Particulate heat transfer fluid and related system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9651313-B2
Application number	US-201314434546-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 9, 2013
Priority date	Oct 10, 2012
Publication date	May 16, 2017
Grant date	May 16, 2017

Abstract

A heat transfer system and related method of heat transfer is provided. The heat transfer system includes a tubular receiver positioned to receive heat from a heat source, the receiver comprising one or more enclosed tubes configured for gravity-driven flow of a particulate heat transfer fluid therethrough in a dense, unfluidized state having a particle volume fraction of at least about 25%; and at least one storage vessel in fluid communication with the tubular receiver and positioned to receive the heat transfer fluid therefrom, wherein the particulate heat transfer fluid includes a plurality of particles of a metal-containing material having a melting point of greater than 800 C, the heat transfer fluid being substantially free of a liquid component.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A heat transfer system comprising:
i) a tubular receiver positioned to receive heat from a heat source, the receiver comprising one or more enclosed tubes configured for gravity-driven flow of a particulate heat transfer fluid therethrough in a dense, unfluidized state having a particle volume fraction of at least about 25%; and
ii) at least one storage vessel containing at least a portion of the particulate heat transfer fluid, the storage vessel in fluid communication with the tubular receiver and positioned to receive the heat transfer fluid therefrom,
wherein the particulate heat transfer fluid comprises a plurality of particles of a metal-containing material having a melting point of greater than 800° C., the heat transfer fluid being substantially free of a liquid component.

2. The heat transfer system of claim 1 , wherein the heat source is a solar heat source, a nuclear reactor, or a cement kiln.

3. The heat transfer system of claim 1 , wherein the heat source is a solar heat source comprising a plurality of heliostats positioned to concentrate solar energy on the tubes of the tubular receiver.

4. The heat transfer system of claim 1 , wherein the particles have a melting point of greater than 1500° C.

5. The heat transfer system of claim 1 , wherein the metal of the metal-containing material is selected from the group consisting of a transition metal, an earth metal, a metalloid, a post-transition metal, and combinations thereof.

6. The heat transfer system of claim 1 , wherein the metal of the metal-containing material is selected from the group consisting of silicon, tin, titanium, aluminum, zinc, iron, nickel, manganese, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, copper, silver, tungsten, niobium, molybdenum, vanadium, zirconium, tantalum, boron, thorium, uranium, and combinations thereof.

7. The heat transfer system of claim 1 , wherein the metal-containing material is in a form selected from the group consisting of borides, carbides, nitrides, oxides, carbonitrides, silicides, sulfides, and combinations thereof.

8. The heat transfer system of claim 1 , wherein the particles are bauxite, aluminum oxide, or yttria-stabilized zirconia.

9. The heat transfer system of claim 1 , wherein the particles are microparticles having an average primary particle size of about 100 μm to about 500 μm.

10. The heat transfer system of claim 1 , wherein the particles are characterized by one or more of the following:
(a) time through Hall flow meter of less than about 65 seconds for 50 grams;
(b) time through Carney flow meter of less than about 12 seconds for 50 grams;
(c) angle of repose (a) of about 40 degrees or less; and
(d) diameter ratio of greater than about 0.90.

11. The heat transfer system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more tubes comprise a helical or slanted portion.

12. The heat transfer system of claim 1 , wherein the tubular receiver comprises a feed manifold positioned to receive the particulate heat transfer fluid and distribute the particulate heat transfer fluid to the tubes, and a collection manifold positioned to receive the particulate heat transfer fluid exiting the tubes.

13. The heat transfer system of claim 12 , wherein the one or more tubes comprise a plurality of tubes positioned to receive particulate heat transfer fluid from a series of apertures spaced around the periphery of the feed manifold, and wherein the feed manifold further comprises a convex structure centrally located within the feed manifold to urge flow of the particulate heat transfer fluid toward the series of apertures.

14. The heat transfer system of claim 1 , further comprising a valve positioned downstream from the tubular receiver configured to control the mass flow rate of the particulate heat transfer fluid through the tubular receiver.

15. The heat transfer system of claim 14 , wherein the valve comprises a venturi-type orifice plate.

16. The heat transfer system of claim 1 , wherein the particulate heat transfer fluid further comprises an inert gas.

17. The heat transfer system of any one of claims 1 to 16 , further comprising a heat engine in fluid communication with the particulate heat transfer fluid and configured to convert heat energy received from the particulate heat transfer fluid into one or more of mechanical energy and electric energy.

18. The heat transfer system of claim 17 , wherein the heat engine comprises a steam turbine or a thermoelectric generator.

19. The heat transfer system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one heat exchanger in fluid communication with the particulate heat transfer fluid and configured to transfer heat from the particulate heat transfer fluid to a second fluid.

20. The heat transfer system of claim 19 , wherein the second fluid is selected from the group consisting of water, steam, helium, carbon dioxide, and air.

21. The heat transfer system of claim 19 , wherein the heat exchanger is a gas-solid heat exchanger configured to transfer heat from the particulate heat transfer fluid to a pressurized gas, the heat transfer system further comprising:
a feed lock hopper positioned to receive the particulate heat transfer fluid in a heated state and at atmospheric pressure;
a working lock hopper positioned to receive the particulate heat transfer fluid from the feed lock hopper and pressurize the particulate heat transfer fluid for entry into the gas-solid heat exchanger; and
a bottom lock hopper positioned to receive the heat transfer fluid from the gas-solid heat exchanger and depressurize the particulate heat transfer fluid.

22. The heat transfer system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one thermochemical reactor in fluid communication with the particulate heat transfer fluid and configured to transfer heat from the particulate heat transfer fluid to the thermochemical reactor.

23. The heat transfer system of claim 22 , wherein the thermochemical reactor is configured to perform a chemical reaction selected from the group consisting of solar thermochemical reforming of natural gas to produce syngas, gasification of biomass to produce syngas, a sulfur-iodine cycle, a zinc-zinc oxide cycle, an iron oxide cycle, water splitting, CO 2 reduction, light metals production, and hydrocarbon or fluorocarbon cracking.

24. The heat transfer system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one high temperature fuel cell in fluid communication with the particulate heat transfer fluid, the heat transfer system configured to transfer heat from the particulate heat transfer fluid to the fuel cell.

25. The heat transfer system of claim 24 , wherein the fuel cell is a solid oxide fuel cell, an alkaline fuel cell, a phosphoric acid fuel cell, or a molten salt fuel cell.

26. The heat transfer system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one electrolyzer in fluid communication with the particulate heat transfer fluid, the heat transfer system configured to transfer heat from the particulate heat transfer fluid to the electrolyzer.

27. The heat transfer system of claim 26 , wherein the electrolyzer is a solid oxide electrolyzer, a molten salt electrolyzer, or an alkaline electrolyzer.

28. The heat transfer system of claim 1 , wherein the heat transfer system is a concentrated solar power system, wherein the tubular receiver is a solar receiver positioned to receive heat from a plurality of heliostats

Assignees

• Res Triangle Inst

Inventors

• Trainham James Arthur
• Hoertz Paul G
• Bonino Christopher A
• Newman John S

Classifications

• F28D2021/0045

  for granular materials · CPC title

• F28F23/00

  Features relating to the use of intermediate heat-exchange materials, e.g. selection of compositions (heat-transfer, heat-exchange or heat-storage materials C09K5/00) · CPC title

• F28D20/0056 Primary

  using solid heat storage material (F28D20/0052 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F28D2020/0047

  using molten salts or liquid metals · CPC title

• F28D20/0034

  using liquid heat storage material · CPC title