.

6. The process of claim 1 wherein during said placing of the thermal energy storage material in heat transfer communication with the first supply of air, the thermal energy storage material is in direct contact with the first supply of air.

7. The process of claim 1 wherein during said placing of the thermal energy storage material in heat transfer communication with the first supply of air, the thermal energy storage material is in indirect contact with the first supply of air.

8. The process of claim 1 wherein the selected item is a cooling medium selected from the group consisting of condenser cooling water and steam condensate.

9. The process of claim 8 wherein a mixture of the cooled thermal energy storage material and a carrier fluid are in indirect heat exchange communication with the selected item.

10. The process of claim 9 wherein the carrier fluid comprises ambient air.

11. The process of claim 1 additionally comprising:
storing the cooled thermal energy storage material for a selected period of time prior to placing the cooled thermal energy storage material in heat transfer communication with the selected item.

12. The process of claim 11 wherein the selected period of time comprises a period of time less than a mean solar day.

13. The process of claim 11 additionally comprising conveying stored cooled thermal energy storage material from a storage chamber to a heat exchange section to contact a material to be cooled.

14. The process of claim 1 comprising placing the cooled thermal energy storage material in heat transfer communication with the second supply of air, the process further comprising:
placing the product air in heat transfer communication with a third supply of air, the third supply of air being at a temperature of T 6 , where T 6 >T 3 , to form product air having a temperature T 7 , where T 7 <T 6 .

15. The process of claim 1 carried out in an apparatus comprising a vessel including a containment section for containing a supply of thermal storage material, a heat exchange section vertically disposed below the containment section and wherein thermal storage material conveyed from the containment section is placed in heat transfer communication with a selected medium, and a wall separating the containment section from the heat exchange section by a wall, the wall having a plurality of closeable discharge openings that when open place the thermal storage material of the containment section in flow communication with the associated heat exchange section,
wherein the heat exchange section includes an inlet and an outlet disposed on opposite sides of the vessel for introduction and discharge of the selected medium therethrough.

16. A process employing air cooling, the process comprising:
providing a vessel including a containment section for containing a supply of thermal storage material, a heat exchange section disposed vertically below the containment section, and a wall separating the containment section from the heat exchange section, the wall having a plurality of closeable discharge openings that when open place the thermal storage material of the containment section in flow communication with the heat exchange section, the heat exchange section including an air introduction plenum disposed on a first lateral side of the vessel and an air discharge plenum disposed on a second lateral side of the vessel, the second lateral side being opposite the first lateral side;
opening the plurality of closeable discharge openings to place the thermal storage material of the containment section in flow communication with the heat exchange section;
introducing a first supply of air into the heat exchange section through the air introduction plenum, the first supply of air being at a temperature of T 1 , resulting in a cooled thermal energy storage material; and
placing the cooled thermal energy storage material in heat transfer communication with an item selected from the group consisting of:
a second supply of air, the second supply of air being at a temperature of T 2 , where T 2 >T 1 , to form product air having a temperature T 3 , where T 3 <T 2 ; and
a cooling medium, the cooling medium being at a temperature of T 4 , where T 4 >T 1 , to form treated cooling medium having a temperature T 5 , where T 5 <T 4 .

17. The process of claim 16 wherein the heat exchange section includes a plurality of conveyance conduits to contain the thermal storage material from the containment section, wherein upon said introducing of the first supply of air, the conveyance conduits are in direct contact with the first supply of air.

18. The process of claim 17 comprising enhancing heat transfer communication between the thermal storage material contained within the conveyance conduits and the first supply of air by inclusion of heat transfer surface enhancements on an outer surface of the conveyance conduits.

19. The process of claim 17 wherein heat transfer communication between the thermal storage material contained within the conveyance conduits and the first supply of air is enhanced by heat transfer surface enhancements selected from the group consisting of fins, studs, dimples and combinations thereof disposed on a surface of the conveyance conduits.

20. The process of claim 16 additionally comprising selectively controlling a flow rate of the thermal storage material through the closeable discharge openings by varying the size of the closeable discharge openings.

21. The process of claim

Assignees

• Gas Technology Inst

Inventors

• Abbasi Hamid
• Cygan David
• Kozlov Aleksandr

Classifications

• F28D20/00 Primary

  Heat storage plants or apparatus in general; Regenerative heat-exchange apparatus not covered by groups F28D17/00 or F28D19/00 · CPC title

• F28B1/06

  using air or other gas as the cooling medium · CPC title

• F28C3/14

  the particulate material moving by gravity, e.g. down a tube · CPC title

• F28B1/02

  using water or other liquid as the cooling medium · CPC title

• F28F27/00

  Control arrangements or safety devices specially adapted for heat-exchange or heat-transfer apparatus (control arrangements in general G05) · CPC title