Energy storage system and alumina calcination applications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024247596-A1
Application number	US-202418587769-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 26, 2024
Priority date	Nov 30, 2020
Publication date	Jul 25, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

An energy storage system (TES) 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. Heat delivery via flowing gas establishes a thermocline which maintains high outlet temperature throughout discharge. The delivered heat which may be used for processes including power generation and cogeneration. In one application, the TES provides higher-temperature heat through non-combustible fluid to an alumina calcination system used to remove impurities or volatile substances and/or to incur thermal decomposition to a desired product.

First claim

1 . A calcination system, including:
a thermal energy storage (TES) system configured to store thermal energy derived from a variable renewable energy source having intermittent availability, wherein the TES system is configured to deliver heat to a use in the form of a heated fluid; and a calciner configured to receive and heat a material stream with thermal energy provided by a heated fluid source and generate a calcined product; wherein the heated fluid source includes a primary fuel burner configured to provide a first portion of the thermal energy required by the calciner to generate the calcined product and wherein the TES system provides a second portion of the thermal energy to the calciner to generate the calcined product.

2 . The calcination system of claim 1 , wherein the second portion of the thermal energy provided by the TES system is heated fluid.

3 . The calcination system of claim 1 , wherein the TES system is configured to provide the heated fluid to the calciner as direct heated fluid.

4 . The calcination system of claim 1 , wherein the TES system is configured to provide the heated fluid to a steam generator to generate steam for use in steam partial calcination.

5 . The calcination system of claim 1 , wherein the primary fuel burner is configured to operate with combustion air having a higher oxygen composition by volume than in ambient air.

6 . The calcination system of claim 1 , configured to provide the second portion of thermal energy to burner inputs of the primary fuel burner to increase flame temperature.

7 . The calcination system of claim 1 , wherein the primary fuel burner is configured to burn a fuel source that includes greater than 0.5% molecular hydrogen.

8 . The calcination system of claim 1 , configured to recirculate a portion of exhaust gas from the calciner into the TES system for reheating.

9 . The calcination system of claim 1 , further including:
a heat exchanger configured to produce steam from exhaust gas exiting the calciner; and a turbine configured to generate electricity using the produced steam.

10 . A method for using a calcination system, the method including:
storing thermal energy in a thermal energy storage (TES) system, wherein the thermal energy is derived from a variable renewable energy source having intermittent availability; receiving a material stream at a calciner; extracting a first portion of thermal energy from a primary fuel burner; extracting a second portion of thermal energy from the TES system; and providing the first and second portions of thermal energy to the calciner to generate a calcined product from the material stream.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the second portion of thermal energy includes a heated fluid.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further including the step of providing the heated fluid to the calciner as direct heated fluid.

13 . The method of claim 11 , further including the step of providing the heated fluid to generate steam for use in steam partial calcination.

14 . The method of claim 10 , further including the step of operating the primary fuel burner with combustion air having a higher oxygen composition by volume than in ambient air.

15 . The method of claim 10 , further including the step of providing the second portion of thermal energy to burner inputs of the primary fuel burner to increase flame temperature so that the calciner receives higher-temperature heat.

16 . The method of claim 10 , further including the step of burning a fuel source at the primary fuel burner, wherein the fuel source includes greater than 0.5% molecular hydrogen.

17 . The method of claim 10 , further including the step of recirculating a portion of exhaust gas from the calciner back into the TES system for reheating.

18 . The method of claim 10 , further including the step of using a heat exchanger to produce steam from exhaust gas exiting the calciner; and using a turbine to generate electricity using the produced steam.

Assignees

• Rondo Energy Inc

Inventors

• O'Donnell John Setel
• Ferhani Yusef Desjardins

Classifications

• H02M1/0003

  Details of control, feedback or regulation circuits · CPC title

• H02J3/04

  Arrangements for connecting networks of the same frequency but supplied from different sources · CPC title

• H02J3/00

  Circuit arrangements for AC mains or AC distribution networks · CPC title

• H02J1/102

  being switching converters (H02J1/108, H02J1/12 take precedence) · CPC title

• Y02E60/14

  Thermal energy storage · CPC title