Baffled thermoclines in thermodynamic cycle systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12129791-B2
Application number	US-202318113729-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 24, 2023
Priority date	Dec 28, 2016
Publication date	Oct 29, 2024
Grant date	Oct 29, 2024

Abstract

Solid-state thermoclines with internal baffle structures are in used in place of heat exchangers in a closed thermodynamic cycle power generation or energy storage system, such as a closed Brayton cycle system. The baffles limit the conductive and/or radiative transfer of heat between a solid thermal medium within different zones defined by the baffle structures.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A thermocline vessel system comprising: a first thermocline vessel and a second thermocline vessel, each thermocline vessel arranged in communication with a portion of a reversible Brayton cycle system, and comprising:
an insulated pressure vessel;
an inlet for receiving a working fluid, wherein the inlet is configured to receive the working fluid at a non-atmospheric working pressure from the reversible Brayton cycle system;
an outlet for dispatching the working fluid, wherein the outlet is configured to dispatch the working fluid to the reversible Brayton cycle system,
wherein, in a power generation mode, the inlet of one of the thermocline vessels receives working fluid from an auxiliary heat exchanger of the reversible Brayton cycle system, the outlet of the one of the thermocline vessels dispatches working fluid to a compressor of the reversible Brayton cycle system, and wherein the auxiliary heat exchanger removes heat from the reversible Brayton cycle system;
a solid thermal medium within the insulated pressure vessel and having porosity sufficient to allow the working fluid to flow through the solid thermal medium;
a plurality of baffle structures defining a plurality of zones within the insulated pressure vessel, wherein the solid thermal medium is located within the plurality of zones, wherein each baffle structure is configured to limit direct transfer of heat between the solid thermal medium in different zones; and
one or more fluid channels configured to channel the working fluid past the baffles and in contact with the solid thermal medium.

2. The thermocline vessel system of claim 1 , wherein the solid thermal medium is selected from the group consisting of rock, sand, dirt, gravel, clay, minerals, metal, metal oxide, ceramic, cermet, alumina, silica, refractory materials, and combinations thereof.

3. The thermocline vessel system of claim 1 , wherein the solid thermal medium has a form selected from the group consisting of slab, brick, platonic solid, sphere, cylinder, fabric, mesh, and combinations thereof.

4. The thermocline vessel system of claim 1 , wherein the working fluid within the thermocline vessel is at a pressure greater than 3 bar.

5. The thermocline vessel system of claim 1 , wherein the working fluid within the thermocline vessel is at a pressure less than atmospheric pressure.

6. The thermocline vessel system of claim 1 , wherein the working fluid is selected from the group consisting of air, argon, helium, carbon dioxide, and combinations thereof.

7. The thermocline vessel system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of zones comprise an inlet zone proximate to the inlet, an outlet zone proximate to the outlet, and one or more intermediate zones disposed between the inlet zone and the outlet zone.

8. The thermocline vessel system of claim 7 , wherein the solid thermal medium in the inlet zone is at a first temperature, wherein the solid thermal medium in the outlet zone is at a second temperature, and wherein the solid thermal medium in each of the one or more intermediate zones is at a temperature between the first temperature and second temperature.

9. The thermocline vessel system of claim 8 , wherein the magnitude of the difference between the first temperature and the second temperature is greater than 200° C.

10. The thermocline vessel system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of baffle structures comprises an insulating wall extending completely across the pressure vessel, wherein the one or more fluid channels comprise a plurality of apertures through the wall.

11. The thermocline vessel system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the baffle structures of the plurality of baffle structures comprises an insulating wall extending partially across an interior space of the thermocline vessel, wherein at least one of the fluid channels of the one or more fluid channels comprise a space between an end of the insulating wall and an interior wall of the pressure vessel.

12. The thermocline vessel system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the baffle structures of the plurality of baffle structures comprises a perforated material extending completely across the pressure vessel, wherein the one or more fluid channels comprise perforations in the perforated material.

13. The thermocline vessel system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the baffle structures of the plurality of baffle structures comprises an insulated chamber within the pressure vessel, wherein the one or more fluid channels comprise a plurality of apertures through one or more walls of the insulated chamber.

14. A thermocline vessel system comprising:
a hot side thermocline vessel and a cold side thermocline vessel, each thermocline vessel arranged in communication with a portion of a reversible Brayton cycle system, and comprising:
an insulated pressure vessel;
an inlet for receiving a working fluid, wherein the inlet is configured to receive the working fluid at a non-atmospheric working pressure from the reversible Brayton cycle system, wherein the cold side thermocline vessel is arranged downstream from an auxiliary heat exchanger for removing heat from the reversible Brayton cycle system in a power generation mode;
an outlet for dispatching the working fluid, wherein the outlet is configured to dispatch the working fluid to the reversible Brayton cycle system;
a solid thermal medium within the insulated pressure vessel and having porosity sufficient to allow the working fluid to flow through the solid thermal medium;
a plurality of baffle structures defining a plurality of zones within the insulated pressure vessel, wherein the solid thermal medium is located within the plurality of zones, wherein each baffle structure is configured to limit direct transfer of heat between the solid thermal medium in different zones; and
one or more fluid channels configured to channel the working fluid past the baffles and in contact with the corresponding solid thermal medium.

15. The thermocline vessel system of claim 14 , wherein the solid thermal medium of at least one of the hot and cold thermocline vessels is selected from the group consisting of rock, sand, dirt, gravel, clay, minerals, metal, metal oxide, ceramic, cermet, alumina, silica, refractory materials, and combinations thereof.

16. The thermocline vessel system of claim 14 , wherein the solid thermal medium of the at least one of the hot and cold thermocline vessels has a form selected from the group consisting of slab, brick, platonic solid, sphere, cylinder, fabric, mesh, and combinations thereof.

17. The thermocline vessel system of claim 14 , wherein the working fluid within at least one of the hot and cold thermocline vessels is at a pressure greater than 3 bar.

18. The thermocline vessel system of claim 14 , wherein the working fluid within at least one of the hot and cold thermocline vessels is at a pressure less than atmospheric pressure.

19. The thermocline vessel system of claim 14 , wherein the working fluid within at least one of the hot and cold thermocline vessels is selected from the group consisting of air, argon, helium, carbon dioxide, and combinations thereof.

20. The thermocline vessel system of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of zones within at least one of the hot and cold thermocline vessels comprises an inlet zone proximate to the inlet, an outlet zone proximate to the outlet, and one or more intermediate zones disposed between the inlet zone and the outlet zone.

21. The thermocline

Assignees

• Malta Inc

Inventors

• Apte Raj
• Larochelle Philippe

Classifications

• F28F13/14

  by endowing the walls of conduits with zones of different degrees of conduction of heat · CPC title

• Y02E60/14

  Thermal energy storage · CPC title

• F02C1/10

  Closed cycles · CPC title

• F02C1/04

  the working fluid being heated indirectly {(in a fluidised-bed combustor F02C3/205)} · CPC title

• F28D2020/0086

  Partitions · CPC title