Thermal energy storage system with steam generation system including flow control and energy cogeneration

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023392522-A1
Application number	US-202318222986-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 17, 2023
Priority date	Nov 30, 2020
Publication date	Dec 7, 2023
Grant date	—

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 system comprising:
a storage medium configured to store thermal energy generated by a conversion of input electricity from an input energy supply, the input energy supply having intermittent availability; a fluid movement device configured to move fluid through the storage medium to heat the fluid to a specified temperature, the fluid comprising oxygen and nitrogen, wherein the fluid movement device is configured to provide the fluid at the specified temperature to a solid oxide cell electrolysis system that converts water to hydrogen and enriches the fluid with oxygen; and a steam generator configured to, using the fluid received from the electrolysis system, convert input feed water into steam.

2 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a steam turbine configured to cause an electrical generator to generate of electricity using steam received from the steam generator.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the storage medium comprises a plurality of bricks.

4 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a controller configured to cause the fluid movement device to move fluid at a selected rate.

5 . The system of claim 4 , further comprising a measurement device configured to measure a parameter of steam output from the steam generator.

6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the controller is configured to adjust the selected rate based on the measurement of the parameter of steam output.

7 . The system of claim 5 , wherein:
the measurement device comprises a separator configured to measure a quality of the steam output from the steam generator by separating the steam into a liquid portion and a gas portion.

8 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the measurement unit is configured to measure a velocity of steam output from the steam generator.

9 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured to control an amount of fluid moved through the storage medium based on a weather forecast.

10 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured to control an amount of fluid moved through the storage medium based on forecast differences in electricity costs at different times.

11 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the intermittent energy supply comprises a thermophotovoltaic generation system configured to convert thermal radiation into electrical energy.

12 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the intermittent energy supply comprises a wind turbine configured to generate electricity.

13 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the intermittent energy supply comprises a solar energy source configured to convert solar energy into electricity.

14 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the fluid movement device comprises a closed fluid recirculation loop.

15 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a pump, and wherein the pump is configured to force the input feed water through one or more conduits of the steam generator.

16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the one or more conduits are mounted in the steam generator transversely to a path fluid flow.

17 . The system of claim 7 , wherein:
the measure measurement device includes a weighing device to weigh the liquid portion and/or the gas portion; the measurement device is configured to calculate a measure steam quality based on weight of the gas portion divided by a combined weight of the gas portion plus the weight of the liquid portion; and the measurement device is configured to provide the measured steam quality as feedback to the fluid movement system to adjust the specified temperature range and/or the flow rate of the fluid to obtain output steam within the specified steam quality range.

18 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a measurement device configured to determine the steam quality based on a measured flow velocity of steam output or a measured steam output pressure or a measured steam output temperature or a measured flow velocity of the input liquid feed water or a combination thereof; and wherein the measurement device is configured to provide the measured steam quality as feedback to the fluid movement system to adjust the specified temperature range and/or the flow rate of the fluid to obtain output steam within the specified steam quality range.

19 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the controller calculates a modeled steam quality based on the flow rate of the fluid and/or a measured temperature of the fluid, and feeds forward a calculated input liquid feed water flow rate to obtain output steam quality in the specified steam quality range.

20 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a measurement device configured to determine the steam quality based on a measured mass flow rate of the input liquid feed water or a measured steam output mass flow rate or a measured steam output temperature or a measured steam output pressure or a combination thereof.

21 . The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the fluid movement system is configured to direct the stream of fluid to an anode side of the solid oxide cell electrolysis system to provide heat to the solid oxide cell electrolysis system and sweep oxygen away from the anode side of the solid oxide cell electrolysis system.

22 . The system of claim 21 , further comprising an auxiliary fluid movement system wherein;
the fluid movement system is configured to provide the stream of fluid from the anode side of the solid oxide cell electrolysis system to heat an auxiliary fluid within the auxiliary fluid movement system; and the auxiliary fluid movement system is configured to provide the auxiliary fluid to a cathode side of the solid oxide cell electrolysis system.

23 . The system of claim 22 , wherein:
the auxiliary fluid provided to the cathode side of the solid oxide cell electrolysis system comprises water or carbon dioxide or a combination thereof; and the cathode side of the solid oxide cell electrolysis system produces hydrogen or carbon monoxide or a combination thereof.

24 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a steam movement system configured to provide output steam from the steam generator to a cathode side of the solid oxide cell electrolysis system to generate hydrogen from water in the output steam.

25 . The system of claim 24 , wherein the output steam provides heat to the solid oxide cell electrolysis system to decrease an amount of electric power required by the solid oxide cell electrolysis system to produce a unit amount of hydrogen.

26 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a steam turbine configured to receive the steam output to generate electricity and produce turbine output steam for use in an industrial process.

27 . A system comprising:
a storage medium configured to store thermal energy generated by a conversion of input electricity from a renewable energy source, the renewable energy source having intermittent availability; a fluid movement device configured to move fluid through the storage medium to heat the fluid to a specified temperature, wherein the fluid movement device is configured to provide the fluid at the specified temperature; a steam generator configured to, using the fluid received from the fluid movement device, convert input feed water into steam; and a controller configured to cause the fluid movement system to adjust a flow rate of the fluid to maintain the steam output within a specified steam qualit

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

• F01K3/02 Primary

  Use of accumulators and specific engine types; Control thereof · CPC title