Material activation system with thermal energy storage system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11585243-B2
Application number	US-202217650522-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 9, 2022
Priority date	Nov 30, 2020
Publication date	Feb 21, 2023
Grant date	Feb 21, 2023

Abstract

An energy storage system converts variable renewable electricity (VRE) to continuous heat at over 1000° C. Intermittent electrical energy heats a solid medium. Heat from the solid medium is delivered continuously on demand. An array of bricks incorporating internal radiation cavities is directly heated by thermal radiation. The cavities facilitate rapid, uniform heating via reradiation. Heat delivery via flowing gas establishes a thermocline which maintains high outlet temperature throughout discharge. Gas flows through structured pathways within the array, delivering heat which may be used for processes including calcination, hydrogen electrolysis, steam generation, and thermal power generation and cogeneration. Groups of thermal storage arrays may be controlled and operated at high temperatures without thermal runaway via deep-discharge sequencing. Forecast-based control enables continuous, year-round heat supply using current and advance information of weather and VRE availability. High-voltage DC power conversion and distribution circuitry improves the efficiency of VRE power transfer into the system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A material activation system, comprising:
a thermal energy storage (TES) system configured to store thermal energy derived from an energy source by heating a storage medium using energy from the energy source and circulating a non-combustive fluid through the heated storage medium; and
a material heating system configured to:
receive thermal energy derived from the circulated non-combustive fluid by receiving the circulated non-combustive fluid at a first inlet in the material heating system; and
apply the received thermal energy to a raw material to produce an activated material, by injecting the raw material via a second inlet positioned above the first inlet in the material heating system and directing the fluid in an up-flow configuration such that the raw material is suspended in the material heating system.

2. The material activation system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a recirculation system configured to:
recirculate an exhaust fluid output from the material heating system to the TES system as an input.

3. The material activation system of claim 2 , further comprising:
a cooling cyclone configured to:
receive the activated material from the material heating system; and
reduce a temperature of the activated material; and

wherein the recirculation system is configured to:
collect, from the cooling cyclone, the exhaust fluid for recirculation.

4. The material activation system of claim 3 , wherein the recirculation system includes:
a filter coupled between the material heating system and the TES system, wherein the filter is configured to remove particulate from the exhaust fluid prior to the exhaust fluid being provided to the TES system.

5. A material activation system, comprising:
a thermal energy storage (TES) system configured to store thermal energy derived from an energy source by heating a storage medium using energy from the energy source and circulating a non-combustive fluid through the heated storage medium;
a material heating system configured to receive thermal energy derived from the circulated non-combustive fluid and apply the received thermal energy to a raw material to produce an activated material; and
a heat exchanger configured to:
receive the circulated non-combustive fluid from the TES system;
transfer heat from the circulated non-combustive fluid into a second fluid; and
provide the second fluid to the material heating system for applying the thermal energy to the raw material.

6. The material activation system of claim 5 , further comprising:
a bypass configured to inject a portion of the circulated non-combustive fluid received from the TES system into the second fluid provided to the material heating system.

7. The material activation system of claim 5 , wherein the TES system is configured to:
provide the circulated non-combustive fluid to the material heating system at a temperature within a range of from 600° C. to 1100° C.

8. The material activation system of claim 5 , wherein the non-combustive fluid is carbon dioxide.

9. The material activation system of claim 5 , wherein the storage medium includes brick.

10. The material activation system of claim 5 , wherein the material heating system includes one or more ceramic resistive heaters configured to provide additional heat to the raw material.

11. A material activation system, comprising:
a thermal energy storage (TES) system configured to store thermal energy derived from an energy source by heating a storage medium using energy from the energy source and circulating a non-combustive fluid through the heated storage medium;
a material heating system configured to receive thermal energy derived from the circulated non-combustive fluid and apply the received thermal energy to a raw material to produce an activated material; and
a pre-heater configured to:
apply thermal energy derived from the circulated non-combustive fluid to heat the raw material to a first temperature; and
provide the heated raw material as an input to the material heating system for heating to a second temperature.

12. The material activation system of claim 11 , further comprising:
a burner configured to supply combustion energy to the material heating system in addition to the thermal energy supplied by the TES system.

13. A material activation system, comprising:
a thermal energy storage (TES) system configured to store thermal energy derived from an energy source by heating a storage medium using energy from the energy source and circulating a non-combustive fluid through the heated storage medium;
a material heating system configured to receive thermal energy derived from the circulated non-combustive fluid and apply the received thermal energy to a raw material to produce an activated material, wherein the material heating system is configured to perform a calcination process that transforms calcium carbonate as the raw material into calcium oxide as the activated material for cement production; and
a recirculation system configured to recirculate carbon dioxide produced by the calcination process to the TES system for use as the non-combustive fluid.

14. A material activation system, comprising:
a thermal energy storage (TES) system configured to store thermal energy derived from an energy source by heating a storage medium using energy from the energy source and circulating a non-combustive fluid through the heated storage medium; and
a material heating system configured to receive thermal energy derived from the circulated non-combustive fluid and apply the received thermal energy to a raw material to produce an activated material, wherein the material heating system is configured to perform a dehydroxylation process that removes hydroxide from clay minerals as the raw material to produce activated clay as the activated material.

15. The material activation system of claim 14 , further comprising:
an atmosphere reduction system coupled to the material heating system and configured to reduce an amount of oxygen in contact with the activated clay.

16. A material activation system, comprising:
a thermal energy storage (TES) system configured to store thermal energy derived from an energy source by heating a storage medium using energy from the energy source and circulating a non-combustive fluid through the heated storage medium; and
a material heating system configured to receive thermal energy derived from the circulated non-combustive fluid and apply the received thermal energy to a raw material to produce an activated material, wherein the material heating system is configured to implement a Bayer process that transforms bauxite as the raw material to produce aluminum oxide as the activated material.

17. The material activation system of claim 16 , wherein the material heating system is configured to:
implement a first stage of the Bayer process that includes heating the bauxite to a temperature within a range from 300° C. to 480° C. and at a first pressure within a range of 6 bar to 8 bar;
implement a second stage of the Bayer process that includes elevating a temperature of the bauxite within a temperature range from 750° C. to 950° C. and a second pressure lower than the first pressure; and
recirculate, from the second stage to the first stage, the thermal energy derived from the circulated non-combustive fluid.

18. A material activation system, comprising:
a thermal energy storage (TES) system configured to store thermal energy derived from an energy source by heating a storage medium using energy fro

Assignees

• Rondo Energy Inc

Inventors

• O'Donnell John Setel
• Von Behrens Peter Emery
• Treynor Chiaki
• Keller Jeremy Quentin
• Jonemann Matthieu
• Ratz Robert
• Ferhani Yusef Desjardins

Classifications

• H02J2101/24

  Photovoltaics · CPC title

• H02J2101/28

  Wind energy · CPC title

• H02J2101/20

  Dispersed power generation using renewable energy sources · CPC title

• B63H1/12

  with rotation axis substantially in propulsive direction · CPC title

• Y02E70/30

  Systems combining energy storage with energy generation of non-fossil origin · CPC title