Energy storage system and applications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12203394-B2
Application number	US-202318120955-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 13, 2023
Priority date	Nov 30, 2020
Publication date	Jan 21, 2025
Grant date	Jan 21, 2025

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 thermal energy storage system, comprising:
a storage medium configured to store thermal energy;
a heating element configured to heat the storage medium using electricity from a renewable energy source; and
a fluid movement system configured to receive heat from the storage medium in the thermal energy storage system to heat a fluid to a temperature in a specified electrolyzer temperature range and provide the fluid to a solid oxide unit configured to operate in an electrolysis mode to produce hydrogen and/or carbon monoxide, wherein the fluid is passed through the solid oxide unit to heat the solid oxide.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the specified electrolyzer temperature range is 700° C. to 900° C.; and
the thermal energy storage system is configured to extract heat from the fluid after it has been provided to the solid oxide unit, and to provide the extracted heat to a secondary process.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the fluid movement system is configured to recirculate at least a portion of an output byproduct fluid to the thermal storage medium to be reheated.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein:
the solid oxide unit includes a solid oxide electrolysis cell having an electrolysis anode and an electrolysis cathode;
the fluid movement system is configured to split the fluid into an electrolysis anode-side flow conduit and an electrolysis cathode-side flow conduit;
the electrolysis anode-side flow conduit is configured to permit oxygen to be swept from the electrolysis anode; and
the electrolysis cathode-side flow conduit is configured to permit the electrolysis cathode-side flow to exit the solid oxide unit with output products from the electrolysis cathode mixed therein.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the fluid comprises water, carbon dioxide, or a combination thereof.

6. The system of claim 4 , wherein:
the fluid comprises water as steam;
the fluid movement system is configured to provide a sweep gas to remove the oxygen from the electrolysis anode to a secondary oxygen process;
the output products from the electrolysis cathode include hydrogen; and
the fluid movement system is configured to provide the hydrogen to a secondary hydrogen process.

7. The system of claim 4 , wherein:
the electrolysis cathode-side flow comprises steam and carbon dioxide;
the output products from the electrolysis cathode include syngas; and
the fluid movement system is configured to flow to a secondary syngas process.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the fluid comprises a first fluid and a second fluid;
the fluid movement system is configured to transport the first fluid to an electrolysis cathode of the solid oxide unit through a first fluid delivery system wherein the first fluid delivery system is configured to supply heat and cathode reactants to the electrolysis cathode; and
the fluid movement system is configured to transport the second fluid to an electrolysis anode of the solid oxide unit through a second fluid delivery system wherein the second fluid delivery system is configured to supply heat to the electrolysis anode and sweep away anode byproducts.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein:
the first fluid delivery system is configured to transport output products in an electrolysis cathode-side fluid to a secondary cathode-side process; and
the second fluid delivery system is configured to provide anode byproducts from an electrolysis anode-side fluid to a secondary anode-side process.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein:
the first fluid comprises steam and carbon dioxide;
the output products include syngas; and
the fluid movement system is configured to use the syngas in a secondary syngas process.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the specified electrolyzer temperature range is hotter than an intended operating temperature of the solid oxide unit; and
the system is configured to increase production of carbon monoxide and/or hydrogen per unit electricity used by the solid oxide unit by providing heat from the heated fluid as a portion of an input electrolysis reaction energy for the solid oxide unit to reduce an amount of electricity required for the electrolysis.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the solid oxide unit is configured to operate in either the electrolysis mode or a fuel cell mode; and
the fluid movement system is configured to receive heat from the storage medium to heat the fluid to a temperature in a specified fuel cell temperature range, provide the fluid to the solid oxide unit in the fuel cell mode, remove excess heat from the solid oxide unit in the fluid, and provide the fluid to a secondary process.

13. A thermal energy storage system, comprising:
a storage medium configured to store thermal energy; and
a heating element configured to heat the storage medium using electricity from a renewable energy source; and
a fluid movement system configured to:
receive heat from the thermal storage medium to heat a fluid to a temperature in a specified fuel cell temperature range;
provide the fluid to a solid oxide unit that is configured to operate in a fuel cell mode to generate electricity;
remove excess heat from the solid oxide unit in the fluid; and
provide the fluid to one or more secondary processes.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein:
the one or more secondary processes includes a thermal cycle power generation system configured to generate electricity.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the specified fuel cell temperature range is between 700° C. and 900° C.

16. The system of claim 13 , wherein:
the fluid movement system is configured to wash over one or more electrodes of the solid oxide unit to produce one or more output streams; and
the fluid movement system is configured to extract a first portion of heat energy of at least one of the one or more output streams and to provide the first portion of the heat energy to the one or more secondary processes.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the one or more secondary processes includes a refinery process.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the fluid movement system is configured to extract a further portion of the heat energy of the one or more output streams and to provide the further portion of the heat energy to a tertiary system.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the tertiary system is configured to preheat a reactant stream and provide the preheated reactant stream to the solid oxide unit.

20. The system of claim 16 , wherein the fluid movement system is configured to recirculate at least a portion of the one or more output streams to the storage medium to be reheated.

21. The system of claim 13 , wherein:
the solid oxide unit includes a solid oxide fuel cell having a fuel cell cathode and a fuel cell anode;
the fluid movement system is configured to permit the fluid to be delivered to a fuel cell cathode-side flow conduit and preheat a fuel cell anode-side reactant stream that flows to a fuel cell anode-side flow conduit;
the fuel cell cathode-side flow conduit is configured to permit oxygen to be delivered to the fuel cell cathode to remove heat from the solid oxide unit and provide the heat to the one or more secondary processes; and
the fuel cell anode-side flow conduit is configured to permit the fuel cell anode-side flow to exit the solid oxide unit and provide fuel cell anode-side reaction products to the one or more secondary processes.

22. The system of claim 21 , wherein:
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Assignees

• Rondo Energy Inc

Inventors

• O'Donnell John Setel
• Von Behrens Peter Emery
• Treynor Chiaki
• 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

• H02M1/0003

  Details of control, feedback or regulation circuits · CPC title