Internal circulation type clathrate hydrate-based cold storage system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12410965-B2
Application number	US-202218833379-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 9, 2022
Priority date	Jan 25, 2022
Publication date	Sep 9, 2025
Grant date	Sep 9, 2025

Abstract

A cold storage system and method are provided. The cold storage system includes a chiller, a hydrate-based cold storage tank, a gas disturbance generator, a concentration detector, a heat exchanger, a direct-current power supply and circuit controller, and a system monitor. Chiller provides a secondary refrigerant at a low temperature. The secondary refrigerant flows through a coil in the hydrate-based cold storage tank for a heat exchange. The gas disturbance generator induces hydrate nucleation. The concentration detector monitors a concentration of a hydrate solution in real time. The heat exchanger is equipped with a finned tube heat exchanger with a fan, to improve the cold supply efficiency of the cold storage system. The system monitor monitors a state change of the system in real time through a set of temperature-pressure sensor modules. Several cold energy supply modes can be realized in the present disclosure by adjusting opening/dosing of valves.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An internal circulation type clathrate hydrate-based cold storage system, characterized by comprising a chiller ( 1 ), a first solution pump ( 3 ), a first flow meter ( 4 ), a first one-way valve ( 5 ), a first two-way valve ( 6 ), a second one-way valve ( 7 ), a second solution pump ( 8 ), a heat exchanger ( 10 ), a third one-way valve ( 11 ), a fourth one-way valve ( 12 ), a second flow meter ( 13 ), a system monitor ( 14 ), a direct-current power supply and circuit controller ( 15 ), a concentration detector ( 21 ), a second gas pump ( 24 ), a second two-way valve ( 25 ), a gas distributor ( 28 ), a hydrate-based cold storage tank ( 29 ), a gas disturbance generator ( 31 ), a first branch pipeline ( 34 ), a second branch pipeline ( 35 ), a third branch pipeline ( 36 ), a fourth branch pipeline ( 37 ), a fifth branch pipeline ( 38 ), and a temperature sensor group, wherein
an outlet end of the chiller ( 1 ) is in communication with an inlet of the heat exchanger ( 10 ) through the first branch pipeline ( 34 ), and an inlet end of the chiller ( 1 ) is in communication with an outlet of the heat exchanger ( 10 ) through the second branch pipeline ( 35 ); the first solution pump ( 3 ), the first flow meter ( 4 ), the first one-way valve ( 5 ), the second one-way valve ( 7 ), and the second solution pump ( 8 ) are sequentially arranged on the first branch pipeline ( 34 ) along a flow direction of a secondary refrigerant; the third one-way valve ( 11 ), the fourth one-way valve ( 12 ), and the second flow meter ( 13 ) are sequentially arranged on the second branch pipeline ( 35 ) along the flow direction of the secondary refrigerant;
the hydrate-based cold storage tank ( 29 ) is a sealed container filled therein with a hydrate-based cold storage working medium, and a coil ( 33 ) is arranged in the hydrate-based cold storage tank ( 29 ) and immersed in the hydrate-based cold storage working medium; the temperature sensor group is arranged in the hydrate-based cold storage tank ( 29 ), and a terminal of the temperature sensor group is connected to the system monitor ( 14 ); the first branch pipeline ( 34 ) between the first one-way valve ( 5 ) and the second one-way valve ( 7 ) is in communication with a first end of the coil ( 33 ) through the third branch pipeline ( 36 ), and the second branch pipeline ( 35 ) between the third one-way valve ( 11 ) and the fourth one-way valve ( 12 ) is in communication with a second end of the coil ( 33 ) through the fourth branch pipeline ( 37 ); the first two-way valve ( 6 ) is arranged on the third branch pipeline ( 36 ), and the second two-way valve ( 25 ) is arranged on the fourth branch pipeline ( 37 );
the fifth branch pipeline ( 38 ) is arranged outside the hydrate-based cold storage tank ( 29 ), an upper end of the fifth branch pipeline ( 38 ) is in communication with a top of an inner wall of the hydrate-based cold storage tank ( 29 ), a lower end of the fifth branch pipeline ( 38 ) is connected to the gas distributor ( 28 ), the gas distributor ( 28 ) is connected to the gas disturbance generator ( 31 ) arranged in the hydrate-based cold storage tank ( 29 ) through a hose, the second gas pump ( 24 ) is arranged on the fifth branch pipeline ( 38 ), and the fifth branch pipeline ( 38 ) is a thermal insulation pipe; and
a heat exchanger ( 9 ) is arranged in the heat exchanger ( 10 ); and the direct-current power supply and circuit controller ( 15 ) for controlling a system power supply is arranged in the internal circulation type clathrate hydrate-based cold storage system.

2. The internal circulation type clathrate hydrate-based cold storage system according to claim 1 , characterized by further comprising a first pressure sensor ( 16 ), a first temperature sensor ( 17 ), a second pressure sensor ( 26 ), and a second temperature sensor ( 27 ), wherein the first pressure sensor ( 16 ) and the first temperature sensor ( 17 ) are arranged on the third branch pipeline ( 36 ) and are located on a side close to the coil ( 33 ); the second pressure sensor ( 26 ) and the second temperature sensor ( 27 ) are arranged on the fourth branch pipeline ( 37 ) and are located on a side close to the coil ( 33 ); and the first pressure sensor ( 16 ), the first temperature sensor ( 17 ), the second pressure sensor ( 26 ), and the second temperature sensor ( 27 ) are each connected to the system monitor ( 14 ) through a temperature-pressure sensor module.

3. The internal circulation type clathrate hydrate-based cold storage system according to claim 1 , characterized by further comprising the concentration detector ( 21 ), a solid-liquid separator ( 22 ), and an automatic sampler ( 23 ), wherein the concentration detector ( 21 ) is connected to the solid-liquid separator ( 22 ) through a first pipeline, the solid-liquid separator ( 22 ) is connected to the automatic sampler ( 23 ) through a second pipeline, and the automatic sampler ( 23 ) is in communication with the hydrate-based cold storage working medium in the hydrate-based cold storage tank ( 29 ) through a third pipeline.

4. The internal circulation type clathrate hydrate-based cold storage system according to claim 3 , characterized in that the concentration detector ( 21 ) comprises a data acquisition and analysis terminal ( 42 ), a concentration measurement probe ( 43 ), a sample solution ( 44 ), and a test bottle ( 45 ), wherein the test bottle ( 45 ) is connected to the solid-liquid separator ( 22 ) through the first pipeline, the sample solution ( 44 ) is placed in the test bottle ( 45 ), a first end of the concentration measurement probe ( 43 ) is connected to the data acquisition and analysis terminal ( 42 ), and a second end of the concentration measurement probe ( 43 ) is penetrated into the sample solution ( 44 ) in the test bottle ( 45 ).

5. The internal circulation type clathrate hydrate-based cold storage system according to claim 1 , characterized in that the hydrate-based cold storage working medium in the hydrate-based cold storage tank ( 29 ) is one selected from a group consisting of an alkane hydrate, a carbon dioxide hydrate, a water-soluble organic hydrate, and a mixed hydrate.

6. The internal circulation type clathrate hydrate-based cold storage system according to claim 1 , characterized in that a formula for calculating a cold storage capacity in the hydrate-based cold storage tank ( 29 ) is:

Q
=

ρ
⁢

q
m

⁢
c
⁢
Δ
⁢
T

wherein ρ is a density of a solution of the secondary refrigerant, q m is a mass flow rate of the solution of the secondary refrigerant flowing through an inlet and an outlet of the hydrate-based cold storage tank, c is a specific heat capacity of the solution of the secondary refrigerant, and ΔT is a heat transfer temperature difference of the solution of the secondary refrigerant between the inlet and the outlet of the hydrate-based cold storage tank.

7. The internal circulation type clathrate hydrate-based cold storage system according to claim 1 , characterized by further comprising a crystallization promoting assembly ( 2 ) and a first gas pump ( 20 ), wherein the crystallization promoting assembly ( 2 ) is in communication with an interior of the hydrate-based cold storage tank ( 29 ) through a fourth pipeline, and the first gas pump ( 20 ) is arranged on the fourth pipeline between the crystallization promoting assembly ( 2 ) and the hydrate-based cold storage tank ( 29 ).

Assignees

• Univ Dalian Tech

Inventors

• Song Yongchen
• Lv Yuan
• Zhang Lunxiang
• Cheng Chuanxiao
• Yang Mingjun
• Liu Yu
• Wang Fan
• Yang Lei
• Zhang Yi
• Ling Zheng
• Li Yanghui
• Chen Cong
• Wu Peng
• Chen Bingbing

Classifications

• F28D20/028

  Control arrangements therefor · CPC title

• F28D20/021

  the latent heat storage material and the heat-exchanging means being enclosed in one container (F28D20/023 - F28D20/028 take precedence) · CPC title

• Y02E60/14

  Thermal energy storage · CPC title

• F24F2005/0032

  Systems storing energy during the night · CPC title

• F24F5/0021 Primary

  using phase change material [PCM] for storage · CPC title