Annular Flow Electric Particle Heater

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2026089806-A1
Application number	US-202519332889-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 18, 2025
Priority date	Sep 25, 2024
Publication date	Mar 26, 2026
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electric particle heater for use in with moving particle thermal energy storage systems includes one of more vertically arranged electric heater rods, and a particle feed, distribution, and collection system directing a volume of particles axially in parallel flow along the heater rods. Each heating rod includes a containment tube to manage the geometry of the falling particles and create a uniform annular curtain of particles surrounding each heating rod. A flow control apparatus enables uniform particle velocity across all heating rods to be established and controlled to optimize heat transfer from each of the heating rods. A heating control apparatus allows input power control to the heating rods to optimize heating rod temperature along their length.

First claim

1 . An electric particle heater comprising:
an elongate conduit with an inlet and an outlet; an elongate heating rod disposed within the conduit, an exterior surface of the heating rod being non-contacting with an interior surface of the conduit to define an annular flow path extending between the inlet and the outlet; a particle feed apparatus configured to deliver a flow of particles to the inlet and distribute the flow of particles in the annular flow path; and a discharge apparatus configured to receive from the annular flow path the flow of particles gravity-driven through the annular flow path.

2 . The heater of claim 1 , wherein the elongate heating rod is axially aligned with the annular flow path.

3 . The heater of claim 1 , wherein the particle feed apparatus is configured to uniformly distribute particles about the inlet of the annular flow path.

4 . The heater of claim 1 , wherein the discharge apparatus further comprises a conical adapter coupled to the conduit outlet and a flow control apparatus configured to manage particle flow rate through the annular flow path.

5 . The heater of claim 4 , wherein the coupling of the conical adapter to the outlet enables relative axial movement therebetween.

6 . The heater of claim 1 , further comprising a heating rod controller configured to manage input energy to the heating rod and maintain the heating rod at a desired temperature.

7 . The heater of claim 6 , wherein the input energy varied in relation to length of the heating rod by the heating rod controller.

8 . A particle heating system comprising:
a particle supply system; a particle heater arranged to receive particles from the particle supply system, the particle heater further comprising:
a plurality of conduits each having an inlet, an outlet, and a heating rod, each heating rod being disposed within its respective conduit to create an annular flow path axially aligned with the heating rod between the inlet and the outlet;
a particle feed apparatus configured to deliver a flow of particles from the particle supply system to the respective inlets of the plurality of conduits, and to uniformly distribute the flow of particles in the respective annular flow paths of the plurality of conduits; and
a particle discharge apparatus configured to receive and manage the particle flow from the annular flow path; and
a particle discharge system configured to receive heated particles discharged from the plurality of particle discharge apparatus and deliver heated particles to a downstream thermal process.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein each particle discharge apparatus of the plurality of conduits further comprises a conical adapter with a discharge opening.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the discharge system further comprises a flow control apparatus configured to manage particle flow individually through each of the plurality of annular flow paths.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the flow control apparatus comprises a slide gate having a plurality of openings disposed adjacent to the plurality of discharge openings of the plurality of conical adapters, movement of the slide gate varying the alignment of the plurality of openings and the plurality of discharge openings and simultaneously alter flow rate of particles through each of the plurality of annular flow paths.

12 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the particle heater further comprises a heating rod controller configured to manage input energy to each of the plurality of heating rods and maintain each at a desired temperature.

13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the input energy may vary in relation to length of the heating rod.

14 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the input energy is an electric current.

15 . A method of heating solid particles for use in a thermal process comprising the steps of:
delivering a flow of particles to a particle heater, the particle heater having a feed apparatus and a plurality of particle heating devices each with a heating rod disposed within a conduit to define an annular flow path extending between an inlet and an outlet; distributing the flow of particles uniformly about each of the plurality of annular flow paths for gravity-driven flow therethrough; managing the flow of particles through each of the annular flow paths; and collecting the flow of particles from the plurality of annular flow paths and deliver the flow of particles to the thermal process.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein each of the particle heating devices further comprises a particle discharge apparatus with a discharge opening, and the particle heater further includes a flow control apparatus configured to manage particle flow individually through each of the plurality of annular flow paths.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the flow control apparatus includes a moveable slide gate configured to variably and simultaneously obstruct each discharge opening of the plurality of annular flow paths.

18 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising the step of:
controlling input energy to each heating rod to maintain each heating rod at a desired temperature.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein input energy is varied in relation to length of the heating rod.

20 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the input energy is an electric current.

Assignees

• Nat Tech & Eng Solutions Sandia Llc

Inventors

• Alaqel Shaker S M Abdullah
• Sment Jeremy N I
• Laubscher Hendrik F
• Mclaughlin Luke P
• Schroeder Nathaniel R

Classifications

• H05B1/0283

  For heating of fluids, e.g. water heaters · CPC title

• H05B2203/005

  using multiple resistive elements or resistive zones isolated from each other · CPC title

• H05B3/44 Primary

  heating conductor arranged within rods or tubes of insulating material · CPC title