closed loop power generation system pump control

专利摘要:
disclosed are systems and methods for controlling the pump of a closed thermodynamic cycle system, such as a brayton cycle. Operational parameters such as working fluid temperature, thermal fluid temperature, flow pressure and power generation can be the basis for controlling a thermal fluid pump rate.
公开号:BR112019013447A2
申请号:R112019013447
申请日:2017-11-17
公开日:2019-12-31
发明作者:Larochelle Philippe；B Apte Raj
申请人:Malta Inc；
IPC主号:

专利说明:

PUMP CONTROL OF CLOSED CYCLE POWER GENERATION SYSTEM
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION [001] This application claims priority from US Patent Application No. 15 / 392,653, filed on December 28, 2016, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND [002] In a thermal engine or heat pump, a heat exchanger can be employed to transfer heat between a thermal storage material and a working fluid for use with turbo machines. The thermal motor can be reversible, for example, it can also be a heat pump, and the working fluid and heat exchanger can be used to transfer heat or cold to a plurality of thermal reserves. Thermal energy within a given system can be stored in a variety of ways and in a variety of containers, including pressure vessels and / or insulated vessels. For example, in solar thermal systems with storage, molten salt is commonly used to store thermal energy, while a heat exchanger is used to transfer this energy to steam or another working fluid suitable for the operation of turbo machines.
SUMMARY [003] A closed thermodynamic cycle power generation system, such as a closed Brayton cycle system, can include at least one working fluid circulated through at least two heat exchangers, a turbine and a compressor. In some systems, one or more
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2/129 recessed heat exchangers can also be included. At least two temperature reservoirs can contain thermal fluids that can be pumped through heat exchangers, providing and / or extracting thermal energy from the working fluid. A motor / generator can be used to obtain work from the thermal energy in the system, preferably generating electricity from the mechanical energy received from the turbine. A variable speed pump can be controlled to vary the rate at which a thermal fluid is circulated through a heat exchanger. The pump speed can be controlled based on one or more operating parameters of the system.
[004] Examples of power generation systems may include: a closed cycle system including a working fluid that circulates through at least one first heat exchanger, a turbine, a second heat exchanger, and a compressor; a first pump configured to pump a first thermal fluid at a variable flow rate based on the pump speed through the first heat exchanger and in thermal contact with the working fluid; a generator driven by the turbine and configured to generate a quantity of electrical energy; a first control device operatively connected to the first pump and configured to control the speed of the first pump; at least one sensor, where each sensor is configured to determine and report an operating condition; and a controller in communication with the first control device and with at least one sensor, where the controller is configured
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3/129 to receive the reported operating condition of each sensor and, based on at least one reported operating condition, direct the first control device to adjust the speed of the first pump.
[005] Other examples of power generation systems may include: a closed cycle system comprising a working fluid circulating, at least one heat exchanger on the hot side, a turbine, a recuperative heat exchanger, a heat exchanger from the cold side and a compressor, in which the compressor is driven by the turbine; a hot side pump, where the hot side pump pumps a first thermal fluid at a variable flow rate based on the pump speed through the hot side heat exchanger and in thermal contact with the working fluid; a generator driven by the turbine and configured to generate a quantity of electrical energy; a first control device operationally connected to the pump on the hot side and configured to control the pump speed; a first sensor configured to determine and report a first temperature at a working fluid outlet from the heat exchanger on the hot side; a second sensor configured to determine and report a second temperature at a
input in fluid thermal of exchanger heat from the side hot; and a controller in Communication with the first sensor, O second sensor and the first device
control, where the controller is operable to determine an approach temperature of the first heat exchanger as the difference between the second temperature and the first temperature, and where the first controller is
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4/129 configured to direct the control device to increase the pump speed when the determined approach temperature is above a desired value.
[006] Examples of methods may include: the circulation of a working fluid through a Brayton cycle system comprising a first heat exchanger, a turbine, a second heat exchanger and a compressor; pump a variable flow rate of a first thermal fluid through the first heat exchanger, in which the first thermal fluid is in thermal contact with the working fluid; determine an operating condition of the Brayton cycle system; and adjusting the variable flow rate of the first thermal fluid based on the operating condition.
[007] These, as well as other aspects, advantages, and alternatives, will become evident to the technicians in the subject, through the reading of the following detailed description, with reference, when appropriate, to the attached drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[008] FIG. 1 illustrates schematically The operation in a thermal electrical storage system pumped.[009] FIG. 2 is a flow diagram schematic in fluid job and storage medium in heat of one system thermalpumped in a mode in bomb in
heat / charge.
[0010] FIG. 3 is a schematic flow diagram of working fluid and heat storage medium from a thermal system pumped in a discharge / heating engine mode.
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5/129 [0011] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of pressure and temperature of the working fluid as it undergoes the load cycle in FIG. 2.
[0012] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of pressure and temperature of the working fluid as it undergoes the discharge cycle in FIG. 3.
[0013] FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view of a closed working fluid system in the thermal system pumped in FIGs. 2-3.
[0014] FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view of the thermal system pumped in FIGs. 2-3 with hot and cold side storage tanks and a closed-loop working fluid system.
[0015] FIG. 8 shows a heat storage load cycle for a molten salt / water system with r) _c = 0.9 and r) t = 0.95. The dashed lines correspond to ar] _c = ht = 1.
[0016] FIG. 9 shows a heat storage discharge (extraction) cycle for the molten salt / water system in FIG. 8 with η ₀ = 0.9 er) t = 0.95. The dashed lines correspond to η ₀ = r] t = 1.
[0017] FIG. 10 shows a heat storage cycle in a pumped thermal system with varying compression rates between loading and unloading cycles.
[0018] FIG. 11 shows the outward and return efficiency contours for a water / salt system. The © and 0 symbols represent an approximate range of the current adiabatic efficiency values of the turbo machine. The dashed arrows represent the direction of the efficiency increase.
[0019] FIG. 12 shows outward efficiency outlines
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6/129 and back to a cooler salt / storage system. The © and 0 symbols represent an approximate range of the current adiabatic efficiency values of the turbo machine.
[0020] FIG. 13 is a schematic flowchart of working fluid and heat storage medium from a thermal system pumped with a gas-gas heat exchanger to the working fluid in a heat pump / charge mode.
[0021] FIG. 14 is a schematic flow diagram of working fluid and heat storage medium from a thermal system pumped with a gas-gas heat exchanger to the working fluid in a discharge / heating engine mode.
[0022] FIG. 15 is a schematic flowchart of working fluid and heat storage medium from a thermal system pumped with a gas-gas heat exchanger to the working fluid in a heat pump / charge mode with indirect rejection of heat to the environment .
[0023] FIG. 16 is a schematic flow chart of the working fluid and heat storage medium of a system
pumped with a exchanger of heat gas- -gas for O working fluid on a mode in motor in discharge / heating with rejection indirect from the heat for O environment. [0024] FIG. 17 shows a cycle in charge in
heat storage for a storage system with a gas-gas heat exchanger, a cold storage medium capable of lowering to temperatures significantly below room temperature and η ₀ = 0, 9 ei) t = 0.95.
[0025] FIG. 18 shows a heat storage discharge cycle for a storage system with
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7/129 a gas-gas heat exchanger, a cold storage medium capable of lowering to temperatures significantly below room temperature eq _c = 0.9 and qt = 0.95.
[002 6] FIG. 19 is a schematic flow diagram of the hot side recharge in a heat cycle pumped in solar mode with heating of a solar salt only by solar energy.
[0027] FIG. 20 is a schematic flow diagram of a discharge cycle from a thermal system pumped with heat rejection into the environment.
[0028] FIG. 21 is a schematic flow diagram of a discharge cycle from a thermal system pumped with heat rejection to an intermediate fluid circulated in a thermal bath at room temperature.
[0029] FIGS. 22 and 23 are pumped thermal systems with separate compressor / turbine pairs for loading and unloading modes.
[0030] FIGS. 24 and 25 show pumped thermal systems configured in a combustion heat input generation mode.
[0031] FIG. 26 is a schematic flow diagram of the hot-side recharge in a heat cycle pumped through heating by a combustion heat source or a residual heat source.
[0032] FIG. 27 shows a example of one system pumped thermal with control power regulated by pressure.[0033] FIG. 28 shows a example of one system pumped thermal with a housed pressure generator.[0034] FIG. 29 is An example of stators variables in
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8/129 a compressor / turbine pair.
[0035] FIG. 30 shows a computer system that is programmed to implement various methods and / or regulate various systems of the present disclosure.
[0036] FIG. 30 shows a computer system that is programmed to implement various methods and / or regulate various systems of the present disclosure.
[0037] FIG. 31 illustrates a pump control system according to an example embodiment.
[0038] FIG. 32 illustrates a method of pump control according to an example embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION [0039] Although various embodiments of the invention have been shown and described here, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that such embodiments are provided by way of example only. Numerous variations, changes and substitutions can occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the invention. It is to be understood that various alternatives to the embodiments of the invention described herein can be employed. It should be understood that different aspects of the invention can be appreciated individually, collectively or in combination with each other.
[0040] It should be understood that the terminology used here is used for the purpose of describing specific embodiments, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. It should be noted that, as used here, the singular forms of one, one and o include plural references, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In addition, unless otherwise specified, all
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9/129 the technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as is normally understood by a person skilled in the art in the area to which this invention belongs.
[0041] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown and described herein, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that such embodiments are provided by way of example only. Numerous variations, changes and substitutions will now occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the invention. It is to be understood that various alternatives to the embodiments of the invention described herein can be employed in the practice of the invention. It is intended that the following claims define the scope of the invention and that the methods and structures within the scope of these claims and their equivalents are hereby covered.
[0042] The term reversible, as used here, generally refers to a process or operation that can be reversed through infinitesimal changes in some process property or operation without substantial entropy production (for example, energy dissipation). A reversible process can be approximated by a process that is in thermodynamic equilibrium. In some instances, in a reversible process, the direction of the energy flow is reversible. As an alternative, or in addition, the general direction of operation of a reversible process (for example, the direction of fluid flow) can be reversed, such as, for example, from clockwise to counterclockwise, and vice versa.
[0043] The term sequence, as used here, generally refers to elements (for example, unit operations) in
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10/129 order. Such an order can refer to the process order, such as the order in which a fluid flows from an element
to another. In an example, a compressor, unity in storage in heat and turbine in sequence include O compressor a unit amount in exchange of heat, and The
heat exchange unit upstream of the turbine. In that case, a fluid can flow from the compressor to the heat exchange unit and from the heat exchange unit to the turbine. A fluid that flows through sequential unit operations can flow sequentially through unit operations. A sequence of elements can include one or more intervening elements. For example, a system comprising a compressor, heat storage unit and turbine in sequence may include an auxiliary tank between the compressor and the heat storage unit. A sequence of elements can be cyclic.
I. Overview [0044] An example of a thermal engine in which pump control methods and systems can be implemented is a closed thermodynamic cycle system, such as a Brayton cycle system. The system can be a closed reversible system and can include a recuperative heat exchanger. The closed cycle system can use a generator / motor connected to a turbine and a compressor that act on a working fluid that circulates in the system. Examples of working fluids include air, argon, carbon dioxide or gas mixtures. A closed-loop system can have a hot side and / or a cold side. Each side can include a heat exchanger coupled to one or
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11/129 more cold storage containers and / or one or more hot storage containers. Preferably, the heat exchangers can be arranged as counterflow heat exchangers for greater thermal efficiency. Liquid thermal storage media can be used and can include, for example, liquids that are stable at high temperatures, such as molten nitrate salt or solar salt, or liquids that are stable at low temperatures, such as glycols or alkanes such as hexane. For an example of the hexane and molten salt system, the molten salt on the hot side can include hot storage at approximately 565 ° C and cold storage at approximately 290 ° C and hexane on the cold side can include hot storage at approximately 35 ° C and cold storage at approximately -60 ° C.
[0045] An example of a pump control embodiment may be to control a molten salt pump to maintain a constant approach temperature in a heat exchanger on the hot side despite fluctuations in the rest of the system resulting in the working fluid that carries a variable amount of heat to the heat exchanger. Fluctuations can be measured by temperature sensors at the working fluid inlet of the heat exchanger and a controller that receives these temperature measurements can cause a corresponding change in the rate of pumping of the molten salt to the heat exchanger.
[0046] In another example of realization, the sensors can measure the difference in the phase of the axis and in the phase of the electric grid, that is, the difference in the total phase between the system
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12/129 of power generation and an electrical network to which the power generation system is supplying power. These measures can correlate with the fraction of energy available for the network being transmitted to the network. A controller can then anticipate changes in the energy required for the working fluid and therefore in the pumping rates for cold and hot thermal storage fluids.
II. Illustrative Reversible Heat Engines [0047] Although various embodiments of the invention have been shown and described here, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that such embodiments are provided by way of example only. Numerous variations, changes and substitutions can occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the invention. It is to be understood that various alternatives to the embodiments of the invention described herein can be employed. It should be understood that different aspects of the invention can be appreciated individually, collectively or in combination with each other.
[0048] It should be understood that the terminology used here is used for the purpose of describing specific embodiments, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. It should be noted that, as used here, the singular forms of one, one and o include plural references, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Furthermore, unless otherwise stated, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as is normally understood by a person skilled in the art in the field to which this invention belongs.
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13/129 [0049] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown and described herein, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that such embodiments are provided by way of example only. Numerous variations, changes and substitutions will now occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the invention. It is to be understood that various alternatives to the embodiments of the invention described herein can be employed in the practice of the invention. It is intended that the following claims define the scope of the invention and that the methods and structures within the scope of these claims and their equivalents are hereby covered.
[0050] The term reversible, as used here, generally refers to a process or operation that can be reversed through infinitesimal changes in some process property or operation without substantial entropy production (for example, energy dissipation). A reversible process can be approximated by a process that is in thermodynamic equilibrium. In some instances, in a reversible process, the direction of the energy flow is reversible. As an alternative, or in addition, the general direction of operation of a reversible process (for example, the direction of fluid flow) can be reversed, such as, for example, from clockwise to counterclockwise, and vice versa.
[0051] The term sequence, as used here, generally refers to elements (for example, unit operations) in order. Such an order can refer to the process order, such as the order in which a fluid flows from one element to another. In one example, a compressor,
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14/129 heat storage and turbine in sequence include the compressor upstream of the heat exchange unit, and the heat exchange unit upstream of the turbine. In that case, a fluid can flow from the compressor to the heat exchange unit and from the heat exchange unit to the turbine. A fluid that flows through sequential unit operations can flow sequentially through unit operations. A sequence of elements can include one or more intervening elements. For example, a system comprising a compressor, heat storage unit and turbine in sequence may include an auxiliary tank between the compressor and the heat storage unit. A sequence of elements can be cyclical.
Pumped Thermal Systems [0052] The disclosure provides pumped thermal systems capable of storing electrical energy and / or heat and releasing energy (for example, producing electricity) at a later time. The pumped thermal systems of the disclosure may include a thermal engine and a heat pump (or refrigerator). In some cases, the thermal engine can be operated upside down like a heat pump. In some cases, the thermal engine can be operated upside down like a refrigerator. Any description of heat pump / thermal engine systems or cooler / thermal engine systems capable of reversing operation here can also be applied to systems that include separate and / or reversible thermal engine systems, heat pump system (s) and / or refrigeration system (s). In addition, as heat pumps and coolers share the same
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15/129 operating principles (albeit for different purposes), any description of configurations or operation of heat pumps here can also be applied to configurations or operation of refrigerators, and vice versa.
[0053] The systems of the present disclosure can operate as thermal engines or heat pumps (or refrigerators). In some situations, the disclosure systems may function alternately as thermal motors and heat pumps. In some instances, a system can operate as a thermal engine to generate energy and subsequently operate as a heat pump to store energy, or vice versa. Such systems can operate alternately and sequentially as heat engines like heat pumps. In some cases, such systems operate reversibly or substantially reversibly as heat engines like heat pumps.
[0054] Reference will now be made to the figures, where similar numerals refer to equal parts throughout. It will be appreciated that the figures and features on them are not necessarily drawn to scale.
[0055] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates the operating principles of thermal electrical storage pumped using a heat pump / thermal motor electricity storage system. Electricity can be stored in the form of thermal energy from two materials or media at different temperatures (for example, thermal energy tanks comprising heat storage fluids or thermal storage media) using a combined heat pump / thermal engine system. In a charging mode or heat pump, the system can consume
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16/129 work to transfer heat from a cold material or medium to a hot material or medium, thereby lowering the temperature (for example, sensitive energy) of the cold material and increasing the temperature (ie, sensitive energy) of the hot material. In an engine discharge or heating mode, work can be done by the system by transferring heat from the hot material to the cold material, thereby lowering the temperature (ie, sensitive energy) of the hot material and increasing the temperature (ie, sensitive energy) of the cold material. The system can be configured to ensure that the work produced by the system at discharge is a favorable fraction of the energy consumed under load. The system can be configured to achieve high round-trip efficiency, defined here as the work produced by the system at discharge divided by the work consumed by the system under load. In addition, the system can be configured to achieve high round-trip efficiency using components at a desired cost (for example, acceptably low). The arrows H and W in FIG. 1 represent directions of heat flow and work, respectively.
[0056] Thermal engines, heat pumps and refrigerators of the disclosure may involve a working fluid to and from which the heat is transferred during a thermodynamic cycle. The thermal engines, heat pumps and coolers of the disclosure can operate in a closed cycle. Closed cycles allow, for example, a wider selection of working fluids, operation at high cold side pressures, operation at lower temperatures on the cold side, greater efficiency and less risk of damage to the
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12/17 turbine. One or more aspects of the disclosure described in relation to systems with working fluids subjected to closed cycles can also be applied to systems with working fluids subjected to open cycles.
[0057] In one example, thermal engines can operate on a Brayton cycle and heat pumps / coolers can operate on a reverse Brayton cycle (also known as gas refrigeration cycle). Other examples of thermodynamic cycles that the working fluid can undergo or approximate include the Rankine cycle, the ideal vapor compression refrigeration cycle, the Stirling cycle, the Ericsson cycle or any other cycle advantageously employed in conjunction with exchange of heat with heat storage fluids of the disclosure.
[0058] The working fluid can undergo a thermodynamic cycle operating at one, two or more pressure levels. For example, the working fluid can operate in a closed cycle between a low pressure limit on a cold side of the system and a high pressure limit on a hot side of the system. In some implementations, a low pressure limit of about 10 atmospheres (atm) (1.01325 MPa) or greater can be used. In some cases, the low pressure limit may be at least about 1 atm (0.101325 MPa), at least about 2 atm (0.20265 MPa), at least about 5 atm (0.506625 MPa), at least about 10 atm (1.01325 MPa), at least about 15 atm (1.51988 MPa), at least about 20 atm (2.0265 MPa), at least about 30 atm (3.03975 MPa ), at least about 40 atm (4,053 MPa), at least about 60 atm (6,095 MPa), at least about 80 atm (8,106 MPa), at least about 100 atm
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18/129 (10.1325 MPa), at least about 120 atm (12.159 MPa), at least about 160 atm (16.212 MPa), or at least about 200 atm (20.265 MPa), 500 atm (50.6625 MPa), 1000 atm (101.325 MPa), or more. In some cases, a low sub-atmospheric pressure limit may be used. For example, the low pressure limit may be less than about 0.1 atm (0.0101325 MPa), less than about 0.2 atm (0.020265 MPa), less than about 0.5 atm (0 , 0506625 MPa) or less than about 1 atm (0.101325 MPa). In some cases, the low pressure limit may be about 1 atmosphere (atm) (0.101325 MPa). In the case of a working fluid operating in an open cycle, the low pressure limit can
be about in 1 ATM (0.101325 MPa) or the same. the pressure environment. [005 9] In in some cases, the value of limit low pressure can to be selected with base at energy desired
and / or the energy input requirements of the thermodynamic cycle. For example, a pumped thermal system with a low pressure limit of about 10 atm (1.01325 MPa) may be able to provide an energy output comparable to an industrial gas turbine with ambient air inlet (1 atm) ( 0.101325 MPa). The low pressure limit value may also be subject to cost / safety trade-offs. In addition, the low pressure limit value can be limited by the high pressure limit value, the operating ranges of the hot side and the heat storage medium (for example, pressure and temperature ranges over which the heat storage are stable), pressure ratios and operating conditions (for example, operating limits, operating conditions
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19/129 optimum operating conditions, pressure drop) achieved by turbo machines and / or other system components, or any combination thereof. The high pressure limit can be determined according to these system restrictions. In some cases, higher values of the high pressure limit can lead to better heat transfer between the working fluid and the storage medium on the hot side.
[0060] Working fluids used in pumped thermal working systems can include air, argon, other noble gases, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, oxygen, or any combination thereof, and / or other fluids in a gaseous, liquid, critical state, or supercritical state (for example, supercritical CO2). The working fluid can be a gas or a low-viscosity liquid (for example, viscosity below about 500x10 ⁶ Poise at 1 atm (0.101325 MPa)), satisfying the requirement that the flow be continuous. In some implementations, a gas with a high specific heat rate can be used to achieve greater cycle efficiency than a gas with a low specific heat rate. For example, argon (for example, a specific heat ratio of about 1.66) can be used to replace air (for example, a specific heat ratio of about 1.4). In some cases, the working fluid may be a mixture of one, two, three or more fluids. In one example, helium (with high thermal conductivity and high specific heat) can be added to the working fluid (eg, argon) to improve heat transfer rates in heat exchangers.
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20/129 [0061] Here, pumped thermal systems can use heat storage materials or materials, such as one or more heat storage fluids. The heat storage means can be gases or liquids of low viscosity, satisfying the requirement that the flow be continuous. Systems can use a first heat storage medium on a hot side of the system (hot side thermal storage medium (HTS) or HTS) and a second heat storage medium on a cold side of the system (thermal storage medium cold side (CTS) or CTS here). Thermal storage media (for example, low-viscosity liquids) can have high heat capacities per unit volume (for example, heat above 1400 Joule (kilogram Kelvin) ^x ) and high thermal conductivities (for example, thermal conductivity above 0.7 Watt Kelvin) ^x ). In some implementations, several different thermal storage media (also heat storage medium here) on the hot side, on the cold side or on the hot side and on the cold side can be used.
[0062] The operating temperatures of the thermal storage medium on the hot side can be in the liquid range of the thermal storage medium on the hot side, and the operating temperatures of the thermal storage medium on the hot side can be in the liquid range of the hot side. thermal storage medium on the cold side. In some instances, liquids may allow a faster exchange of large amounts of heat for convective counterflow than solids or gases. Thus, in some cases, the liquid HTS and CTS media can be used with
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21/129 advantage. Pumped thermal systems that use thermal storage media here can advantageously provide a safe, non-toxic and geographically independent energy storage alternative (for example, electricity).
[0063] In some implementations, the thermal storage medium on the hot side can be a molten salt or a mixture of molten salts. Any salt or salt mixture that is liquid over the operating temperature range of the thermal storage medium on the hot side can be employed. Molten salts can provide numerous advantages as a means of storing thermal energy, such as low vapor pressure, lack of toxicity, chemical stability, low chemical reactivity with typical steels (for example, melting point below the creep temperature of steels, low corrosivity, low iron and nickel dissolving capacity) and low cost. In one example, HTS is a mixture of sodium nitrate and potassium nitrate. In some instances, HTS is a eutectic mixture of sodium nitrate and potassium nitrate. In some instances, HTS is a mixture of sodium nitrate and potassium nitrate with a lower melting point than the individual constituents, an increased boiling point than the individual constituents or a combination of these. Other examples include potassium nitrate, calcium nitrate, sodium nitrate, sodium nitrite, lithium nitrate, mineral oil, or any combination of these. Additional examples include any gaseous media (including compressed gases), liquids or solids (for example, solids in
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22/129 dust) with adequate thermal storage capacities (eg high) and / or capable of achieving adequate heat transfer rates (eg high) with the working fluid. For example, a mixture of 60% sodium nitrate and 40% potassium nitrate (also known as solar salt in some situations) can have a thermal capacity of approximately 1500 Joule (Kelvin mol) ¹ and a thermal conductivity of approximately 0 , 75 Watt (Kelvin meter) ¹ within a temperature range of interest. The thermal storage medium on the hot side can be operated in a temperature range that structural steels can handle.
[0064] In some cases, the water will liquid at temperatures of about 0 ° C to 100 ° C (about 273K - 373K) and a pressure of about 1 atm can be used as a means of thermal storage on the cold side. Due to a possible risk of explosion associated with the presence of steam at or near the boiling point of water, the operating temperature can be maintained below 100 ° C or less, maintaining an operating pressure of 1 atm (0.101325 MPa) (without pressurization). In some cases, the operating temperature range of the thermal storage medium on the cold side can be extended (for example, at -30 ° C to 100 ° C at 1 atm (0.101325 MPa)) using a mixture of water and a or more antifreeze compounds (for example, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol or glycerol).
[0065] As described in more detail elsewhere in this document, improved storage efficiency can be achieved by increasing the temperature difference at which the system operates, for example, using a
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23/129 heat storage on the cold side capable of operating at lower temperatures. In some examples, the thermal storage medium on the cold side may comprise hydrocarbons, such as, for example, alkanes (for example, hexane or heptane), alkenes, alkines, aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids (for example, HCOOH), ethers , cycloalkanes, aromatic hydrocarbons, alcohols (for example, butanol), other type (s) of hydrocarbon molecules, or any combination thereof. In some cases, the thermal storage medium on the cold side may be hexane (for example, n-hexane). Hexane has a wide liquid range and can remain fluid (ie liquid) throughout its liquid range (-94 ° C to 68 ° C in 1 atm (0.101325 MPa)). The low temperature properties of hexane are aided by its immiscibility with water. Other liquids, such as, for example, ethanol or methanol, may become viscous at the low temperature ends of their liquid bands due to the pre-crystallization of the water absorbed by the air. In some cases, the thermal storage medium on the cold side may be heptane (for example, n-heptane). Heptane has a wide liquid range and can remain fluid (ie liquid) throughout its liquid range (-91 ° C to 98 ° C in 1 atm (0.101325 MPa)). The low temperature properties of heptane are aided by its immiscibility with water. At even lower temperatures, other heat storage media can be used, for example, isohexane (2-methylpentane). In some instances, cryogenic liquids with boiling points below -150 ° C (123 K) or about -180 ° C (93.15 K) can be used as a means of
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24/129 thermal storage (eg propane, butane, pentane, nitrogen, helium, neon, argon and krypton, air, hydrogen, methane or liquefied natural gas). In some implementations, the choice of thermal storage medium on the cold side may be limited by the choice of working fluid. For example, when a gaseous working fluid is used, a thermal storage medium on the cold side of the liquid may be required having a liquid temperature range at least partially or substantially above the boiling point of the working fluid.
[0066] In some cases, the operating temperature range of the CTS and / or HTS media can be changed by pressurizing (increasing the pressure) or evacuating (ie, decreasing the pressure) the tanks and thus changing the temperature at which the medium of storage goes through phase transitions (for example, going from liquid to solid, or from liquid to gas).
[0067] In some cases, the hot side and the heat storage fluids on the cold side of the pumped thermal systems are in a liquid state in at least a portion of the operating temperature range of the energy storage device. The heat storage fluid on the hot side can be liquid within a certain temperature range. Likewise, the heat storage fluid on the cold side can be liquid within a certain temperature range. Heat storage fluids can be heated, cooled or maintained to reach an adequate operating temperature before, during or after operation.
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25/129 [0068] The pumped thermal systems of the disclosure can circulate between the loaded and unloaded modes. In some instances, pumped thermal systems can be fully charged, partially charged or partially discharged, or fully discharged. In some cases, the heat storage on the cold side can be loaded (also recharged here) regardless of the heat storage on the hot side. In addition, in some implementations, loading (or part of it) and unloading (or part of it) can occur simultaneously. For example, a first portion of a heat storage on the hot side can be recharged while a second portion of the heat storage on the hot side together with a heat storage on the cold side is being discharged.
[0069] Pumped thermal systems may be able to store energy for a certain period of time. In some cases, a given amount of energy can be stored for at least about 1 second, at least about 30 seconds, at least about 1 minute, at least about 5 minutes, at least about 30 minutes, at least about 1 hour, at least about 2 hours, at least about 3 hours, at least about 4 hours, at least about 5 hours, at least about 6 hours, at least about 7 hours, at least about from 8 hours, at least about 9 hours 10 hours, at least about 12 hours at least about 14 hours, at least about 16 hours, at least about 18 hours, at least about 20 hours, at least 22 hours, at least about 24 hours (1 day), at least about 2 days, at least
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12/26
fence in 4 days, at least about 6 days, at least fence in 8 days, at least about 10 days, 20 days, 30 days, 60 days, 100 days, 1 year or more.
[0070] The pumped thermal systems of the disclosure may be able to store / receive input, and / or extract / supply output of a substantially large amount of energy and / or energy for use with power generation systems (for example, intermittent energy generation such as wind or solar energy), energy distribution systems (for example, power grid) and / or other loads or uses on a network scale or independent configurations. During a charging mode of a pumped thermal system, electrical energy received from an external power source (for example, a wind power system, a photovoltaic solar system, an electrical grid, etc.) can be used to operate the thermal system pumped in a heat pump mode (that is, transferring heat from a low temperature reservoir to a high temperature reservoir, storing energy). During a pumped thermal system discharge mode, the system can supply electrical energy to an external power system or load (for example, one or more electrical networks connected to one or more loads, a load, such as a factory or a process of energy intensive, etc.) operating in thermal engine mode (ie transferring heat from a high temperature reservoir to a low temperature reservoir, extracting energy). As described here, during loading and / or unloading, the system can receive or reject thermal energy, including, but not limited to, energy
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27/129 electromagnetic (for example, solar radiation) and thermal energy (for example, sensitive energy from a medium heated by solar radiation, combustion heat, etc.).
[0071] In some implementations, the pumped thermal systems are synchronous to the network. Synchronization can be achieved by combining the speed and frequency of a system's engines / generators and / or turbo machines with the frequency of one or more network networks with which the system exchanges energy. For example, a compressor and a turbine can rotate at a certain fixed speed (for example, 3600 revolutions per minute (rpm)) which is a multiple of the mains frequency (for example, 60 hertz (Hz)). In some cases, this configuration can eliminate the need for additional power electronics. In some implementations, the turbo machine and / or engines / generators are not synchronized to the network. In such cases, frequency matching can be performed using power electronics. In some implementations, the turbomachinery and / or motors / generators are not directly synchronous to the network, but can be combined through the use of gears and / or a mechanical gearbox. As described in greater detail elsewhere, the pumped thermal systems can also be variable. Such capabilities may allow these network-scale energy storage systems to operate as peak power plants and / or as load-tracking power plants. In some cases, the disclosure systems may be able to operate as base load plants.
[0072] Pumped thermal systems can have a
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12/28 certain energy capacity. In some cases, the energy capacity during charging may differ from the energy capacity during discharge. For example, each system can have a load and / or discharge capacity of less than 1 megawatt (MW), at least about 1 megawatt, at least about 2 MW, at least about 3 MW, at least about 4 MW, at least about 5 MW, at least about 6 MW, at least about 7 MW, at least about 8 MW, at least about 9 MW, at least about 10 MW, at least 20 MW, at least at least about 30 MW, at least 40 MW, at least about 50 MW, at least about 75 MW, at least about 100 MW, at least about 200 MW, at least about 500 MW, at least 1 gigawatt (GW), at least 2 GW, at least about 5 GW, at least about 10 GW, at least about 20 GW, at least about 30 GW, at least about 40 GW, at least about 50 GW at least about 75 GW, at least about 100 GW, or more.
[0073] Pumped thermal systems can have a certain energy storage capacity. In one example, a pumped thermal system is configured as a 100 MW unit operating for 10 hours. In another example, a pumped thermal system is configured as a 1 GW plant operating for 12 hours. In some cases, the energy storage capacity may be less than 1 megawatt (MWh), at least about 1 megawatt-hour, at least about 10 MWh, at least about 100 MWh, at least 1 gigawatt hour (GWh ) at least about 5 GWh, at least about 10 GWh, at least about 20 GWh, at least 50 GWh, at least about 100 GWh, at least about 200
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12/29
GWh, at least about 500 GWh, at least about 700 GWh, at least GWh or more.
[0074] In some cases, a given energy capacity can be obtained with a certain size, configuration and / or operating conditions of the thermal motor / heat pump cycle. For example, size of turbo machines, ducts, heat exchangers or other components of the system can correspond to a certain energy capacity.
[0075] In some implementations, a given energy storage capacity can be achieved with a certain size and / or number of thermal storage tanks on the hot side and / or thermal storage tanks on the cold side. For example, the thermal machine / heat pump cycle can operate at a given energy capacity for a certain period of time defined by the heat storage capacity of the system or installation. The number and / or the heat storage capacity of the thermal storage tanks on the hot side may differ from the number and / or the heat storage capacity of the thermal storage tanks on the cold side. The number of tanks may depend on the size of the individual tanks. The size of the storage tanks on the hot side may differ from the size of the thermal storage tanks on the cold side. In some cases, the thermal storage tanks on the hot side, the heat exchanger on the hot side and the thermal storage medium on the hot side can be referred to as a heat storage unit (thermal) on the hot side. In some cases, the thermal storage tanks on the cold side, the heat exchanger on the cold side and the
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30/129 thermal storage medium on the cold side can be referred to as a heat storage unit on the cold (thermal) side.
[0076] A pumped thermal storage facility can include any suitable number of storage tanks on the hot side, such as at least about 2, at least about 4, at least about 10, at least about 50, at least about 100, at least about 500 about 1,000, at least about 5,000, at least about 10,000, and so on. In some examples, a pumped thermal storage facility includes 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 200 , 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, 1,000 or more hot-side tanks.
[0077] A pumped thermal storage facility can also include any suitable number of cold side storage tanks, such as at least about 2, at least about 4, at least about 10, at least about 50, at least at least about 100, at least about 500, at least about 1,000, at least about 5,000, at least about 10,000, and so on. In some examples, a pumped thermal storage facility includes 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 200 , 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, 1,000 or more tanks on the cold side.
Pumped thermal storage cycles [0078] One aspect of the disclosure concerns pumped thermal systems that operate on pumped thermal storage cycles. In some instances, cycles allow electricity to be stored as heat (for example,
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31/129 in the form of a temperature differential) and then reconverted to electricity through the use of at least two turbomachine components, a compressor and a turbine. The compressor is labor intensive and increases the temperature and pressure of a working fluid (WF). The turbine produces work and reduces the temperature and pressure of the working fluid. In some instances, more than one compressor and more than one turbine are used. In some cases, the system may include at least 1, at least 2, at least 3, at least 4 or at least 5 compressors. In some cases, the system may include at least 1, at least 2, at least 3, at least 4 or at least 5 turbines. The compressors can be arranged in series or in parallel. The turbines can be arranged in series or in parallel.
[0079] FIGS. 2 and 3 are schematic flow diagrams of working fluid and heat storage medium of an exemplary pumped thermal system in a heat pump / charge mode and a discharge / heat engine mode, respectively. The system can be designed to simplify the explanation so that there are no losses (ie, entropy generation) in the turbo machine or heat exchangers. The system may include a working fluid 20 (for example, argon gas) flowing in a closed loop between a compressor 1, a heat exchanger on the hot side 2, a turbine 3 and a heat exchanger on the cold side 4. Paths / fluid flow directions for working fluid 20 (for example, a gas), a thermal storage medium on the hot side (HTS) 21 (for example, a low viscosity liquid) and a storage medium
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32/129 thermal on the cold side (CTS) 22 (for example, low viscosity liquid) are indicated by arrows.
[0080] FIGS. 4 and 5 are schematic diagrams of pressure and temperature of the working fluid 20 as it passes through the load cycles in FIGs. 2 and 3, respectively, again simplified in the approach of generation without entropy. The normalized pressure is shown on the y axes and the temperature is shown on the x axes. The direction of the processes occurring during the cycles is indicated with arrows, and the individual processes occurring on compressor 1, the CFX on the hot side 2, the turbine 3 and the CFX on the cold side 4 are indicated in the diagram with their respective numerals.
[0081] Heat exchangers 2 and 4 can be configured as counterflow heat exchangers (CFXs), where the working fluid flows in one direction and the substance with which it is exchanging heat is flowing in the opposite direction. In an ideal counterflow heat exchanger with correctly matched flows (ie balanced capacities or capacity flow rates), the temperatures of the working fluid and the thermal storage medium are reversed (ie, the counterflow heat exchanger may have unity effectiveness).
[0082] Counterflow heat exchangers 2 and 4 can be designed and / or operated to reduce the generation of entropy in heat exchangers to insignificant levels compared to the generation of entropy associated with other components and / or processes of the system (eg generation of compressor and / or turbine entropy). In some cases, the system can be operated
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33/129 so that the generation of entropy in the system is minimized. For example, the system can be operated in such a way that the generation of entropy associated with heat storage units is minimized. In some cases, a temperature difference between the fluid elements exchanging heat can be controlled during operation, such that the generation of entropy in the heat storage units on the hot and cold sides is minimized. In some cases, the entropy generated in the heat storage units on the hot side and the cold side is insignificant when compared to the entropy generated by the compressor, the turbine or the compressor and the turbine. In some cases, the generation of entropy associated with heat transfer in heat exchangers 2 and 4 and / or the generation of entropy associated with the operation of the hot side storage unit, the cold side storage unit or both storage units the hot and cold side can be less than about 50%, less than about 25%, less than about 20%, less than about 15%, less than about 10%, less than about 5%, less about 4%, less than about 3%, less than about 2%, or less than 1% of the total entropy generated within the system (for example, entropy generated by compressor 1, the heat exchanger on the hot side 2 , the turbine 3, the cold side heat exchanger 4 and / or other components described (for example, a stove). For example, entropy generation can be reduced or minimized if the two heat-exchanging substances do so at a local temperature differential ΔΤ -> 0 (that is, when the temperature difference between any two fluid elements that are in contact
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34/129 near thermal in the heat exchanger is small). In some instances, the temperature differential ΔΤ between any two fluid elements that are in close thermal contact may be less than about 300 Kelvin (K), less than about 200 K, less than about 100 K, less than about 75 K, less than about 50 K, less than about 40 K, less than about 30 K, less than about 20 K, less than about 10 K, less than about 5 K, less than about 3 K, less than about 2 K or less than about 1 K. In another example, the generation of entropy associated with the pressure drop can be reduced or minimized by the appropriate design. In some instances, the heat exchange process can occur at a constant or near constant pressure. Alternatively, a negligible pressure drop can be experienced by the working fluid and / or one or more thermal storage media during passage through a heat exchanger. The pressure drop in the heat exchangers can be controlled (for example, reduced or minimized) through the proper design of the heat exchanger. In some instances, the pressure drop at each heat exchanger may be less than about 20% of the inlet pressure, less than about 10% of the inlet pressure, less than about 5% of the inlet pressure, less than about 3% of the inlet pressure than about 2% of the inlet pressure, less than about 1% of the inlet pressure, less than about 0.5% of the inlet pressure, less than about 0.25% of the inlet pressure or less than about 0.1% of the inlet pressure.
[0083] Upon entering heat exchanger 2, the temperature
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35/129 of the working fluid can increase (by taking heat from the HTS 21 medium, corresponding to the discharge mode in Figures 3 and 5) or decreasing (by giving heat to the HTS 21 medium, corresponding to the loading mode in Figures 2 and 4) , depending on the temperature of the HTS medium in the heat exchanger in relation to the temperature of the working fluid. Likewise, when entering the heat exchanger 4, the temperature of the working fluid may increase (taking heat from the CTS 22 medium, corresponding to the loading mode in Figures 2 and 4) or decreasing (giving heat to the CTS 22 medium, corresponding to the discharge mode in Figs. 3 and 5), depending on the temperature of the CTS medium in the heat exchanger in relation to the temperature of the working fluid.
[0084] As described in more detail with reference to the charging mode in FIGs. 2 and 4, the process of adding heat to the CFX on the cold side 4 can occur in a different temperature range than the heat removal process on the CFX of the hot side 2. Similarly, in the discharge mode in FIGs. 3 and 5, the heat rejection process on the CFX on the cold side 4 can occur in a different temperature range than the heat addition process on the CFX on the hot side 2. At least part of the temperature ranges on the hot side and the Heat exchange processes on the cold side can overlap during loading, unloading or during loading and unloading.
[0085] As used here, the temperatures To, Ti, To ⁺ and Ti ⁺ are so called because To ⁺ , Ti ⁺ are the temperatures reached with the output of a compressor with a given compression ratio, i) _c adiabatic efficiency and To, Ti inlet temperatures respectively. The
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36/129 examples in FIGs. 2, 3, 4 and 5 can be idealized examples hc = 1 and where the adiabatic efficiency of the turbine also has the value 7] _t = 1.
[0086] With reference to mode in charge shown in FIGs. 2 and 4, the fluid in job 20 can enter at the compressor 1 in position 30 in an pressure P and an temperature T (for example , a Ti, P ₂ ) . THE as the fluid working pass by compressor, the work Wi is
consumed by the compressor to increase the pressure and temperature of the working fluid (for example, for Ti ⁺ , Pi), as indicated by Pf and T | in position 31. In load mode, the Ti ⁺ temperature of the working fluid that leaves the compressor and enters the CFX on the hot side 2 in position 31 is higher than the temperature of the HTS 21 medium entering the CFX on the hot side 2 in the position 32 from a second thermal storage tank on the hot side 7 at a temperature To ⁺ (ie, To ⁺ <Ti ⁺ ). As these two liquids pass in thermal contact with each other in the heat exchanger, the temperature of the working fluid decreases as it moves from position 31 to position 34, releasing heat Qi to the medium of HTS, while the temperature of the HTS medium in turn increases as it moves from position 32 to position 33, absorbing heat Qi from the working fluid. In one example, the working fluid exits the CFX on the hot side 2 at position 34 at To ⁺ temperature and the HTS medium exits the CFX on the hot side 2 at position 33 for a first thermal storage tank on the hot side 6 at temperature Ti ⁺ . The heat exchange process can take place at a constant or almost constant pressure, so that the working fluid leaves the CFX of the
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37/129 hot side 2 in position 34 at a lower temperature, but with the same pressure Pi, as indicated by P and Tj. in position 34. Similarly, the temperature of the HTS 21 medium increases in the CFX of the hot side 2, while its pressure can remain constant or almost constant.
[0087] When leaving the CFX on the hot side 2 in position 34 (for example, in To ⁺ , Pi), the working fluid 20 undergoes expansion in turbine 3 before leaving the turbine in position 35. During expansion, the pressure and the working fluid temperature decrease (for example, for To, P ₂ ), as indicated by P j. and T j. in position 35. The working magnitude W2 generated by the turbine depends on the enthalpy of the working fluid entering the turbine and the degree of expansion. In load mode, heat is removed from the working fluid between positions 31 and 34 (on the CFX on the hot side 2) and the working fluid is expanded back to the pressure at which it initially entered the compressor in position 30 (for example, P ₂ ). The compression ratio (for example, P1 / P2) in compressor 1 is equal to the expansion ratio in turbine 3, and the enthalpy of gas entering the turbine is less than the enthalpy of gas leaving the compressor, work W2 generated by turbine 3 is less than the work Wi consumed by compressor 1 (that is, W ₂ <Wi).
[0088] Because the heat was removed from the working fluid in the CFX on the hot side 2, the temperature To at which the working fluid exits the turbine at position 35 is lower than the temperature Ti at which the working fluid initially enters in the compressor in position 30. To close the cycle (ie, to return the pressure and temperature of the working fluid to its initial values Ti, P ₂ in the
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38/129 position 30), heat Q2 is added to the working fluid of medium CTS 22 in the CFX of the cold side 4 between positions 35 and 30 (i.e., between turbine 3 and compressor 1). In one example, the CTS medium 22 enters the CFX on the cold side 4 at position 36 from a first cold side of the thermal storage tank 8 at temperature Ti and exits the CFX on the cold side 4 at position 37 on a second cold side of the thermal storage tank 9 at temperature To, while the working fluid 20 enters the CFX on the cold side 4 at position 35 at temperature To and exits the CFX on cold side 4 at position 30 at temperature Ti. Again, the exchange process heat can occur at a constant or almost constant pressure, so that the working fluid leaves the CFX on the cold side 2 at position 30 at a higher temperature, but the same pressure P2, as indicated by P and T | in position 30. Similarly, the temperature of the CTS 22 medium decreases in the CFX of the cold side 2, while its pressure can remain constant or almost constant.
[008 9] During charging, heat Q2 is removed from the CTS medium and heat Qi is added to the HTS medium, where Qi> Q2 · A net amount of Wi - W2 work is consumed, since Wi work used by the compressor is greater than the W2 work generated by the turbine. A device that consumes work while moving heat from a cold body or thermal storage medium to a hot body or thermal storage medium is a heat pump; thus, the thermal system pumped in charge mode operates like a heat pump.
[0090] In one example, the discharge mode shown in FIGs. 3 and 5 may differ from the charging mode shown in
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FIGs. 2 and 4 in the temperatures of the thermal storage medium to be introduced in the heat exchangers. The temperature at which the HTS medium enters the CFX on the hot side 2 at position 32 is Ti ⁺ instead of To ⁺ , and the temperature of the CTS medium which enters the CFX on the cold side 4 at position 36 is To instead of Ti. During discharge, the working fluid enters the compressor at position 30 in To and P2, exits the compressor in position 31 at To ⁺ <Ti ⁺ and Pi, absorbs heat from the HTS medium in the CFX on the hot side 2, enters the turbine 3 in position 34 in Ti ⁺ and Pi, it leaves the turbine in position 35 in Ti> To and P2, and finally rejects the heat to the CTS medium in the cold side CFX 4, returning to its initial state in position 30 in To and P2 .
[0091] The HTS medium at Ti ⁺ temperature can be stored in a first thermal storage tank on the hot side 6, the HTS medium at temperature To ⁺ can be stored in a second thermal storage tank on the hot side 7, the CTS medium at temperature Ti it can be stored on a first cold side of the thermal storage tank 8, and the CTS medium at temperature To can be stored on a second cold side of the thermal storage tank 9 during both loading and unloading modes. In one implementation, the inlet temperature of the HTS medium at position 32 can be changed between Ti ⁺ and To ⁺ when changing between tanks 6 and 7, respectively. Similarly, the inlet temperature of the CTS medium at position 36 can be changed between Ti and To by changing between tanks 8 and 9, respectively. Switching between tanks can be achieved by including a valve or a valve system (for example, valve systems 12 and 13 in FIG. 7) for
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40/129 change connections between the heat exchanger on the hot side 2 and the tanks on the hot side 6 and 7, and / or between the heat exchanger on the cold side 4 and the tanks on the cold side 8 and 9 as needed for modes loading and unloading. In some implementations, connections can be connected on the working fluid side, while connections from storage tanks 6, 7, 8 and 9 to heat exchangers 2 and 4 remain static. In some instances, the flow paths and connections to the heat exchangers may depend on the design (for example, hull and tube) of each heat exchanger. In some implementations, one or more valves can be used to change the direction of the working fluid and the heat storage medium through the counterflow heat exchanger in loading and unloading. Such configurations can be used, for example, due to the high thermal storage capacities of the heat exchanger component, to decrease or eliminate temperature transients, or a combination of these. In some implementations, one or more valves can be used to change the direction of the working fluid only, while the direction of the HTS or CTS can be changed by changing the direction of the pumping, thus maintaining the counterflow configuration. In some implementations, different valve configurations can be used for HTS and CTS. In addition, any combination of valve settings can be used. For example, the system can be configured to operate using different valve configurations in different situations (for example, depending on the operating conditions of the system).
[0092] In the discharge mode shown in FIGs. 3 and 5, the
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41/129 working fluid 20 can enter compressor 1 at position 30 at a pressure P and temperature T (for example, To, P2). As the working fluid passes through the compressor, work Wi is consumed by the compressor to increase the pressure and temperature of the working fluid (for example, for To ⁺ , Pi), as indicated by Ρΐ and Tt in position 31. In discharge mode, the temperature To ⁺ of the working fluid leaving the compressor and enters the CFX on the hot side 2 at position 31 is less than the temperature of the medium HTS 21 entering the CFX on the hot side2 at position 32 from a first thermal storage tank on the hot side 6 at a temperature Ti ⁺ (ie , To ⁺ <Ti ⁺ ). As these two liquids pass thermal contact with each other in the heat exchanger, the temperature of the working fluid increases as it moves from position 31 to position 34, absorbing heat Qi from the HTS medium, while the temperature from the HTS medium , in turn decreases as it moves from position 32 to position 33, releasing heat Qi into the working fluid. In one example, the working fluid exits the CFX on the hot side 2 at position 34 at the Ti ⁺ temperature and the HTS medium exits the CFX on the hot side 2 at position 33 for the second thermal storage tank on the hot side 7 at temperature To ⁺ . The heat exchange process can take place at a constant or almost constant pressure, so that the working fluid leaves the CFX on the hot side 2 in position 34 at a higher temperature, but with the same pressure Pi, as indicated by P and Tt in position 34. Similarly, the temperature of the HTS 21 medium decreases in the CFX of the hot side 2, while its pressure can remain constant or almost
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42/129 constant.
[0093] When leaving the CFX on the hot side 2 in position 34 (for example, in Ti ⁺ , Pi), the working fluid 20 undergoes expansion in turbine 3 before leaving the turbine in position 35. During expansion, the pressure and the working fluid temperature decrease (for example, for paraι, P2), as indicated by P j. and T j. in position 35. The working magnitude W2 generated by the turbine depends on the enthalpy of the working fluid entering the turbine and the degree of expansion. In the discharge mode, heat is added to the working fluid between positions 31 and 34 (on the CFX on the hot side 2) and the working fluid is expanded back to the pressure at which it initially entered the compressor in position 30 (for example , P2). The compression ratio (for example, P1 / P2) in compressor 1 is equal to the expansion ratio in turbine 3, and the enthalpy of the gas entering the turbine is greater than the enthalpy of the gas leaving the compressor, work W2 generated by turbine 3 is greater than the work Wi consumed by compressor 1 (ie W2> Wi).
[0094] Because heat has been added to the working fluid in the CFX on the hot side 2, the temperature Ti at which the working fluid exits the turbine at position 35 is higher than the temperature To at which the working fluid initially enters the compressor in position 30. To close the cycle (ie, to return the pressure and temperature of the working fluid to its initial values To, P2 in position 30), heat Q2 is rejected by the working fluid into the CTS medium 22 on the CFX on the cold side 4 between positions 35 and 30 (that is, between turbine 3 and compressor 1). The CTS 22 medium enters the CFX on the cold side 4 at position 36 a
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43/129 from a second cold side of the thermal storage tank 9 at temperature To and exits the CFX from the cold side 4 at position 37 in a first thermal storage tank on the cold side 8 at temperature Ti, while the fluid working 20 enters the CFX on the cold side 4 at position 35 at temperature Ti and exits the CFX on cold side 4 at position 30 at temperature To. Again, the heat exchange process can take place at a constant or almost constant pressure, so that the working fluid leaves the CFX on the cold side 2 at position 30 at a higher temperature, but the same pressure P2, as indicated by P and T j at position 30. Similarly, the temperature of the CTS medium 22 increases in the CFX of the cold side 2, while its pressure can remain constant or almost constant.
[0095] During discharge, heat Q2 is added to the CTS medium and heat Qi is removed from the HTS medium, where Qi> Q2 · A net amount of work W2 - Wi is generated, once the work Wi used compressor is less than the W2 work generated by the turbine. A device that generates work while moving the heat from a hot body or from a thermal storage medium to a cold body or a thermal storage medium is a thermal motor; thus, the thermal system pumped in the discharge mode operates like a thermal engine.
[0096] FIG. 6 is a simplified schematic perspective view of a closed working fluid system in the thermal system pumped in FIGs. 2-3. As indicated, the working fluid 20 (contained within the pipeline) circulates clockwise between the compressor 1, the heat exchanger on the hot side 2, the turbine 3 and the
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44/129 heat exchanger on the cold side 4. The compressor and turbine 3 can be grouped on a common mechanical axis 10, such that they rotate together. In some implementations, compressor 1 and turbine 3 may have separate mechanical shafts. A motor / generator 11 (for example, including a synchronous motor - synchronous generator converter on a single common axis) supplies power to and from the turbo machine. In this example, the compressor, turbine and engine / generator are all located on a common axis. The tubes in positions 32 and 33 transfer thermal storage fluid from the hot side to and from the heat exchanger on the hot side 2, respectively. The tubes in positions 36 and 37 transfer the thermal storage fluid from the cold side to and from the heat exchanger on the cold side 4, respectively.
[0097] Although the system of FIG. 6 is illustrated as comprising a compressor 1 and turbine 3, the system may include one or more compressors and one or more turbines, which may operate, for example, in a parallel configuration, or alternatively in a series configuration or in a combination of configurations in parallel and in series. In some examples, a system of compressors or turbines can be assembled in such a way that a certain compression ratio is achieved. In some cases, different compression ratios (for example, over loading and unloading) may be used (for example, connecting or disconnecting, in a parallel and / or in series configuration, one or more compressors or turbines from the compressor or turbine system ). In some instances, the working fluid is directed to a plurality of compressors and / or a
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45/129 plurality of turbines. In some instances, the compressor and / or turbine may have temperature-dependent compression ratios. The arrangement and / or operation of the turbocharger and / or other elements of the system can be adjusted according to the temperature dependence (for example, to optimize performance).
[0098] FIG. 7 is a simplified schematic perspective view of the thermal system pumped in FIGs. 2-3 with hot and cold side storage tanks and a closed-loop working fluid system. In this example, the HTS medium is a molten salt and the CTS medium is a low temperature liquid. One, two or more first tanks on the hot side 6 (at Ti ⁺ temperature) and one, two or more second tanks on the hot side 7 (at To ⁺ temperature), both to maintain the HTS medium, are in fluid communication with a valve 13 configured to transfer HTS medium to and from the heat exchanger on the hot side 2. One, two or more first tanks on the cold side 8 (at Ti temperature) and one, two or more second tanks on the cold side 9 (at temperature To), both to maintain the CTS medium, are in fluid communication with a valve 12 configured to transfer the CTS medium to and from the cold side heat exchanger 4.
[0099] Thermal energy reservoirs or storage tanks can be thermally insulated tanks that can contain an adequate amount of the relevant thermal storage medium (for example, heat storage fluid). Storage tanks can allow relatively compact storage of large amounts of thermal energy. In one example, tanks
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46/129 on the hot side 6 and / or 7 can have a diameter of about 80 meters, while the tanks on the cold side 8 and / or 9 can have a diameter of about 60 meters. In another example, the size of each (ie, hot or cold side) thermal storage for a 1 GW plant operating for 12 hours may be about 20 medium-sized oil refinery tanks.
[00100] In some implementations, a third set of tanks containing storage media at intermediate temperatures between the other tanks can be included on the hot side and / or on the cold side. In one example, a third storage or transfer tank (or set of tanks) at an intermediate temperature at the temperatures of a first tank (or set of tanks) and a second tank (or set of tanks) can be provided. A set of valves can be provided to change the storage medium between the different tanks and heat exchangers. For example, thermal media can be directed to different sets of tanks after the heat exchangers exit, depending on the operating conditions and / or the cycle being used. In some implementations, one or more additional sets of storage tanks at different temperatures can be added on the hot side and / or the cold side.
[00101] Storage tanks (for example, tanks on the hot side comprising the thermal storage medium on the hot side and / or tanks on the cold side comprising the thermal storage medium on the cold side) can operate at ambient pressure. In some implementations, the storage of thermal energy at
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47/129 ambient pressure can provide safety benefits. Alternatively, storage tanks can operate at high pressures, such as, for example, at a pressure of at least about 2 atm (0.20265 MPa), at least about 5 atm (0.506625 MPa), at least about 10 atm (1.01325 MPa), at least about 20 atm (2.0265 MPa), or more. Alternatively, storage tanks can operate at reduced pressures, such as, for example, at a pressure of at most about 0.9 atm (0.0911925 MPa), at most about 0.7 atm (0.0709275 MPa ), at most about 0.5 atm (0.0506625 MPa), at most about 0.3 atm (0.0303975 MPa), at most about 0.1 atm (0.0101325 MPa), at most about 0.01 atm, at most, about 0.001 atm (0.00101325 MPa), or less. In some cases (for example, when operating at higher / higher or lower pressures or to avoid contamination of the thermal storage medium), storage tanks can be sealed from the surrounding atmosphere. Alternatively, in some cases, storage tanks may not be sealed. In some implementations, tanks may include one or more pressure settings or relief systems (for example, a valve for safety or system optimization).
[00102] As used herein, the first hot side tank (s) 6 (at Ti ⁺ temperature) may contain HTS medium at a higher temperature than the second hot side tank (s) 7 (at To ⁺ temperature ^{) ) /} and the first tank (s) on the cold side 8 (at a temperature Ti> may contain CTS medium at a higher temperature than the second tank (s) on the cold side 9 (at temperature To).
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During loading, the HTS medium in the first hot side tank (s) 6 (higher temperature) and / or CTS medium in the second cold side tank (s) 9 can be refilled. During the discharge, half HTS in the first tank (s) on the hot side 6 and / or half CTS in the second tank (s) on the cold side 9 can be consumed.
[00103] In the previous examples, in both operating modes, two of the four storage tanks 6, 7, 8 and 9 are supplying the thermal storage medium for heat exchangers 2 and 4 at inlets 32 and 36, respectively, and the other two tanks are receiving thermal storage medium from heat exchangers 2 and 4 of outlets 33 and 37, respectively. In this configuration, the feed tanks can contain a storage medium at a certain temperature due to previous operating conditions, while the temperatures of the receiving tanks may depend on the current operation of the system (for example, operational parameters, loads and / or inlet power) . The temperatures of the receiving tank can be adjusted by the conditions of the Brayton cycle. In some cases, the temperatures of the receiving tank may differ from the desired values due to deviations from predetermined cycle conditions (for example, variation in absolute pressure in response to system demand) and / or due to the generation of entropy in the system. In some cases (for example, due to the generation of entropy), at least one of the four temperatures in the tank may be higher than desired. In some implementations, a radiator can be used to reject or dissipate this residual heat into the environment. In some cases, rejection
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49/129 heat to the environment can be improved (for example, using evaporative cooling, etc.). The wasted heat generated during the operation of the thermal systems pumped here can also be used for other purposes. For example, residual heat from one part of the system can be used in other parts of the system. In another example, residual heat can be supplied to an external process or system, such as, for example, a manufacturing process that requires low-grade heat, commercial or residential heating, thermal desalination, commercial drying operations, etc.
[00104] The components of the thermal systems pumped from the disclosure can exhibit non-ideal performance, leading to losses and / or inefficiencies. The greatest losses in the system can occur due to inefficiencies of the turbo machine (for example, compressor and turbine) and of the heat exchangers. The losses due to the heat exchangers can be small compared to the losses due to the turbo machine. In some implementations, losses due to heat exchangers can be reduced to close to zero with adequate design and expense. Therefore, in some analytical examples, losses due to heat exchangers and other possible small losses due to pumps, the engine / generator and / or other factors can be overlooked.
[00105] Losses due to turbo machines can be quantified in terms of adiabatic efficiencies g _c er / t (also known as isentropic efficiencies) for compressors and turbines, respectively. For large turbo machines, typical values can vary between r] _c = 0.85 - 0.9 for compressors and r / t = 0.9 - 0.95 for
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50/129 turbines. The actual amount of work produced or per cycle can:
«_ ₌ A ísaf reef« feat .jy example assuming specific heat consumed to be expressed. Ynfr < Ífeí, where, constants of the as in a working fluid, (ψ - 1), Ϊ4 ^Γ = fylUwwCl ~ Φ) where yi ψ = rv, r is the compression ratio (that is, the ratio of the pressure plus high to the lowest pressure), and γ = cp / cv is the ratio of specific heats of the working fluid. Due to the inefficiencies of the compressor and the turbine, more work is needed to achieve a given rate of compression during compression, and less work is generated during expansion to a given rate of compression. Losses can also be quantified in terms of polytropic efficiencies, or single stage, q _C pe jtp, for compressors and turbines, respectively. Polytropic efficiencies are related to adiabatic efficiencies and
.... _ equations e.
[00106] In the examples where jc = = 1, pumped thermal cycles of the disclosure can follow identical paths in both the loading and unloading cycles (for example, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5). In the examples where r / _c <1 and / or <1, the compression in the compressor can lead to a higher temperature increase than in the ideal case for the same compression rate, and the expansion in the turbine can lead to a smaller decrease of ideal temperature.
[00107] In some implementations, the polytropic efficiency of compressor 7] _cp can be at least about 0.3, at least about 0.5, at least about 0.6, at least about 0.7, at least least about 0.75, at least
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51/129 about 0.8, at least about 0.85, at least about 0.9, at least about 0.91 0.92, at least about 0.93, at least about 0, 96 or more. In some implementations, the polytropic efficiency of the η _ίρ compressor can be at least about 0.3, at least about 0.5, at least about 0.6, at least about 0.7, at least about 0 , 75, at least about 0.8, at least about 0.85, at least about 0.9, at least about 0.91, at least about 0.92, at least about 0.93 at least about 0.96, at least about 0.97 or more.
[00108] To ⁺ , Ti ⁺ were previously defined as the temperatures reached at the outlet of a compressor with a certain rate of compression r, adiabatic efficiency ηα and inlet temperatures of To, Ti respectively. In some examples, these four temperatures are related ηη ·· ^ · η ~ _ '1 __ ,, ί.ϊΖϊ ., ™ by the equation ~ - - - «μ.
You [00109] FIG. 8 shows an exemplary heat storage load cycle for a water (CTS) / molten salt (HTS) system with r / _c = 0.9 and r] t = 0.95. The dashed lines correspond to ar / c = = 1 and the solid lines show the load cycle with r / t = 0.95 and r / c = 0.9. In this example, the CTS medium on the cold side is water, and the HTS medium on the hot side is molten salt. In some cases, the system may include 4 heat storage tanks. In the load cycle, the working fluid in To and P2 can exchange heat with a CTS medium in the heat exchanger on the cold side 4, so its temperature can increase to Ti (assuming an insignificant pressure drop, its pressure can remain P2). In compressor 1 with η _α = 0.9, the temperature and pressure of the working fluid can increase from Τι, P2
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52/129 for Ti ⁺ , Pi. The working fluid can then exchange heat with an HTS medium in the heat exchanger on the hot side 2, such that its temperature can decrease (the constant pressure Pi, assuming a negligible pressure drop). If the working fluid enters turbine 3 with rjt = 0.95 in temperature and expands back to its original pressure P2, its temperature when leaving the turbine may not be To. Instead, the working fluid can enter the turbine at a temperature To ⁺ and leave the turbine at temperature To and pressure P2. In some examples, temperatures are related by the - - ratio. In
T _o some examples, T _o ⁺ is the temperature at which the working fluid enters a turbine inlet with adiabatic efficiency and compression ratio r to leave at temperature To.
[00110] In some implementations, the temperature T _o ⁺ can be incorporated in load cycles of the disclosure by the first heat exchange of the working fluid with Tapara To ⁺ HTS medium, followed by an additional cooling of the fluid from Tq to To ⁺ , as illustrated by section 38 of the cycle in FIG. 8.
[00111] FIG. 9 shows an exemplary heat storage discharge (extraction) cycle for the molten water / salt system in FIG. 8 with r / _c = 0.9 and i] t = 0.95. The dashed lines correspond to ar / c = i] t = 1 and the solid lines show the load cycle with r / t = 0.95 and r / c = 0.9. In the discharge cycle, the working fluid Ti and P ₂ can exchange heat with a CTS medium in the heat exchanger on the cold side 4, so that its temperature can decrease to To (assuming a negligible pressure drop, its pressure
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53/129 can remain P2). In compressor 1 with η _α = 0.9, the temperature and pressure of the working fluid can increase from To, P2 to To ⁺ , Pi. The working fluid can then exchange heat with an HTS medium in the heat exchanger on the hot side 2, such that its temperature can increase (the constant pressure Pi, assuming a negligible pressure drop). Working fluid entering turbine 3 and may not leave the turbine at temperature Ti as in the load cycle, but may leave at temperature T _lf where, in some examples, T = some examples, is the temperature at which the fluid work leaves the turbine outlet with adiabatic efficiency and compression ratio r after entering the turbine inlet at temperature.
[00112] In some implementations, the temperature T _± can be incorporated into the discharge cycles of the disclosure by first cooling the working fluid that leaves the turbine from T to Ti, as illustrated by section 39 of the cycle in FIG. 9, followed by heat exchange of the working fluid with the CTS medium from Ti to To.
[00113] The loading and unloading cycles can be closed by additional heat rejection operations in sections 38 (between To ⁺ and T _o ⁺ ) and 39 (between 7) and Ti), respectively. In some cases, closing the heat rejection cycles in sections of the cycles where the working fluid can reject heat into the environment at low cost can eliminate the need for additional heat to enter the system. The sections of the cycles where the working fluid can reject heat to room temperature can be limited to sections where the fluid temperature
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54/129 working temperature is high enough above room temperature for room cooling to be viable. In some examples, heat can be rejected to the environment in sections 38 and / or 39. For example, heat can be rejected using one or more working fluids for air radiators, intermediate water cooling or various other methods. In some cases, the heat rejected in sections 38 and / or 39 can be used for another useful purpose, such as, for example, cogeneration, thermal desalination and / or other examples described herein.
[00114] In some implementations, the cycles can be closed by varying the compression rates between the loading and unloading cycles, as shown, for example, in FIG. 10. The ability to vary the compression rate at loading and unloading can be implemented, for example, by varying the rotation speed of the compressor and / or turbine, by controlling the stator's variable pressure, ignoring a subset of the compression stages or expansion in loading or unloading by using valves, or using dedicated compressor / turbine pairs for loading and unloading mode. In one example, the compression rate in the discharge cycle at
FIG. 9 can be changed in such a way that heat rejection in section 39 is not used, and only heat rejection in section 38 in the load cycle is used. Varying the compression ratio can allow heat (that is, entropy) to be rejected at a lower temperature, thereby increasing the overall round-trip efficiency. In some examples of this configuration, the charge rate, rc, can be adjusted to such a compression
- ' ^and in the discharge, the compression ratio ro can be adjusted such that
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Τ ⁺ Π * · '!
. = ψ, ' ^ρ . In some cases, temperatures higher than Ti ⁺ and Ti may be identical in loading and unloading and without removal of heat it may be necessary in this portion (also leg here) of the cycle. In such cases, the temperature To ⁺ at the charge (for example, Tq ^ = and the temperature To ⁺ at the discharge (for example, = T _o ip _D ^ ^cp ) may be different and the heat may be rejected (also dissipated or discarded here ) for the environment between the temperatures To ⁺ ^ and To ⁺ ^. In an implementation where only the storage media exchange heat with the environment, a heat rejection device (for example, devices 55 and 56 shown in FIG. 16) can be used to lower the CTS temperature from Tq ^ to Tq ^ between discharge and charge.
[00115] FIG. 10 shows an example of a cycle with varying compression rates. The compression ratio can be higher at discharge (when work is produced by the system) than at load (when work is consumed by the system), which can increase the overall efficiency of the system. For example, during a load cycle 80 with T ^ ^c) , a lower compression ratio of <3 can be used; during a discharge cycle 81 with T ₀ ⁺ ^ ^d a compression ratio> 3 can be used. The higher temperatures reached in the two cycles 80 and 81 can be Ti and Ti ⁺ and no excess heat can be rejected.
[00116] The compression rate can vary between loading and unloading, in such a way that the heat dissipation into the environment necessary for closing the cycle both at loading and unloading occurs between temperatures. Tq ^ (the temperature of the working fluid before entering the turbine during the load cycle) and Tq ^ (the temperature of the
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56/129 working fluid as it leaves the compressor at discharge), and not above the Ti temperature (the temperature of the working fluid before entering the compressor under load and / or exiting the turbine at discharge). In some instances, no heat is rejected at a temperature above the lowest temperature in the HTS medium.
[00117] In the absence of system losses and / or inefficiencies, as, for example, in the case of pumped thermal systems comprising heat pump (s) and heat motor (s) operating at the zero entropy creation / isentropic limit, a certain amount of heat Qh can be transferred using a certain amount of IV work in heat pump (load) mode, and the same Qh can be used in heating (discharge) mode to produce the same IV work, leading to a unit (ie, 100%) round trip efficiency. In the presence of losses and / or inefficiencies of the system, the efficiency of round trip of the pumped thermal systems can be limited by how much the components deviate from the ideal performance.
[00118] The round trip efficiency of a pumped thermal system can be defined as Ή _{stores (} ío = IW _c ^ ^xtra I / IW _c ^ ^ar ^ ^a I. In some examples, with an approximation of the ideal heat exchange, round-trip efficiency can be derived by considering the net work output during the discharge cycle, | and the net work input during the load cycle, using the work and temperature equations given above.
[00119] Round trip efficiencies can be calculated for different system configurations
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57/129 pumped thermals (for example, for different classes of thermal storage media) based on the efficiency of the turbomachine components, r / _{c and} r / t.
[00120] In one example, FIG. 11 shows the outward and return efficiency contours for a water / salt system, such as, for example, the water / salt system in FIGs. 8 and 9 with To = 273 K (0 ° C), Ti = 373 K (100 ° C) and a compression ratio of r = 5, 65 chosen to achieve compatibility with the salt (s) in the warm side. Examples of round trip efficiency contours at 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80% and 90% h-storage values are shown as a function of component efficiencies g _{c and} r / t on the x and y axes, respectively. The © and 0 symbols represent the approximate range of the current adiabatic efficiency values of the turbo machine. The dashed arrows represent the direction of the efficiency increase.
[00121] FIG. 12 shows the round-trip efficiency contours for a cooler salt / storage system, such as, for example, a hexane / salt system with a gas-gas heat exchanger in FIGs. 13, 14, 17 and 18, with To = 194 K (-79 ° C), Ti = 494 K (221 ° C) and a compression ratio of r = 3.28. Examples of round-trip efficiency contours at r / _storage values of 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80% and 90% are shown as a function of the efficiencies of components g _{c and} r / t on the x and y axes, respectively. The © and 0 symbols represent the approximate range of the current adiabatic efficiency values of the turbo machine. As discussed in detail elsewhere, the use of hexane, heptane and / or another CTS medium capable of operating at low temperature can result in improvements
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58/129 significant changes in the efficiency of the system.
Pumped thermal storage cycles with recovery [00122] Another aspect of the disclosure is directed to pumped thermal systems with recovery. In some situations, the terms regeneration and recovery can be used interchangeably, although they may have different meanings. As used here, the terms recovery and recuperator generally refer to the presence of one or more additional heat exchangers where the working fluids exchange heat during different cycles of a thermodynamic cycle through continuous heat exchange without intermediate thermal storage. The return efficiency of pumped thermal systems can be substantially improved if the permissible temperature ranges of the storage materials can be extended. In some implementations, this can be done by choosing a material or medium on the cold side that can go below 273 K (0 ° C). For example, a CTS medium (eg, hexane) with a lower temperature limit of about To = 179 K (-94 ° C) can be used in a system with a molten salt HTS medium. However, Tq (ie, the lowest temperature of the working fluid in the heat exchanger on the hot side) at some compression rates (for example, modest) may be below the freezing point of the molten salt, making the molten salt unviable as the HTS medium. In some implementations, this can be resolved by including a working fluid in the working fluid heat exchanger (for example, gas-gas) (also recoverer here) in the cycle.
[00123] FIG. 13 is a schematic flow chart of fluid
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59/129 working and heat storage medium of a thermal system pumped in a heat pump / load mode with a gas-gas heat exchanger 5 for the working fluid. The use of the gas-gas heat exchanger may allow the use of a cooler heat storage medium on the cold side of the system. The working fluid can be air. The working fluid can be dry air. The working fluid can be nitrogen. The working fluid can be argon. The working fluid can be a mixture of mainly argon mixed with another gas, such as helium. For example, the working fluid can comprise at least about 50% argon, at least about 60% argon, at least about 70% argon, at least about 80% argon, at least about 90 % argon or about 100% argon, with helium in equilibrium.
[00124] FIG. 17 shows a heat storage charge cycle for the storage system in FIG. 13 with a cold side storage medium (eg liquid hexane) capable of descending to approximately 17 9 K (-94 ° C) and a molten salt as the hot side storage, r / _c = 0.9 r / t = 0.95. The CTS medium can be hexane or heptane and the HTS medium can be molten salt. In some cases, the system may include four heat storage tanks.
[00125] In an implementation, while loading in FIGs.
and 17, the working fluid enters the compressor in Ti and 2, leaves the compressor in Ti ⁺ and Pi, rejects heat Qi to the HTS 21 medium in the CFX on the hot side 2, leaving the CFX on the hot side 2 in Ti and Pi, rejects heat Qrecup (also Qregen here, as shown, for example, in the attached drawings) for
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60/129 the cold working fluid (low pressure) in the heat exchanger or stove 5, leaves the stove 5 in To ⁺ and Pi, rejects heat in the environment (or another heat sink) in section 38 (for example, a radiator), enters turbine 3 at Tq and Pi, exits the turbine at To and P2, absorbs heat Q2 from the medium CTS 22 at the CFX on the cold side 4 exits the CFX at the cold side 4 at To ⁺ and P2, absorbs Qrecup heat from the working fluid on the hot side (high pressure) in the heat exchanger or stove 5, and finally leaves the stove from 5 to Ti and P2, returning to its initial state, before entering the compressor.
[00126] FIG. 14 is a schematic flow diagram of the working fluid and heat storage medium of the thermal system pumped in FIG. 13 in thermal engine / discharge mode. Again, the use of the gas-to-gas heat exchanger may allow the use of cooler heat storage fluid (CTS) and / or cooler working fluid on the cold side of the system.
[00127] FIG. 18 shows a heat storage discharge cycle for the storage system for the storage system in FIG. 14 with a cold side storage medium (eg liquid hexane) capable of descending to 179 K (-94 ° C) and a molten salt as the hot side storage, eg _c = 0.9 r / t = 0 , 95. Again, the CTS medium can be hexane or heptane and the HTS medium can be molten salt, and the system can include 4 heat storage tanks.
[00128] During the discharge in FIGs. 14 and 18, the working fluid enters the compressor at To and P2, exits the compressor at To ⁺ and Pi, absorbs Qrecup heat from the
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61/129 working on the cold side (low pressure) in the heat exchanger or stove 5, leaves stove 5 in Ti and Pi, absorbs heat Qi from the medium HTS 21 in the CFX on the hot side 2, leaving the CFX on the hot side 2 in Ti ⁺ and Pi, enters turbine 3 in Ti ⁺ and Pi, exits the turbine in T _± and P2, rejects heat to the environment (or another heat sink) in section 39 (for example, a radiator), rejects the Qrecup heat for the working fluid on the hot side (high pressure) in the heat exchanger or stove 5, enters the CFX on the cold side 4 in To ⁺ and P2, rejects heat Q2 for the CTS 22 medium in the CFX on the cold side 4 and finally leaves the CFX on the cold side 4 in To and P2,
returning to your initial state before enter the compressor. [00129] In another implementation, shown in FIG. 15, the charge cycle remains the same as FIGs. 13 and 17, except
that the working fluid leaves the stove 5 T _o ⁺ and Pi (instead of To ⁺ and Pi as in Figures 13 and 17), enters turbine 3 in To ⁺ and Pi, leaves the turbine in To and P2, absorbs heat Q2 from the CTS 22 medium having a temperature To ⁺ (instead of To ⁺ as in Figures 13 and 17) on the CFX on the cold side and exits the CFX on the cold side to To ⁺ and P2 (instead of To ⁺ e P2 as in Fig. 13) before reinserting stove 5. The heat between the To ⁺ and To ⁺ temperatures is no longer directly discharged from the working fluid into the environment (as in section 38 in Figures 13 and 17).
[00130] During the discharge in FIG. 16, the discharge cycle remains the same as in FIGs. 14 and 8B, except that the temperature of the HTS medium deposited in tank 7 is changed. The working fluid comes out of the stove 5 Tj and Pi (instead of Ti and Pi, as in Figs. 14 and 8B) and absorbs heat
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Qi of the HTS 21 medium in the CFX of the hot side 2. The HTS medium exits the CFX of the hot side 2 having a temperature Tj (instead of in Ti, as in Figs. 14 and 18). The working fluid then leaves the CFX on the hot side 2 in Ti ⁺ and Pi, enters turbine 3 in Ti ⁺ and Pi, and leaves the turbine in and P2 before re-entering the stove 5. The heat between temperatures 7 ° and Ti is no longer rejected directly from the working fluid to the environment (as in section 39 in figures 14 and 18). As in FIG. 14, the CTS medium enters tank 8 at temperature To ⁺ .
[00131] After unloading in FIG. 16, in preparation for loading in FIG. 15, the heat exchange with the environment can be used to cool the HTS 21 medium from the temperature Tj used in the discharge cycle to the temperature Ti used in the charge cycle. Likewise, heat exchange with the environment can be used to cool the CTS 22 medium from the temperature To ⁺ used in the discharge cycle to the temperature T _o ⁺ used in the charge cycle. Unlike the configuration in FIGs. 13 and 14, where the working fluid may need to reject a substantial amount of heat (in sections 38 and 39, respectively) at a rapid rate; in this configuration, the hot and cold storage medium can be cooled at a rapid rate. arbitrarily slow (for example, radiating or by other means to release heat to the environment).
[00132] As shown in FIG. 16, in some implementations, heat can be rejected from the CTS medium to the environment by circulating the CTS medium in the tank 8 in a heat rejection device 55 that can absorb heat from the CTS medium and reject heat into the environment until the CTS medium
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63/129 cool from temperature To ⁺ to temperature T _o ⁺ . In some examples, the heat rejection device 55 may be, for example, a radiator, a thermal bath containing a substance such as water or salt water, or a device immersed in a natural body of water such as a lake, river or Ocean. In some instances, the heat rejection device 55 can also be an air cooling device, or a series of tubes that are thermally connected to a solid reservoir (for example, tubes embedded in the ground).
[00133] Similarly, in some implementations, heat can be rejected from the HTS medium into the environment by circulating the HTS in tank 7 in a heat rejection device 56 that can absorb heat from the HTS medium and reject heat into the environment until the HTS medium to cool from temperature T) to temperature Ti. In some instances, the heat rejection device 56 may be, for example, a radiator, a thermal bath containing a substance such as water or salt water, or a device immersed in a natural body of water such as a lake, river or ocean. In some instances, the heat rejection device 56 may also be an air-cooling device or a series of tubes that are thermally connected to a solid reservoir (for example, tubes embedded in the ground).
[00134] In some implementations, the heat rejection to the environment through the use of the thermal storage medium can be used in conjunction with the variable compression rate loading and / or discharge cycles described, for example, in FIG. 10. In this system,
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64/129 only the CTS medium can exchange heat with the environment. Such a system can also be implemented with a stove to extend the temperature ranges of the HTS and CTS media in the cycles.
[00135] In some implementations, three separate cold storage tanks at the respective temperatures To, T _o ⁺ and To ⁺ can be used (for example, an extra tank can be used in addition to tanks 8 and 9). During the heat exchange in the CFX on the cold side 4 in the discharge cycle, the heat from the working fluid leaving the stove 5 can be transferred to the CTS medium in the To ⁺ tank. The CTS medium can be cooled in / by, for example, the heat rejection device 55 before entering the T0 ⁺ tank. In some implementations, three hot-side storage tanks separated at respective temperatures Ti, 7 and Ti ⁺ can be used (for example, an extra tank can be used in addition to tanks 6 and 7). During the heat exchange in the CFX on the hot side 2 in the discharge cycle, the heat from the working fluid leaving the stove 5 can be transferred to the HTS medium in the 7th tank. The HTS medium can be cooled in / by, for example, the heat rejection device 56 before entering the -ι-tank. The rejection of heat to the environment in such a way can have several advantages. In a first example, this can eliminate the need for a potentially expensive working fluid for the ambient heat exchanger that is capable of absorbing heat from the working fluid at a rate proportional to the energy input / output of the system. HTS and CTS media can instead reject heat for extended periods of time,
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65/129 thus reducing the cost of cooling infrastructure. In a second example, it can allow the decision on when heat is rejected into the environment to be delayed, so that the exchange of heat to room can be carried out when the temperature (for example, the room temperature) is more favorable.
[00136] In the loading and unloading cycles of FIGs. 13 and 17 and FIGs. 14 and 18, respectively, the same compression ratios and temperature values are used for both loading and unloading. In this configuration, the round trip efficiency can be about η storage - 74%, as given by To = 194 K (-79 ° C), Ti = 494 K (221 ° C). gt = 0.95, r / c = 0.9 and r = 3.3.
[00137] Thus, in some examples involving working fluid for recovery of working fluid, heat rejection on the hot (high pressure) side of the closed load cycle can occur in three operations (heat exchange with HTS medium, followed by recovery, followed by rejection of heat to the environment), and heat rejection on the cold (low pressure) side of the closed discharge cycle can occur in three operations (rejection of heat to the environment, followed by recovery, followed by heat exchange with the CTS medium). As a result of the recovery, the higher temperature HTS tank (s) 6 may remain at Ti ⁺ while the lower temperature HTS tank (s) 7 may now be at Ti> To ⁺ temperature and the temperature CTS tank
lowest (s) 9 can remain in To while what o (s) CTS tank (s) temperature more high 8 can now be in temperature To ⁺ <Ti. [00138] On some cases, the recovery can to be
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66/129 implemented using heat exchanger 5 for direct heat transfer between the working fluid on the high pressure side and the working fluid on the low pressure side. In an alternative configuration, an additional pair (or plurality) of heat exchangers together with an additional heat transfer medium or fluid (for example, a thermal heat transfer fluid that is liquid in an appropriate temperature range, such as, for example, Therminol®) can be used to achieve recovery. For example, an additional heat exchanger can be added in series with the heat exchanger on the cold side and an additional heat exchanger can be added in series with the heat exchanger on the hot side. The additional heat transfer medium can circulate between the two additional heat exchangers in a closed loop. In other examples, one or more additional heat exchangers can be placed on other parts of the system to facilitate recovery. In addition, one or more additional heat transfer means or mixtures thereof can be used. The one or more additional heat transfer medium fluids can be in fluid or thermal communication with one or more other components, such as, for example, a cooling tower or a radiator.
[00139] In one example, hexane or heptane can be used as a CTS medium and the nitrate salt can be used as an HTS medium. On the low pressure side of the cycle, the operating temperatures of the pumped thermal storage cycles can be limited by the melting point of hexane (178 K or -95 ° C) in To and by
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Score melting point of nitrate (494 K or 221 ° C) in Ti.
high pressure of the cycle, operating temperatures can be limited by the boiling point of hexane (341 K or 68 ° C) in To ⁺ and by the decomposition of nitrate (873 K or
600 ° C) in Ti ⁺ . In these conditions, the temperature ranges
high pressure and low pressure can overlap so that recovery can be implemented. Actual To, Ti, To ⁺ and Ti ⁺ temperatures and pressure rates implemented in hexane / nitrate systems may differ from the above limits.
[00140] In some examples, recovery may allow the compression rate to be reduced. In some cases, reducing the compression ratio can result in reduced compressor and turbine losses. In some cases, the compression ratio can be at least about 1.2, at least
fence 1.5, at least about 2, at least about
2.5, at least about 3, at least about 3.5, at least
any less about 4, at least about 4.5 at least about of 5, at least about 6, at least about 8, at least any less about 10, at least about 15, at least about of 20, at least about 30 or more.T „
[00141] In some cases, ⁰ can be at least about
30K, at least about 50 K, at least about 80 K,
at least about 100 K, at least about 120 K, at least about 140 K, at least about 160 K, at least about 180 K, at least about 200 K, at least about 220 K, at least least about 240 K, at least about
260K, T, or at least about 280 K. In some cases, ⁰
can be at least about 220 K, at least about 240
K, at least about 260 K, at least about 280 K, at least about 300 K, at least 320 K, at least 340
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K, at least 360 K, at least about 380 K, at least about 400 K, or more. In some cases, To and To ⁺ temperatures can be restricted by the ability to reject excess heat into the room at room temperature. In some cases, the To and To ⁺ temperatures may be restricted by the CTS operating temperatures (for example, a phase transition temperature). In some cases, the To and To ⁺ temperatures may be restricted by the compression ratio used. Any description of the To and / or To ⁺ temperatures here can be applied to any system or method of disclosure.
T [00142] In some cases, ¹ can be at least about 350 K, at least about 400 K, at least about 440 K, at least about 480 K, at least about 520 K, at least about 560 K, at least about 600 K, at least about 640 K, at least about 680 K, at least about 720 K, at least about 760 K, at least about 800 K, at least about 840 K , at least about 880 K, at least about 920 K, at least about 960 K, 1000 K, at least about 1100 K, at least about 1200 K, at least about 1300 K, at least about
T ⁺
1400 K, or more. In some cases, ¹ can be at least about 480 K, at least about 520 K, at least about
in 560 K at least about in 600 K, at least about in 640 K, at least about 680 K at least about 720 K, fur less about 7 60 K, at least about 800 K,
at least about 840 K, at least about 880 K, at least about 920 K, at least about 960 K, at least about 1000 K, at least about 1100 K, at least about 1200 K about 1300 K, at least about 1400
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K, at least about 1500 K, at least about 1600 K, at least about 1700 K, or more. In some cases, Ti and Ti ⁺ temperatures may be restricted by the HTS operating temperatures. In some cases, Ti and Ti ⁺ temperatures may be restricted by the thermal limits of the metals and materials used in the system. For example, a conventional solar salt can have a recommended temperature range of approximately 560 - 840 K. Several improvements in the system, such as, for example, greater efficiency of round trips, greater energy and greater storage capacity can be realized according to materials available, metallurgy and storage the materials improve over time and allow different temperature ranges to be reached. Any description of Ti and / or Ti ⁺ temperatures here can be applied to any system or method of disclosure.
[00143] In some cases, the efficiency of round-trip storage (for example, electricity storage efficiency) with and / or without recovery can be at least about 5%, at least about 10%, at least about 15%, at least about 20%, at least about 25%, at least about 30%, at least about 35%, at least about 40%, at least about 45%, at least about 50%, at least about 55%, at least about 60%, at least about 70%, at least about 75%, at least about 80%, at least about 85%, at least about 90 %, or at least about 95%.
[00144] In some implementations, at least part of the heat transfer in the system (for example, heat transfer to and from the working fluid)
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70/129 during a charge and / or discharge cycle includes heat transfer with the environment (for example, heat transfer in sections 38 and 39). The rest of the heat transfer in the system can take place through thermal communication with thermal storage medium (for example, thermal medium 21 and 22), through heat transfer in the stove 5 and / or through various heat transfer processes within system boundaries (that is, not with the surrounding environment). In some instances, the environment may refer to gaseous or liquid reservoirs around the system (for example, air, water), any system or medium capable of exchanging thermal energy with the system (for example, another cycle or thermodynamic system, systems heating / cooling, etc.), or any combination thereof. In some instances, the heat transferred through thermal communication with the heat storage medium can be at least about 25%, at least about 50%, at least about 60%, at least about 70%, at least about 80%, or at least 90% of all heat transferred in the system. In some instances, the heat transferred through heat transfer in the stove can be at least about 5%, at least about 10%, at least about 15%, at least about 20%, at least about 25% at least about 50%, or at least about 75% of all heat transferred in the system. In some instances, heat transferred through thermal communication with the heat storage medium and through heat transfer in the stove can be at least about 25%, at least about 50%, at least about 60%, at least about 70% at least
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80%, at least about 90%, or even about 100% of all the heat transferred in the system. In some instances, the heat transferred through heat transfer with the environment may be less than about 5%, less than about 10%, less than about 15%, less than about 20%, less than about 30 %, less than about 40% less than about 50%, less than about 60%, less than about 70%, less than about 80%, less than about 90%, less than about 100% or even at 100% of all heat transferred in the system. In some implementations, all the heat transfer in the system can be with the thermal storage medium (for example, the CTS and HTS medium), and only the thermal storage medium can lead to the heat transfer with the environment.
[00145] The pumped thermal cycles of the disclosure (for example, the cycles in Figures 13 and 14) can be implemented through various configurations of tubes and valves to transport the working fluid between the turbo machine and the heat exchangers. In some implementations, a valve system can be used so that the different cycles of the system can be exchanged while maintaining the same or almost the same temperature profile in at least one, through a subset or through all heat exchangers. counterflow in the system. For example, the valve can be configured so that the working fluid can pass through the heat exchangers in opposite flow directions at loading and unloading and the flow directions of the HTS and CTS media are reversed when reversing the direction of the pumps.
[00146] In some implementations, the system with a
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72/129 stoves may have a different compression and / or expansion rate for loading and unloading. This can then involve heat rejection at just one or both heat rejection sites 38 and 39 as shown in Figure 5C along the lines described above.
[00147] FIG. 19 is a schematic flow diagram of the hot-side recharge in a heat cycle pumped in solar mode with heating of a solar salt only by solar energy. The system can include a solar heater to heat the heat storage on the hot side. The HTS medium 21 in the second hot thermal storage tank 7 of a discharge cycle, such as, for example, the HTS medium of the discharge cycle in FIG. 14, can be recharged inside element 17 using the heating provided by solar radiation. The HTS medium (e.g. molten salt) can be heated by solar heating from temperature Ti in the second hot thermal storage tank 7 to temperature Ti ⁺ in the first hot thermal storage tank 6.
[00148] In some implementations, such as, for example, for the systems in FIGs. 19 solar heat for heating the HTS medium (for example, from Ti = 493 K (220 ° C) to Ti ⁺ = 873 K (600 ° C)) can be supplied by a solar concentration installation. In some instances, a small-scale concentration facility can be used to provide heat. In some cases, the concentrated solar installation may include one or more components to achieve high efficiency of solar concentration, including, for example, high performance actuators (for example, adaptive fluid actuators manufactured to
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73/129 from polymers), multiplication control system, dense heliostat layout, etc. In some examples, the heat supplied to heat the HTS medium (for example, in element 17) can be a residual heat flow from the solar concentration installation.
[00149] FIG. 20 is a schematic flow diagram of a pumped thermal system discharge cycle that can be coupled with external heat input (eg, solar, combustion) with rejection of heat to the environment. Such a discharge cycle can be used, for example, in situations where the recharge capacity on the hot side (for example, using solar heating, residual heat or combustion) is greater than the recharge capacity on the cold side. Solar heat can be used to charge the HTS 21 medium in Ti to Ti ⁺ storage tanks, as already described here. The discharge cycle can operate similarly to the discharge cycle in FIG. 3, but after leaving the turbine 3, the working fluid 20 can proceed to the CFX heat exchanger on the cold side 4 where it exchanges heat with an intermediate thermal storage medium (ITS) 61 which has a low temperature To or near room temperature. ITS medium 61 enters the CFX on the cold side 4 from a second intermediate thermal storage tank 59 at temperature To (for example, room temperature) and exits the CFX on the cold side 4 to a first intermediate thermal storage tank 60 at the temperature temperature T _± , while the working fluid 20 enters the CFX on the cold side 4 at temperature Tj and exits the CFX on the cold side 4 à at temperature To. The working fluid enters compressor 1 in To and P2, leaves the compressor in To ⁺ and Pi, absorbs heat Qi from the HTS medium
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74/129 in the CFX on the hot side 2, leaves the CFX on the hot side 2 in Ti ⁺ and Pi, enters the turbine 3 in Ti ⁺ and Pi, leaves the turbine in T _± and P ₂ , Q ₂ rejects heat from the medium UTS 61 in the CFX on the cold side and exits the CFX on the cold side in To and P ₂ , returning to its initial state, before entering the compressor.
[00150] In some implementations, the ITS 61 medium can be a liquid in the entire range from To to T _± . In other implementations, the ITS 61 medium may not be liquid over the entire range of To to T _lr but counterflow heat exchanger at a higher flow rate may be provided in order to achieve a lower temperature increase through the heat exchanger counterflow (for example, such that the temperature of the ITS medium at the outlet of the counterflow heat exchanger 4 is less than T _x ) while cooling the working fluid T _± to To. In this case, the temperature of the ITS medium in the tank 60 can be less than 7 °. The ITS medium in tank 60 can exchange heat with the environment (for example, through a radiator or other implementations described here) to cool the temperature To. In some cases, the ITS medium can then be returned to tank 59. In some cases, the heat deposited in the ITS medium can be used for various useful purposes, such as, for example, residential or commercial heating, thermal desalination or other uses here described elsewhere.
[00151] FIG. 21 is a schematic flow diagram of a discharge cycle from a thermal system pumped in solar mode or heated combustion mode with heat rejection to an intermediate fluid circulated in a thermal bath at room temperature. The discharge cycle can operate similarly to the discharge cycle in FIG. 20 but
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75/129 after leaving the turbine 3, the working fluid 20 can proceed to the CFX on the cold side 4 where it exchanges heat with an intermediate medium or fluid 62 in circulation through a thermal bath 63 at or near room temperature . The intermediate or fluid medium 62 (e.g., Therminol®, or a heat transfer oil) can be used to exchange heat between the working fluid 20 and a thermal bath 63 in the CFX on the cold side 4. The use of intermediate fluid 62 can provide an advantage over direct contact of a heat sink or inexpensive medium (for example, water) with the working fluid. For example, the direct contact of this thermal medium with the working fluid in the CFX on the cold side 4 can cause problems, such as, for example, evaporation or over-pressurization (for example, explosion) of the thermal medium. The intermediate fluid 62 can remain in the fluid phase throughout, at least a portion of, or a significant part of the operation on the cold side CFX 4. When the intermediate fluid 62 passes through the thermal bath 58, it can be cooled enough to circulate back to the CFX on the cold side 4 to cool the working fluid T _± to To. The thermal bath 63 can contain a large amount of cheap heat-dissipating material or medium, such as, for example, water. In some cases, the heat deposited on the heat sink material can be used for various useful purposes, such as, for example, residential or commercial heating, thermal desalination or other uses described here elsewhere. In some cases, the heat-dissipating material can be rebalanced with room temperature (for example, through a radiator
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76/129 or other implementations described here).
[00152] In some implementations, the discharge cycles in FIGs. 20 and / or 21 may include a stove, as described in more detail in examples throughout the disclosure. Such systems can be implemented using the Ti ⁺ , Ti, To ⁺ and To temperatures described in more detail elsewhere in the order.
Pumped thermal storage cycle assisted by solar energy with intercooling [00153] In some cases, the pumped thermal system may provide heat sources and / or cold sources for other installations or systems, such as, for example, through location with a gas-to-liquids (GTL) facility or a desalination facility. In one example, GTL installations may make use of one or more cold reservoirs in the system (for example, the CTS medium in tank 9 for use in oxygen separation in the GTL installation) and / or one or more hot reservoirs in the system ( for example, the HTS medium in tank 6 for use in a Fischer-Tropsch process in the GTL installation). In another example, one or more hot reservoirs or one or more cold reservoirs in the pumped thermal system can be used for the operation of thermal desalination methods. Other examples of possible uses of heat and cold include co-location or heat exchange with building / area heating / cooling systems.
[00154] Conversely, in some cases, the pumped thermal system may use sources of residual heat and / or cold sources of waste from other installations or systems, such as, for example, by co-location with
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77/129 a terminal for the import or export of liquefied natural gas. For example, a source of cold residue can be used to cool the thermal storage medium on the cold side 22. In some implementations, the cold side refill using cold residues can be combined with the thermal side heat refill medium 21 through the external heat input (for example, solar, combustion, residual heat, etc.). In some cases, the refilled storage medium can then be used in a discharge cycle such as, for example, the discharge cycles in FIGs. 14 or 16. In some cases, the pumped thermal system can be used as a thermal motor with a residual heat source serving as the heat input on the hot side and as a residual cold source serving as the heat sink on the cold side. In another implementation, the storage medium on the hot side can be refilled using a modified version of the cycle shown in FIG. 15, where the temperature To is above room temperature and Tq corresponds to a temperature above room temperature. In some instances, a residual heat source can be used to provide the necessary heat at a temperature of at least Tq to heat the working fluid and / or the CTS medium to T _o ⁺ . In another implementation, an intermediate fluid (eg Therminol®) that can remain liquid between temperatures Tq and To can be used to transfer heat from the residual heat source to the working fluid.
Thermal systems pumped with dedicated compressor / turbine pairs [00155] In an additional aspect of the disclosure, are
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78/129 pumped thermal systems are provided comprising multiple working fluid systems, or working fluid flow paths. In some cases, the components of the thermal system pumped in the loading and unloading modes may be the same. For example, the same compressor / turbine pair can be used for loading and unloading cycles. Alternatively, one or more components of the system may differ between loading and unloading modes. For example, separate compressor / turbine pairs can be used for loading and unloading cycles. In one implementation, the system has a set of heat exchangers and a common set of HTS and CTS tanks that are loaded or unloaded by two pairs or sets of compressors and turbines. In another implementation, the system has a common set of HTS and CTS tanks, but separate sets of heat exchangers and separate sets of compressors and turbines.
[00156] Pumped thermal systems with recovery, use of external sources of heat, cold and / or residual heat / cold can benefit from having separate compressor / turbine pairs as a result of the operation of turbo machines in large and / or different temperature ranges in loading and unloading modes. For example, changes in temperature between loading and unloading cycles can lead to a period of thermal adjustment or other difficulties during the transition between cycles (for example, issues or factors related to metallurgy, thermal expansion, Reynolds number, compression rates dependent on temperature, or friction bearing, etc.). In another example, turbo machines (for example, turbo
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79/129 machines used in systems with recovery) can operate under a relatively low pressure ratio (for example, with relatively few compression steps), but over relatively large temperatures during compression and expansion. The temperature ranges can change (for example, change as in Figures 17 and 18) between loading and unloading modes. In some cases, operation over large temperature ranges during compression and / or expansion can complicate the design of a combined compressor / turbine for both loading and unloading. In addition, recovery, incorporation of residual heat / cold and / or other features of the pumped thermal system can reduce the compressor / turbine compression rate in the load cycle and / or the discharge cycle, thus reducing the cost associated with duplication compressor / turbine assemblies.
[00157] FIGS. 22 and 23 show thermal systems pumped with separate compressor 1 / turbine 3 pairs for load mode C and discharge mode D. The separate compressor / turbine pairs may or may not be grouped on a common mechanical axis. In this example, the compressor / turbine pairs C and D can have separate axes 10. The axes 10 can rotate at the same speed or at different speeds. Separate compressor / turbine pairs or working fluid systems may or may not share heat exchangers (for example, heat exchangers 2 and 4).
[00158] In the example of FIG. 22, the system has a common set of HTS 6 and 7 tanks and CTS 8 and 9 tanks. The system has separate pairs of heat exchangers 2 and 4 and
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80/129 separates compressor 1 / turbine 3 pairs for load mode C and discharge mode D. The HTS and CTS storage medium flow paths for the load cycle are shown as solid black lines. The HTS and CTS storage medium flow paths for the discharge cycle are shown as dashed gray lines.
[00159] In the example of FIG. 23, the system, shown in a load configuration, has a set of heat exchangers 2 and 4, and a common set of tanks HTS 6 and 7 and tanks CTS 8 and 9. The tanks HTS and CTS can be loaded by a compressor / turbine assembly C, or discharged by a compressor / turbine assembly D, each assembly comprising a compressor 1 and a turbine 3. The system can switch between assemblies C and D using valves 83. In the example of FIG. 22, the system, again shown in a load configuration, has a common set of tanks HTS 6 and 7 and tanks CTS 8 and 9. The tanks HTS and CTS can be loaded by the load set C which includes a first set of exchangers heat exchanger 2 and 4, compressor 1 and turbine 3. The HTS and CTS tanks can be discharged by changing to a separate C discharge set, which includes a second set of heat exchangers
heat 2 and 4, the[00160] On compressor 1An example, and theif turbine 3. charge and the sets in discharge of compressors and turbines in FIGS. 22 and 23 no are operated at the same time, the sets in charge and
discharge can share a common set of heat exchangers that alternate between the turbo machine pairs using valves 83. In another example, if the turbo machine sets for loading and unloading in FIGS. 22 and
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81/129 are operated at the same time (for example, for one set to load, after intermittent generation, and the other to be unloaded at the same time, after loading), so each set of turbomachines can have a dedicated set of exchangers of heat. In this case, the loading and unloading assemblies may or may not share a set of HTS and CTS tanks.
[00161] In some implementations, separate sets or pairs of compressors / turbines can be advantageously used in pumped thermal systems used with intermittent and / or variable electrical inputs. For example, a first compressor / turbine assembly can be used in a load cycle that follows wind and / or solar energy (for example, electrical input from wind and / or solar energy systems) while a second compressor / The turbine can be used in a discharge cycle that follows the load (for example, the outlet of electricity to a power grid). In this configuration, pumped thermal systems placed between a power generation system and a load can assist in smoothing out variations / fluctuations in the input and / or output power requirements.
Hybrid pumped thermal systems [00162] According to another aspect of the disclosure, pumped thermal systems can be augmented by additional energy conversion processes and / or can be used directly as energy conversion systems without energy storage (ie generation systems). In some instances, pumped thermal systems can be modified to allow for
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82/129 direct energy generation using natural gas, diesel fuel, petroleum gas (eg propane / butane), dimethyl ether, fuel oil, wood chips, landfill gas, hexane, hydrocarbons or any other combustible substance (eg fossil fuel or biomass) to add heat to the working fluid on one hot side of a working fluid cycle and a cold heatsink (eg water) to remove heat from the working fluid on the cold side of the working cycle. working fluid.
[00163] FIGS. 24 and 25 show pumped thermal systems configured in the generation mode. In some examples, the pumped thermal systems can be modified by adding two additional heat exchangers 40 and 41, four additional valves 19a, 19b, 19c and 19d, a heat sink (for example, a water cooling system; water from a freshwater reservoir like a river, a lake or a reservoir, saltwater from a saltwater reservoir like a sea or an ocean, air cooling using radiators, fans / fans, convection or an environmental heat sink like soil / earth, cold air, etc.) 42, and a heat source (for example, a combustion chamber with an oxidizer-fuel mixture) 43. Heat source 43 can exchange heat with one of the two additional heat exchangers 40, and heat sink 42 can exchange heat with one second of the two additional heat exchangers 41. Heat source 43 can be used to exchange heat with working fluid 20.
[00164] The heat source 43 can be a heat source
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83/129 combustion. In some instances, the combustion heat source may comprise a combustion chamber for the combustion of a combustible substance (for example, a fossil fuel, a synthetic fuel, urban solid waste (MSW) or biomass). In some cases, the combustion chamber may be separate from the heat exchanger 40. In some cases, the heat exchanger 40 may comprise the combustion chamber. The heat source 43 can be a source of residual heat, such as, for example, waste heat from a power plant, an industrial process (e.g., oven exhaust).
[00165] In some examples, a solar heater, a source of combustion heat, a source of residual heat, or any combination of these, can be used to heat the heat storage fluid on the hot side and / or the working fluid . In one example, the working fluid can be heated directly using any of these heat sources. In another example, the heat storage fluid on the hot side (or HTS medium) can be heated using any of these heat sources. In another example, the heat storage fluid on the hot side (or HTS medium) can be heated in parallel with the working fluid using any of these heat sources.
[00166] The thermal systems pumped in FIGs. 24 and 25 can be operated as hybrid systems. For example, valves 19a, 19b, 19c and 19d can be used to switch between two modes. When the valves are in the first position, the system can operate as a pumped thermal storage system (eg
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84/129 closed in loading / unloading mode). In this configuration, the working fluid 20 (for example, argon or air) can exchange heat with an HTS medium (for example, molten salt) in the heat exchanger on the hot side 2 and with a CTS medium (for example, hexane) in the cold side heat exchanger 4. When the valves are in a second position, the system can operate as a power generation system (for example, open system in generation mode). In this configuration, heat exchangers 2 and 4 can be bypassed and the working fluid 20 can exchange heat with the combustion chamber 43 in the heat exchanger on the hot side 40 and with the heat sink 42 in the heat exchanger on the cold side 41. Any description of configuration and / or design of heat transfer processes (eg heat transfer in heat exchangers) described here in relation to pumped thermal systems can also be applied to hybrid pump thermal systems and vice versa . For example, heat sink 42, heat source 43, heat exchangers 40 and 41 and / or the amount of heat transferred on the cold side and / or the hot side can be configured to decrease or minimize the generation of entropy associated with heat transfer processes and / or maximize system efficiency.
[00167] In some implementations, hybrid systems can operate in storage and generation modes simultaneously. For example, valves 19a, 19b, 19c and 19d can be configured to allow a given division between a working fluid flow rate for heat exchangers 40 and 41 and a fluid flow rate
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85/129 working for heat exchangers 2 and 4. Alternatively, hybrid systems can operate exclusively in the storage mode, or exclusively in the generation mode (for example, as a peak natural gas plant). In some cases, the division between modes can be selected based on the efficiency of the system, input of available electrical energy (for example, based on availability), desired electrical energy output (for example, based on load demand) etc. For example, thermal efficiency of an ideal system (that is, assuming isentropic compression and expansion processes, ideal heat transfer processes) operating exclusively in the generation mode can be the thermal efficiency of a working fluid subjected to an ideal cycle of Brayton. In some instances, thermal efficiencies in hybrid disclosure systems (eg, exclusive and / or split operation) can be at least about 10%, at least 20%, at least about
30%, at less about 40%, less about 50%, fur least about 60%, or more . [00168] The source of heat 43 can be used to switch heat with an HTS medium (for example, a salt cast) . Per
For example, the combustion heat source 43 can be used to heat the HTS 21 medium. In some cases, instead of using the combustion heat source 43 to exchange heat in the heat exchanger 40 or to directly exchange heat between flue gases combustion of the combustion heat source and the working fluid, the combustion heat source 43 can be used to heat the HTS 21 medium between the two HTS tanks 7 and 6.
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86/129 [00169] FIG. 26 is a schematic flow diagram of the hot side recharge in a heat cycle pumped through heating by the heat source 43 (e.g., combustion heat source, residual heat source). In one example, heat source 43 is a residual heat source, such as a residual heat source from a refinery or other processing facility. In one example, the heat source 43 is obtained from the combustion of natural gas to guarantee the delivery of electricity even if the pumped thermal system runs out of loaded storage medium. For example, recharging the storage medium on the hot side using the heat source 43 can provide an advantage over recharging using electricity or other means (for example, the price of electricity at the moment can be very high). Heat source 43 can be used to heat HTS 21 medium from Ti temperature in tank 7 to Ti ⁺ temperature in tank 6. HTS medium can then be used in CFX 2 to exchange heat with the working fluid in one cycle discharge, such as, for example, the discharge cycles in FIGs. 20 and 21.
[00170] In some examples, as, for example, when the CTS medium is a combustible substance, such as a fossil fuel (for example, hexane or heptanes), the burning of the CTS medium stored in CTS tanks (for example, tanks 8 and 9) can be used to provide thermal energy to heat the HTS medium as shown, for example, in FIG. 26 or for operating the cycles in the configurations shown, for example, in FIGs. 24 and 25.
[00171] Disclosure systems may be able to function both in a storage cycle of
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87/129 electricity only (comprising heat transfer with an HTS medium and a CTS medium below room temperature) as in a thermal engine for ambient cycle, where, in a discharge mode, heat is injected from the HTS medium into the cooling fluid. and rejected to the environment instead of the CTS environment. This capability can allow the use of heating the HTS with combustible substances (for example, as shown in FIG. 26) or the use of solar heating of the HTS (for example, as shown in FIG. 19). Heat rejection at room temperature can be implemented using, for example, the discharge cycles in FIGs. 20 and 21. In some cases, heat can be rejected into the environment with the aid of ITS 61 or intermediate 62.
[00172] Aspects of disclosure can be combined synergistically. For example, systems capable of operating both on a electricity-only storage cycle and on a thermal engine for ambient cycle may comprise a stove. Any description regarding such hybrid systems without a stove can be readily applied to hybrid systems with a stove in at least some configurations. In some cases, hybrid systems can be implemented using, for example, the parallel valve configuration in FIG. 24. For example, the counterflow heat exchangers 4 in FIGS. 20 and 21 can be implemented as separate counterflow heat exchangers 67 to exchange heat with the environment, and can be used in combination with counterflow heat exchangers on the cold side 4 of the disclosure.
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88/129 [00173] In some implementations, the systems here can be configured to allow switching between different disclosure cycles using a shared set of valves and tubes. For example, the system can be configured to switch between the electricity-only charge cycle (as shown, for example, in figure 15), the electricity-only discharge cycle (as shown, for example, in figure 16), and the thermal motor for the ambient cycle (as shown in FIG. 21).
Pumped thermal systems with pressure regulating energy control [00174] In one aspect of the disclosure, the pressure of working fluids in pumped thermal systems can be controlled to obtain energy control. In one example, the energy supplied to a closed system in charge mode and / or the energy extracted from the closed system in discharge and / or generation mode (for example, work input / output using axis 10) is proportional to the rate of molar flow or mass of the circulating working fluid. The mass flow rate is proportional to the density, area and speed of flow. The flow speed can be kept fixed in order to achieve a fixed axis speed (for example, 3600 rpm or 3000 rpm according to the 60 and 50 Hz mains requirements, respectively). Thus, as the pressure of the working fluid changes, the mass flow rate and energy can change. In one example, as the mass flow increases in a discharge and / or generation mode, more load must be added to the system to maintain a constant speed of the rotating axis, and vice
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89/129 versa. In another example, if the load is reduced during operation in a discharge and / or generation mode, the reduced load can cause the spindle speed to increase, thereby increasing the mass flow rate. For some period of time, before the heat stored in the heat capacity of the heat exchangers themselves is dissipated, this increase in mass flow can lead to an increase in the energy supplied, increasing, in turn, the speed of the shaft. Axis speed and energy can continue to increase uncontrollably, resulting in a leakage from the rotating axis. In some instances, pressure regulation may allow leakage control and thus stabilization, by adjusting the amount (for example, density) of the circulating working fluid, according to the system requirements. In an example where the spindle speed (and turbo machines, such as a turbine, connected to the spindle) starts to escape, a controller can reduce the mass of the circulating working fluid (for example, mass flow) to decrease the energy supplied, in turn, slowing down the spindle speed. Pressure regulation can also allow for an increase in the mass flow rate in response to an increase in load. In each of these cases,
the fees in flow of the means HTS and CTS through From changers in heat can be adapted to capacity in heat from working fluid that passes through From changers in heat. [00175] In some examples, the pressure of the fluid in
work in the closed system can be varied using an auxiliary working fluid tank in fluid communication with the closed system. In this configuration, the input / output
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90/129 energy can be decreased by transferring the working fluid from the closed loop circuit to the tank, and the energy input / output can be increased by transferring the working fluid from the tank to the closed loop circuit. In one example, when the working fluid pressure is decreased, less heat can be transferred between the thermal storage tanks on the hot and cold sides of the system, as a result of decreased mass flow rate and lower energy consumption. introduced / issued by the system.
[00176] As the pressure of the working fluid is varied, the compression rates of the components of the turbo machine can remain substantially unchanged. In some cases, one or more operating parameters and / or configuration (eg variable stators, spindle speed) of the turbo machine components can be adjusted in response to a change in working fluid pressure (for example, to obtain the desired system performance).
Alternatively, one or more pressure ratios may change in response to a change in working fluid pressure.
[00177] In some cases, the reduced cost and / or reduced parasitic energy consumption can be obtained using the energy control setting in relation to other settings (for example, using a throttle valve to control the flow of the job). In some instances, varying the pressure of the working fluid while keeping the temperature and flow rate constant (or nearly constant) can lead to the generation of negligible entropy. In some instances, a
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91/129 increase or decrease in system pressure can lead to changes, for example, in the efficiency of turbo machines.
[00178] FIG. 27 shows an example of a pumped thermal system with energy control. The temperature of the working fluid on the hot and cold sides of the system can remain constant or almost constant for a given period of time regardless of the mass flow rate of the working fluid due to the large thermal capacities of heat exchangers 2 and 4 and / or the thermal storage medium on the hot and cold side in tanks 6, 7, 8 and 9. In some examples, the flow rates of HTS and CTS media through heat exchangers 2 and 4 are varied together with a change in working fluid pressure to maintain optimized heat exchanger and working fluid temperatures for longer periods of time. Thus, pressure can be used to vary the mass flow rate in the system. One or more auxiliary tanks 44 filled with working fluid 20 (for example, air, argon or argon-helium mixture) may be in fluid communication with a hot side (for example, high pressure) of the pumped and / or thermal system a cold side (eg low pressure) of the pumped thermal system. In some examples, the auxiliary tank may be in fluid communication with the working fluid adjacent to a compressor 1 inlet and / or adjacent to a compressor 1 outlet. In some examples, the auxiliary tank may be in fluid communication with the fluid working area adjacent to a turbine inlet 3 and / or adjacent to a turbine 3 outlet. In other examples, the auxiliary tank may be in fluid communication with the working fluid
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92/129 on one or more location systems (for example, one or more locations on the high pressure side of the system, on the low pressure side of the system, or any combination thereof). For example, the auxiliary tank may be in fluid communication with the working fluid on a high pressure side and a low pressure side of the closed cycle. In some cases, fluid communication on the high pressure side can be provided after the compressor and before the turbine. In some cases, fluid communication on the low pressure side can be provided after the turbine and before the compressor. In some cases, the auxiliary tank may contain working fluid at a pressure intermediate to the high and low system pressures. The working fluid in the auxiliary tank can be used to increase or decrease the amount of working fluid 20 circulating in the closed cycle of the pumped thermal system. The amount of working fluid circulating in the closed loop circuit can be decreased by draining the working fluid from the high pressure side of the closed loop circuit into the tank via a fluid path containing a valve or mass flow controller 46, thus loading the tank 44. The amount of working fluid circulating in the closed loop circuit can be increased by draining the working fluid from the tank to the low pressure side of the closed loop circuit through a fluid path containing a mass flow valve or controller 45, thus unloading the tank 44.
[00179] Energy control over longer time scales can be implemented by changing the pressure of the working fluid and adjusting the flow rates of the fluids of
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93/129 thermal storage of the hot side 21 and the cold side 22 through heat exchangers 2 and 4, respectively.
[00180] In some examples, the flow rates of the thermal storage media 21 and / or 22 can be controlled (for example, by a controller) to maintain the heat exchanger inlet and outlet temperatures. In some examples, a first controller (s) may be provided to control the flow rates (e.g., mass flow rates) of the thermal storage medium, and a second controller may be provided to control the mass flow rate (for example, controlling mass, mass flow, pressure, etc.) of the working fluid.
Pumped thermal systems with pressure housed engine / generator [00181] In another aspect of the disclosure, pumped thermal systems with a pressure housed engine / generator are provided. The pressure housed engine / generator can be provided as an alternative to configurations where an axle (also crankshaft) penetrates through a working fluid retaining wall (where it can be exposed to one or more relatively high pressure differentials) to connect to a motor / generator outside the working fluid retaining wall. In some cases, the shaft may be exposed to working fluid pressures and temperatures in the low pressure portion of the working fluid cycle, the high pressure portion of the working fluid cycle, or both. In some cases, crankshaft seals capable of containing the pressures to which the crankshaft is exposed within the working fluid containment wall can be difficult to manufacture and / or
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94/129 difficult to maintain. In some cases, a rotating seal between high and low pressure environments can be difficult to achieve. Thus, coupling the compressor and turbine to the engine / generator can be challenging. In some implementations, the engine / generator may therefore be placed entirely within the low pressure portion of the working fluid cycle, such that the outer pressure vessel or the working fluid retaining wall may not need be penetrated.
[00182] FIG. 28 shows an example of a thermal system pumped with a pressure housed generator 11. The motor / generator is enclosed within the pressure vessel or working fluid retaining wall (shown as dashed lines) and only pass-through electrical conductors 49 penetrate through the pressure vessel. A thermal insulation wall 48 is added between the motor / generator 11 and the working fluid in the low pressure portion of the cycle. The technical requirements for obtaining an adequate seal through the thermal insulation wall may be less stringent because the pressure is the same on both sides of the thermal insulation wall (for example, both sides of the thermal insulation wall may be located on the cycle pressure). In one example, the low pressure value can be approximately 10 atm (1.01325 MPa). In some cases, the engine / generator can be adapted for operation at high surrounding pressures. An additional thermal insulation wall 50 can be used to create a seal between the outlet of the compressor 1 and the inlet of the turbine 3 at the high pressure portion of the cycle. In some examples, placing the
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95/129 engine / generator on the cold side of the pumped thermal systems can be beneficial for the operation of the engine / generator (for example, cooling a superconducting generator).
Pumped thermal systems with variable stator pressure rate control [00183] Another aspect of the disclosure concerns the control of pressure in working fluid cycles of pumped thermal systems using variable stators. In some instances, the use of variable stators in turbomachine components can allow pressure rates in working fluid cycles to be varied. The variable compression ratio can be achieved using mobile stators on the turbo machine.
[00184] In some cases, the pumped thermal systems (for example, the systems in figures 17 and 18) can operate at the same compression rate in both the loading and unloading cycles. In this configuration, heat can be rejected (for example, to the environment) in section 38 in the charge cycle and in section 39 in the discharge cycle, where the heat in section 38 can be transferred at a lower temperature than the heat in the section 39. In alternative configurations, the compression ratio can be varied by switching between the load cycle and the discharge cycle. In one example, variable stators can be added to the compressor and turbine, thus allowing the compression ratio to be adjusted. The ability to vary the compression ratio between loading and unloading modes can allow heat to be rejected only at the lowest temperature (for example, heat can be rejected in section 38 in the load cycle, but not in section 39 in the discharge cycle).
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In some instances, a larger portion (or all) of the heat discharged into the environment is transferred at a lower temperature, which can increase the efficiency of the system's round-trip.
[00185] FIG. 29 is an example of variable stators in a compressor / turbine pair. The compressor 1 and the turbine 3 can have variable stators, so that the compression rate of each can be adjusted. Such an adjustment can increase the efficiency of the round trip.
[00186] The compressor and / or the turbine can (each) include one or more stages of compression. For example, the compressor and / or the turbine may have several rows of repetition features distributed along its circumference. Each compression stage can include one or more feature lines. The lines can be arranged in a certain order. In one example, compressor 1 and turbine 3 each comprise a sequence of a plurality of input guide vanes 51, a first plurality of rotors 52, a plurality of stators 53, a second plurality of rotors 52 and a plurality Exit guide vanes. 54 Each plurality of resources can be arranged in line along the circumference of the compressor / turbine. The configuration (for example, direction or angle) of the stators 53 can be varied, as indicated in FIG. 29.
[00187] The compressor / turbine pair can be combined. In some cases, a compressor outlet pressure may be approximately the same as a turbine inlet pressure, and a compressor inlet pressure may be approximately the same as the turbine outlet pressure;
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97/129 therefore, the pressure ratio through the turbine can be the same as the pressure ratio through the compressor. In some cases, inlet / outlet pressures and / or pressure ratios may differ by a certain amount (for example, to account for the pressure drop in the system). The use of variable stators in the compressor and the turbine can allow the compressor and the turbine to remain compatible as the compression rate is varied. For example, using the variable stators, the compressor and turbine operation can remain within proper operating conditions (for example, within a certain range or at a certain point in their respective operational maps) as the compression rate varies. . Operation within specified intervals or at certain points on the turbo machine operational maps can allow turbo machine efficiencies (eg isentropic efficiencies) and the resulting round-trip storage efficiency to be maintained within a desired range. In some implementations, the use of variable stators can be combined with other methods to vary the compression ratios (for example, variable shaft rotation speed, turbo machine stage deviation, gears, power electronics, etc.).
Pumped thermal system units that contain pumped thermal system subunits [00188] An additional aspect of the disclosure relates to controlling the charge and discharge rate over a complete range from the maximum charge / energy input charge to the maximum discharge / output energy building units
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98/129 of pumped thermal system composed of subunits of pumped thermal system. In some examples, pumped thermal systems may have a minimum energy input and / or output (for example, minimum energy input and / or minimum energy) above 0% of the maximum input and / or output energy (for example, input maximum energy and / or maximum output energy), respectively. In such cases, a single unit alone may be able to vary continuously from the minimum energy input to the maximum energy input and from the minimum energy output to the maximum energy, but it may not be able to vary continuously from the minimum energy input for the minimum energy output (that is, the minimum energy input for the zero energy input / output and the zero energy input / output for the minimum energy output). An ability to vary continuously from the minimum energy input to the minimum energy output can allow the system to vary continuously from the maximum energy input to the maximum energy output. For example, if both the output energy and the input energy can be completely reset to zero during operation, the system can continuously vary the energy consumed or supplied over a range of the maximum input (for example, acting as a load on the network ) to the maximum output (for example, acting as a generator on the network). Such functionality can increase (for example, more than double) the continuously variable range of the pumped thermal system. Increasing the continuously variable range of the pumped thermal system can be advantageous, for example, when the continuously variable energy range is
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99/129 used as a metric to determine the value of network assets. In addition, such functionality may allow the disclosure systems to follow variable load, variable generation, intermittent generation or any combination thereof.
[00189] In some implementations, units of composite pumped thermal systems may be used, comprised of multiple subunits of the pumped thermal system. In some cases, each subunit may have a minimum energy input and / or output above 0%. The continuous variation in energy from the maximum energy input to the maximum energy output may include the combination of a certain number of subunits. For example, an adequate number (for example, sufficiently large) of subunits may be necessary to obtain continuous variation. In some examples, the number of subunits can be at least about 2, 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 100, 200, 500, 750, 1000 and the like. In some examples, the number of subunits is 2, 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 350, 400, 450, 500, 550, 600, 650, 700, 750 , 800, 850, 900, 950, 1000 or more. Each subunit can have a certain energy capacity. For example, each subunit may have an energy capacity of less than about 0.1%, less than about 0.5%, less than about 1%, less than about 5%, less than about 10%, less than 25%, less than about 50%, or less than about 90% of the total energy capacity of the compound pumped thermal system. In some cases, different subunits may have different energy capacities. In some instances, a subunit has an energy capacity of
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100/129 about 10 kW, 100 kW, 500 kW, 1 MW, 2 MW, 5 MW, 10 MW, 20 MW, 50 MW, 100 MW or more. The continuous variation of energy from the maximum energy input to the maximum energy output may include controlling the input and / or output of each subunit (for example, power input and / or power output) separately. In some cases, subunits can be operated in opposite directions (for example, one or more subunits can operate in power input mode, while one or more subunits can operate in power output mode). In one example, if each subunit of the pumped thermal system can be continuously varied between a maximum energy input and / or the output to about 50% of the maximum energy input and / or output, respectively, three or more subunits of the thermal system combined in a compound pumped thermal system unit that can be continuously varied from the maximum input energy to the maximum output energy. In some implementations, the combined pump thermal system may not have a fully continuous range between the maximum input energy and the maximum output energy, but it may have a greater number of operating points in this range compared to a non-composite system.
Energy storage system units that include energy storage system subunits [00190] Another aspect of the disclosure concerns the control of the charge and discharge rate over a complete range, from the maximum charge / energy charge to the maximum discharge / energy through the construction of composite energy storage system units consisting of subunits of the
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101/129 energy. In some examples, energy storage systems may have a minimum energy input and / or output (for example, minimum energy input and / or minimum energy output) above 0% maximum energy input and / or output ( for example, maximum energy input and / or maximum energy output), respectively. In such cases, a single unit alone may be able to vary continuously from the minimum energy input to the maximum energy input and from the minimum energy output to the maximum energy output, but it may not be able to vary continuously from the input energy. minimum energy for minimum energy output (ie, minimum energy input for zero energy input / output, and zero energy input / output for minimum energy output). An ability to vary continuously from the minimum power input to the minimum power output can allow the system to vary continuously from the maximum power input to the maximum power output. For example, if both the output energy and the input energy can be completely reset to zero during operation, the system can continuously vary the energy consumed or supplied over a range of the maximum input (for example, acting as a load on the network ) to the maximum output (for example, acting as a generator on the network). Such functionality can increase (for example, more than double) the continuously variable range of the energy storage system. Increasing the continuously variable range of the energy storage system can be advantageous, for example, when the continuously variable energy range is used as a metric for
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102/129 determine the value of the network's assets. In addition, such functionality may allow the disclosure systems to follow variable load, variable generation, intermittent generation or any combination thereof.
[00191] In some implementations, composite energy storage system units comprising several subunits of the energy storage system may be used. In some examples, any energy storage system with energy input / output characteristics that can benefit from a composite configuration can be used. In some examples, systems with power input and / or output characteristics that can benefit from a composite configuration may include multiple storage systems
and / or generation power, how, per example, power plants in gas power natural or cycle combined systems in fuel cell, systems in battery systems in storage power air compressed systems hydroelectric pumped, etc. In some cases, each
subunit can have a minimum energy input and / or output above 0%. The continuous variation in energy from the maximum energy input to the maximum energy output may include the combination of a certain number of subunits. For example, an adequate number (for example, sufficiently large) of subunits may be necessary to obtain continuous variation. In some examples, the number of subunits can be at least about 2, 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 100, 200, 500, 750, 1000 and the like. In some examples, the number of subunits is 2, 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 350, 400, 450, 500,
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550, 600, 650, 700, 750, 800, 850, 900, 950, 1000 or more. Each subunit can have a certain energy capacity. For example, each subunit may have an energy capacity of less than about 0.1%, less than about 0.5%, less than about 1%, less than about 5%, less than about 10%, less than 25%, less than about 50%, or less than about 90% of the total energy capacity of the composite energy storage system. In some cases, different subunits may have different energy capacities. In some examples, a subunit has an energy capacity of about 10 kW, 100 kW, 500 kW, 1 MW, 2 MW, 5 MW, 10 MW, 20 MW, 50 MW, 100 MW or more. The continuous variation of the energy from the maximum energy input to the maximum energy output may include controlling the input and / or output of each subunit (for example, power input and / or power output) separately. In some cases, subunits can be operated in opposite directions (for example, one or more subunits can operate in power input mode, while one or more subunits can operate in power output mode). In one example, if each subunit of the energy storage system can be continuously varied between a maximum energy input and / or output up to about 50% of the maximum energy input and / or output, respectively, three or more of these subunits of the energy storage system. Energy storage system can be combined into a composite energy storage system unit that can be continuously varied from the maximum input energy to the maximum output energy. In some implementations, the composite energy storage system may not have
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104/129 a completely continuous interval between the maximum input energy and the maximum output energy, but there may be an increase in the number of operating points in that interval compared to a non-composite system.
Control systems [00192] This disclosure provides computer-based control systems (or controllers) that are programmed to implement methods of the disclosure. FIG. 30 shows a 1901 computer system (or controller) that is programmed or otherwise configured to regulate various energy storage process parameters and / or recovery systems disclosed herein. Such process parameters can include temperatures, flow rates, pressures and changes in entropy.
[00193] The 1901 computer system includes a central processing unit (CPU, also processor and computer processor) 1905, which can be a single-core or multi-core processor, or a plurality of processors for parallel processing. The 1901 computer system also includes memory or 1910 memory location (for example, random access memory, read-only memory, flash memory), 1915 electronic storage unit (for example, hard drive), 1920 communication interface (for example , network adapter) for communication with one or more other 1925 systems and peripheral devices, such as cache, other memory, data storage and / or electronic display adapters. The 1910 memory, the 1915 storage unit, the 1920 interface and the 1925 peripheral devices are in communication with the 1905 CPU via a
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105/129 communication bus (solid lines), like a placebo. The 1915 storage unit can be a data storage unit (or data repository) for data storage. The 1901 computer system can be operatively coupled to a 1930 computer network (network) with the aid of the 1920 communication interface. The 1930 network can be the Internet, an internet and / or extranet, or an intranet and / or extranet that is in communication with the Internet. The 1930 network, in some cases, is a telecommunications and / or data network. The 1930 network can include one or more computer servers, which can allow for distributed computing, such as cloud computing. The 1930 network, in some cases with the aid of the 1901 computer system, can implement a peerto-peer network, which can allow devices coupled to the 1901 computer system to behave like a client or a server.
[00194] The 1901 computer system is coupled to a 1935 energy storage and / or recovery system, which can be as described above or elsewhere in this document. The 1901 computer system can be coupled with various unitary operations of the 1935 system, such as flow regulators (eg valves), temperature sensors, pressure sensors, compressor (s), turbine (s), electrical switches and modules photovoltaic. The 1901 system can be directly coupled, or be part of the 1935 system, or be in communication with the 1935 system through the 1930 network.
[00195] The 1905 CPU can execute a sequence of machine-readable instructions, which can be incorporated
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106/129 in a program or software. Instructions can be stored in a memory location, such as 1910 memory. Examples of operations performed by the 1905 CPU may include fetching, decoding, execution, and writeback.
[00196] With continued reference to FIG. 30, the 1915 storage unit can store files such as saved drivers, libraries and programs. The 1915 storage unit can store user-generated programs and recorded sessions, as well as output (s) associated with the programs. The 1915 storage unit can store user data, for example, user preferences and user programs. The 1901 computer system may in some cases include one or more additional data storage units that are external to the 1901 computer system, such as located on a remote server that is communicating with the 1901 computer system via an intranet or the Internet.
[00197] The 1901 computer system can communicate with one or more remote computer systems over the 1930 network. For example, the 1901 computer system can communicate with a user's remote computer system (eg operator) . Examples of remote computer systems include personal computers, tablets or tablets, phones, smartphones or personal digital assistants. The user can access the 1901 computer system through the 1930 network.
[00198] The methods described here can be implemented using machine executable code (for example, computer processor) stored in an electronic storage location of the 1901 computer system,
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107/129 such as in 1910 memory or 1915 electronic storage unit. Machine executable or machine readable code can be provided in the form of software. During use, the code can be executed by the 1905 processor. In some cases, the code can be retrieved from the 1915 storage unit and stored in the 1910 memory for immediate access by the 1905 processor. In some situations, the 1915 electronic storage unit can prevented and the machine's executable instructions are stored in 1910 memory.
[00199] The code can be precompiled and configured for use with a machine that has a processor adapted to execute the code or can be compiled during the execution time. The code can be provided in a programming language that can be selected to allow the code to be executed in a pre-compiled form or as compiled.
[00200] Aspects of the systems and methods provided here, such as the 1901 computer system, can be incorporated into the programming. Various aspects of technology can be thought of as products or articles of manufacture typically in the form of machine executable code (or processor) and / or associated data that are transported or incorporated into a machine-readable type of medium. The machine executable code can be stored in an electronic storage unit, such as memory (for example, read-only memory, random access memory, flash memory) or a hard disk. Storage media can include any or all of the tangible memory of computers, processors or
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108/129 similar, or associated modules, such as various semiconductor memories, tape drives, disk drives and the like, which can provide non-transitory storage at any time for software programming. All or part of the software can sometimes be communicated via the Internet or several other telecommunications networks.
Such communications, for example, may allow software to be loaded from one computer or processor on another, for example, from a management server or host computer to the computer platform of an application server. Thus, another type of media that may contain the software elements includes optical, electrical and electromagnetic waves, such as those used in physical interfaces between local devices, through terrestrial wired and optical networks and through various aerial connections. The physical elements that carry such waves, such as wired or wireless connections, optical connections or the like, can also be considered as supports that support the software. As used herein, unless restricted to tangible non-transitory storage media, terms such as computer or machine-readable media refer to any medium that participates in providing instructions to a processor for execution.
[00201] Thus, a machine-readable medium, such as computer executable code, can take many forms, including, but not limited to, a tangible storage medium, a carrier wave medium or physical transmission medium. Non-volatile storage media include, for example, optical discs or
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109/129 magnetic devices, such as any of the storage devices on any computer (s) or similar, as they can be used to implement the databases, etc. shown in the drawings. Volatile storage media include dynamic memory, like the main memory on such a computer platform. Tangible means of transmission include coaxial cables; copper wire and fiber optics, including the wires that make up a bus within a computer system. The carrier wave transmission means can take the form of electrical or electromagnetic signals, or acoustic or light waves, such as those generated during radio frequency (RF) and infrared (IR) data communications. Common forms of computer-readable media include, for example: a floppy disk, a floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, any other magnetic medium, a CD-ROM, DVD or DVD-ROM, any other optical medium, perforated tape cards, any other physical storage medium with hole patterns, a RAM, a ROM, a PROM and EPROM, a FLASH-EPROM, any other chip or memory cartridge, a carrier wave carrying data or instructions, cables or connections carrying such a carrier wave , or any other means from which a computer can read programming code and / or data. Many of these forms of computer-readable media can be involved in transporting one or more sequences of one or more instructions to a processor for execution.
III. Illustrative pump control systems and methods [00202] Figure 31 illustrates an example of a pump control system implemented in a cycle thermal motor
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Brayton. The thermal motor may be reversible (i.e., operate as a heat pump) and may take the form of other thermal motors and / or reversible thermal motors described herein and may include additional components in addition to those shown in the illustration. Fluid paths are indicated and the direction of flow of a fluid in a given fluid path is indicated by one or more arrows. Each of the fluids, components and / or fluid paths can be the same or similar to the closed cycle elements (for example, Brayton cycle) described above, such as working fluid 20, compressor 1, hot side heat exchanger 2, turbine 3, cold side heat exchanger 104, HTS 21 medium, HTS 7 tank, HTS 6 tank, CTS 22 medium, CTS 8 tank and CTS 9 tank. Figure 31 is only illustrative and other fluids, components and / or paths fluid may be present. Some components, such as a heat exchanger or tanks on the hot or cold side, can be replaced by other components that have a similar thermal purpose.
[00203] The thermal engine may include a generator / engine 101 that can generate electricity and distribute part or all of the generated electricity to a grid system, including a local, municipal, regional or national grid. When the thermal motor is in power generation mode (i.e., discharge mode), generator / motor 101 can also be practically referred to only as a generator, since it can function mainly or entirely as a device for generating electricity. The generator / engine 101, as illustrated, can include an alternator, a high speed alternator and / or
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111/129 power electronics (for example, power frequency conversion electronics) to manage, convert and / or modify electrical phase, voltage, current and frequency of energy generated and / or distributed. The generator / engine 101 can be mechanically coupled to compressor 103 and a turbine 105. Compressor 103 and turbine 105 can be coupled to generator / engine 101 via one or more axes 123. Alternatively, compressor 103 and turbine 105 can be coupled to the generator / engine 101 via one or more gearboxes and / or axles. The thermal engine can have a hot side 103 and a cold side 127.
[00204] The thermal engine may include a heat exchanger 107 on the hot side 103 coupled downstream of the compressor 103 and upstream of the turbine 105. Within the heat exchanger 107, a working fluid that circulates through the turbo machine fluid path can enter in contact with a thermal fluid. Non-limiting examples of working fluids include air, argon, carbon dioxide or gas mixtures. Preferably, the thermal fluid can be a molten salt. The heat exchanger 107 can be a counterflow heat exchanger. A hot storage container (HSC) 113 can be coupled to the heat exchanger 107 and a pump 102 can pump the thermal fluid from the HSC 113, through the heat exchanger 107 and to a cold storage container (CSC) 115. As shown , pump 102 is connected between HSC 113 and heat exchanger 107; however, pump 102 can be connected anywhere in the path of the thermal fluid, including between the heat exchanger 107
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112/129 and CSC 115. In addition, pump 102 can be a variable speed pump and / or be one or more pumps.
Also, as used herein, hot storage and cold storage are used to reflect relative temperatures between storage containers that can share a common thermal storage medium and do not necessarily refer to locations within a hot side 103 or a cold side 127 of a thermal engine or heat pump.
[00205] 0 engine thermal can include one exchanger in heat 109 on the side cold 127 coupled The amount of compressor 103 and the downstream of turbine 105 Inside of
heat exchanger 109, a working fluid that circulates through the turbo machine can come in contact with a second thermal fluid, which may be different from the first thermal fluid. Preferably, the working fluid can be an alkane, such as hexane. The heat exchanger 109 can be a counterflow heat exchanger. A CSC 119 can be coupled to heat exchanger 109 and a pump 104 can pump the second thermal fluid from CSC 119, through heat exchanger 109 and to an HSC 117. As shown, pump 104 is connected between CSC 119 and the heat exchanger 109; however, pump 104 can be connected anywhere in the second thermal fluid path, including between heat exchanger 109 and HSC 117. Additionally, pump 104 can be a variable speed pump and / or it can be one or more bombs. A heat rejection device 121, for example, a cooling tower, can be connected to the HSC 117 and the second thermal fluid can circulate through the device
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113/129 heat rejection 121. The heat rejection device 121 can be used to reject excess heat in the second thermal fluid to another medium, such as atmospheric air.
[00206] The thermal engine may include one or more reciprocating heat exchangers (or stoves) that can transfer heat between the working fluid at various stages within the circulation cycle of the working fluid. Preferably, the stoves are counterflow heat exchangers. As an illustrative example in the thermal engine of Figure 31, a recuperative ill heat exchanger is shown in thermal contact with the working fluid downstream of the compressor 103 and upstream of the heat exchanger 107 with the working fluid downstream of the turbine 105 and upstream of the heat exchanger 109, preferably counterflow. There may be no reciprocating heat exchangers on a thermal engine, or there may be more than one recuperative heat exchanger on a thermal engine and one or more reciprocating heat exchangers may be located at alternative locations than the location shown in the illustrated circulation diagram. in Figure 31.
[00207] Each of the heat exchangers in the illustrative system can have respective inlets and outlets for the working fluid and thermal fluid (s) or, in the case of the recuperative heat exchanger, there may be respective inlets and outlets for the working fluid in various stages within your circulation. For each of the heat exchangers, an approach temperature can be determined as the temperature difference between the working fluid (or close to) its outlet from the heat exchanger.
Petition 870190095578, of 9/24/2019, p. 120/165
114/129 heat and thermal fluid (or close) at its entrance to the heat exchanger. For a recuperative heat exchanger, the approach temperature can be determined as the temperature difference between the working fluid in one flow (or close) to its outlet from the heat exchanger and the working fluid in the other flow (or close) of its entrance to the heat exchanger. These are non-limiting examples, as other approach temperatures can also be determined; for example, an approach temperature can be determined as the temperature difference between the working fluid at its entrance (or close) to a heat exchanger and the thermal fluid at (or near) its exit from a heat exchanger.
[00208] As an illustrative example of a recovered thermal engine as illustrated in Figure 31, with molten salt and hexane as thermal fluids, the temperature difference between the thermal fluid on the hot side in HSC 113 and CSC 115 can be approximately 275 ° C. For example, the temperature of the thermal fluid on the hot side in HSC 113 can be approximately 565 ° C and the temperature of the thermal fluid on the hot side in CSC 115 can be approximately 290 ° C. The temperature difference between the thermal fluid on the cold side in CSC 119 and HSC 117 can be approximately 95 ° C. For example, the temperature of the thermal fluid on the cold side in CSC 119 can be approximately -60 ° C and the temperature of the thermal fluid on the cold side in HSC 117 can be approximately 35 ° C. With a working fluid such as air, nitrogen, argon, helium, mixtures of these or similar fluids,
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115/129 approaching temperatures of approximately 1, 2, 5, 10 or 20 ° C for heat exchanger 107 and heat exchanger 109 may be desirable, including temperatures between and in excess.
[00209] The sensors can be located in several places along the thermal motor or external to the thermal motor. The sensors can be configured to determine and / or report one or more operating conditions inside or outside the system. In the example shown in Figure 31, temperature sensors can be located at various inputs and outputs for components within the system. The following are examples of illustrative sensors: thermal fluid inlet temperature sensor 124; thermal fluid outlet temperature sensor 126; working fluid inlet temperature sensor 122; working fluid outlet temperature sensor 112; thermal fluid inlet temperature sensor 130; thermal fluid outlet temperature sensor 128; working fluid inlet temperature sensor 116; working fluid outlet temperature sensor 118; working fluid inlet temperature sensor 120 (downstream of compressor 120); working fluid inlet temperature sensor 114 (downstream of turbine 105). As illustrative examples, operating conditions may include sensor readings (for example, thermal fluid inlet temperature) and / or a combination of sensor readings and / or a derived value based on sensor readings (for example, temperature of approximation). For illustrative purposes, temperatures within a given flow segment can be considered
Petition 870190095578, of 9/24/2019, p. 122/165
116/129 constant without loss of heat between the flow connection points. For example, temperature sensor 114 can effectively reflect both the temperature of the working fluid at the outlet of the turbine 105 and at the entrance of the recuperative heat exchanger 111. In practical application, the temperature can be effectively constant between these points, it can vary substantially for operating the embodiments described here, or the sensors illustrated can reflect multiple sensors in the flow path (for example, temperature sensor 114 can be two temperature sensors, with one located at the outlet of the turbine 105 and one located at the inlet of the recuperative heat exchanger 111).
[00210] Alternatively or additionally, other types of sensors that determine and / or report one or more operating conditions of the system may be located throughout the illustrated system. For example, pressure sensor 134 can determine and report the working fluid pressure downstream of the compressor and upstream of the turbine, and pressure sensor 132 can determine and report the working fluid pressure downstream of the turbine and at compressor upstream. Sensor 136a can determine and report the turbine torque, turbine rotation, generator torque and / or generator RPM. If axis 123 is a common axis and not an axis divided between turbine 105 and compressor 103, then sensor 136a can also determine and report the compressor torque and / or the compressor RPM. Alternatively, sensor 136b can determine and report the compressor torque and / or the compressor RPM. Sensor 138 can connect to the generator / engine
Petition 870190095578, of 9/24/2019, p. 123/165
117/129
101 and several discrete components included in it, such as alternators and / or power electronics. Sensor 138 can also connect to an electrical connection between the generator / motor 101 and the electrical network to which the generator / motor 101 is supplying electrical energy. Sensor 138 can determine and report current, voltage, phase, frequency and / or the amount of electrical energy generated and / or distributed by the generator / motor 101 and / or its associated discrete components. Sensor 140 can determine and report the phase of the grid and sensors 138 and 140 can together or in combination determine and report a phase difference between the electrical energy generated and the grid.
[00211] Each of the thermal fluid pumps 102 and 104 can be variable speed pumps and be connected to another control device, such as control devices 106 and 108, respectively. The control devices 106 and 108 can be configured to control the pump speed and thus be able to adjust the flow rate of the thermal fluid through the pump and, consequently, the flow rate of the thermal fluid through a connected heat exchanger. , such as heat exchangers 107 and 109. Control devices 106 and 108 can be any practical device capable of altering the pumping speed of pumps, including, without limitation, electric speed controllers for electrically driven pumps (for example, controls variable voltage motor, variable current motor controls, PWM controls) and control systems for hydraulic pumps.
Petition 870190095578, of 9/24/2019, p. 124/165
118/129 [00212] Each of the control devices 106 and 108 can be in communication with one or more controllers 110a and 110b. Controllers 110a and 110b can be separate controllers with independent or coordinated control over control devices 106 and 108. Alternatively, controllers 110a and 110b can be considered as a single controller with control over one or more control devices 106 and 108. Each one of controllers 110a and 110b may be able to direct one or more control devices 106 and 108 to change the pump speed of thermal fluid pumps 102 and 104. For example, controller 110a may be able to issue an instruction to control the device 106 to increase or decrease the pump speed of the pump 102 by a specified amount. Controllers 110a and 110b can be any practical form known in the art, including those commonly used in industrial control systems, such as PLC controllers.
[00213] Each of the controllers 110a and / or 110b can also be in communication with one or more of the sensors. For clarity of illustration, the connections are not shown in Figure 31 between each of the controllers 110a and 110b and each of the illustrated sensors with which they may be communicating, but it should be understood that each of the controllers 110a and 110b can be able to receive sensor data from a relevant sensor. Controllers 110a and 110b can communicate and receive data from sensors in any practical way, including wired electrical data communication, wireless data communication, optical transmission and / or intermediate sources, or
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119/129 in other ways known in the art.
[00214] Each of the controllers 110a and / or 110b may be able to compare calculated data or reported data from one or more sensors with reported data from one or more other sensors, historical sensor data, internal set points or other comparators. For example, a controller 110a and / or 110b can compare the temperature of the thermal fluid inlet with the temperature of the working fluid in a given heat exchanger to determine an approach temperature for the heat exchanger. In addition, controller 110a and / or 110b can then compare the approach temperature to an internal setpoint. Similarly, a controller 110a and / or 110b can determine the phase difference between the generated electrical energy and the grid energy by comparing the reported data from sensors 138 and 140.
A. Example of temperature-based pump control [00215] It may be desirable to control the total distribution of heat and heat in a thermal engine system in order to maximize thermal efficiency, maximize electrical generation or efficiency and / or remain within thermal operating limits. Heat control can be performed by controlling the rate (s) of pumping of the thermal fluid in the system. In one embodiment, it may be desirable to control a hot side pump (e.g., molten salt pump 102) to maintain a constant temperature difference in the associated cold side heat exchanger during power generation (discharge mode) , that is, the temperature difference between flows in meter 122 and 126. Fluctuations in the rest of the system
Petition 870190095578, of 9/24/2019, p. 126/165
120/129 can result in the working fluid carrying a varying amount of heat to the heat exchanger. These fluctuations can be measured by temperature sensors at the inlet of the heat exchanger's working fluid and the controller (s) can direct a corresponding change in the pumping rate of the molten salt to maintain a constant approach temperature to the exchanger of heat.
[00216] Using the illustration in Figure 31, a working fluid can travel, in order, the compressor 103, the recuperative heat exchanger 111, the heat exchanger on the hot side 107, the turbine 105, the recuperative heat exchanger 111 again (in thermal counterflow contact with the previous flow), the heat exchanger on the cold side 109, and back to the compressor 103. Other variations are possible and this flow path is for illustrative purposes only. Additional components can be included in the path, including additional heat exchangers, branch flows, valves, etc. Some components, such as the recuperative heat exchanger, may be in different locations or may not be present. The generator / engine 101 can be driven by the turbine 105 and generate an amount of electrical energy, which can be distributed to a grid system. Pump 102 can be a variable speed pump controlled by a control device 106, such as a pump motor control. Pump 102 can pump a thermal fluid, such as molten salt, at a variable flow rate from a hot storage container 113, through the heat exchanger 107 counterflow to the working fluid, and into a storage container
Petition 870190095578, of 9/24/2019, p. 127/165
121/129 cold 115. The temperature sensors 124 and 126 can determine and report to the controller 110a the temperature of the thermal fluid that moves through the heat exchanger 107, respectively. Temperature sensors 122 and 112 can determine and report to the controller 110a the inlet and outlet temperatures, respectively, of the working fluid that moves through the heat exchanger 107. The controller 110a can, based on at least one of the operating conditions reported by the sensors, direct the control device 106 to adjust the pump speed.
[00217] In one embodiment of the pump control, the amount of heat that the working fluid carries to the heat exchanger 107 can vary due to fluctuations in the system. Temperature sensor 122 can report the temperature of the working fluid entering the controller 110a. Based on the reported temperature, controller 110a can direct control device 106 (and thus pump 102) to pump faster, slower or at the same speed. If temperature sensor 122 reports a relatively low temperature, controller 110a can increase the pump speed of pump 102 in order to add more heat to the power generation system. Likewise, if temperature sensor 122 reports a relatively high temperature, controller 110a can reduce the pump speed of pump 102.
[00218] In another embodiment, it may be desirable to maintain approaching temperatures almost constant in one or more heat exchangers. For example,
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122/129 in the heat exchanger 107, the temperature sensors 124 and 112 can report the temperature of the thermal fluid inlet and the temperature of the working fluid. Controller 110a can determine the approach temperature for the heat exchanger as the difference between the readings on sensor 124 and sensor 112 and direct control device 106 (and thus pump 102) to pump faster, slower, or faster. same speed. If the approach temperature is a relatively high value, controller 110a can increase the pump speed of pump 102 to reduce the approach temperature. Similarly, if the approach temperature is a relatively low value, controller 110a can
decrease the speed bomb pump 102 so The increase temperature approximation. [00219] In other embodiments, O control gives pump can be instituted on the cold side of the engine thermal. At the
heat exchanger 109, temperature sensor 116 can report the temperature of the working fluid entering the controller 110b. Based on the reported temperature, controller 110b can direct control device 108 (and thus pump 104) to pump faster, slower or at the same speed. If temperature sensor 116 reports a relatively low temperature, controller 110a can decrease pump speed 104 in order to remove less heat from the system. Likewise, if temperature sensor 116 reports a relatively high temperature, controller 110b can increase the pump speed of pump 104. Likewise, pump control can be used to maintain a
Petition 870190095578, of 9/24/2019, p. 129/165
123/129 approach temperature almost constant in the heat exchanger 109, direct the control device 108 to adjust the pump speed based on the operating conditions reported by the temperature sensors 130 and 118.
[00220] As previously described, controllers 110a and 110b can be separate controllers with independent or coordinated control over control devices 106 and 108, or a single controller with control over one or more of the control devices 10 6 and 108. As as such, controllers can act to adjust the pump speed of one or both pumps 102 and 104 based on the operating conditions of the power generation system. For example, if any of the temperature sensors 112, 114, 118 or 120 are reporting a relatively high temperature, controllers 110a and / or 110b can reduce the pumping speed of pump 102 to reduce the heat delivered to the working fluid and increase the pumping speed of pump 104 to increase the heat removed from the working fluid. Likewise, if any of the temperature sensors 112, 114, 118 or 120 are reporting a relatively low temperature, controllers 110a and / or 110b can increase the pumping speed of pump 102 to increase the heat delivered to the working fluid and decreasing the pumping speed of the pump 104 to decrease the heat removed from the working fluid.
[00221] The operating conditions on which controllers 110a and / or 110b base their command guidelines for control devices need not be
Petition 870190095578, of 9/24/2019, p. 130/165
124/129 limited to inlet and outlet temperatures of heat exchangers 107 and 109. For example, controllers can monitor working fluid temperatures in a recuperative heat exchanger, such as heat exchanger 111, and target devices control to adjust the pump speed based on the operating conditions in the recuperative heat exchanger.
B. Pressure-based pump control example [00222] As previously described, the working fluid may be at different pressures at different locations within the circulation system during power generation mode. For example, the working fluid will be at high pressure when it leaves the compressor. Pressure sensor 134 can determine and report this pressure. After expanding and doing work on turbine 105, the working fluid will be at low pressure, which can be similarly determined and reported by pressure sensor 132. To stabilize and / or adjust the system, it may be desirable to control the pumping rate of the thermal fluid to control small changes in the pressure and temperature of the working fluid. For example, if it is desirable to increase the working fluid pressure, controllers 110a and / or 110b can increase the pumping rate of the hot side pump 102 and / or decrease the pumping rate of the cold side pump 104. Similarly, if it is desirable to lower the working fluid pressure, controllers 110a and / or 110b can decrease the pumping rate of the hot side pump 102 and / or increase the pumping rate of the cold side pump 104.
C. Energy-based pump control example
Petition 870190095578, of 9/24/2019, p. 131/165
125/129 [00223] In other embodiments, it may be desirable to control aspects of electricity generation through pump control. For example, controllers 110a and / or 110b can monitor operational conditions, such as the amount of energy generated in sensor 138. Changing the
total heat at the system in generation in energy, the controllers 110a and / or 110b can to be used for stabilize and / or adjust the system. Per example, the
controllers 110a and / or 110b can increase or decrease the pumping rate of the hot side pump 102 and / or increase or decrease the pumping rate of the cold side pump 104.
[00224] In another example, controllers 110a and / or 110b can monitor the phase difference between the electrical energy generated at sensor 138 and the grid energy at sensor 140. The phase difference can be correlated with the fraction of energy generated made available to the network being transmitted to the network. The phase difference can be used by controllers 110a and / or 110b to anticipate changes in the energy required by the working fluid and, therefore, in the pumping rates for cold and hot thermal fluids.
D. Additional examples of operating conditions for pump control [00225] Other operating conditions can additionally or alternatively be used as a basis for pump control directives. For example, sensors 136a and / or 136b, alone or in conjunction with each other, can determine and report torque readings on turbine 105, compressor 103 and / or generator motor 101. These can
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126/129 be readings of magnitude and / or phasors that consist of magnitude and phase. Additionally or alternatively, sensors 136a and / or 136b, alone or in conjunction with each other, can determine and report RPM values for turbine 105, compressor 103 and / or generator motor 101. Any of the operating conditions can form a base for controllers 110a and / or 110b to adjust the speed of a pump.
E. Illustrative Methods [00226] Figure 32 illustrates an example of a pump control method implemented in a system such as that described in figure 31. In 152, a working fluid is circulated through a Brayton cycle system that includes at least a first heat exchanger (for example, a heat exchanger on the hot side), a turbine, a second heat exchanger (for example, a heat exchanger on the cold side) and a compressor. At 154, a first thermal fluid (eg molten salt) is pumped at a variable flow rate through the first heat exchanger. Inside the heat exchanger, the first thermal fluid is in thermal contact with the working fluid.
In 156, one or more operating conditions of the Brayton cycle system are determined and reported to a controller. Operating conditions may include and / or be related to, but not limited to, those shown in 160, including temperature, pressure, torque, RPM and energy. At 158, the variable flow rate of the first thermal fluid is adjusted based on at least one or more operating conditions of the Brayton cycle system. Adjusting the variable flow rate of the first thermal fluid
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127/129 may include directing a pump that pumps the first thermal fluid to change the speed.
[00227] Other embodiments include determining an approach temperature of the first heat exchanger and increasing the pump speed when the approach temperature is above a first value. Another embodiment may include generating a quantity of electrical energy through a generator driven by the turbine, supplying electrical energy generated by the generator to a grid system, determining a phase difference between the electrical grid and the generated electrical energy, and based on the determined phase difference, adjust the variable flow rate of the first thermal fluid by directing a pump that pumps the first thermal fluid to change the speed. Another modality may include the generation of a quantity of electrical energy through a generator driven by the turbine, supplying electrical energy generated by the generator to a grid system, determining the quantity of electrical energy generated by the generator, and based on the difference between the quantity of the electrical energy generated and a desired amount of electrical energy, adjust the variable flow rate of the first thermal fluid by directing a pump pumping the first thermal fluid to change the speed. Another embodiment may include pumping a variable flow rate of a second thermal fluid through the second heat exchanger, where the first thermal fluid is in thermal contact with the working fluid and adjusting the variable flow rate of the second thermal fluid based on at least one or more operating conditions of the power generation system.
Petition 870190095578, of 9/24/2019, p. 134/165
128/129
F. Operation in quiescent mode [00228] Returning to Figure 31, the illustrated thermal engine is illustrated in the power generation mode (ie, discharge). As discussed in connection with, for example, Figures 1-5 and Figures 13-18, Brayton cycle systems can operate in charge or discharge modes, where the discharge mode is generally consistent with the conversion of thermal energy stored in a substantial amount of electrical energy for distribution to a network or other significant energy user, and the charging mode is generally consistent with storing substantial amounts of thermal energy in the system for later use. However, the Brayton cycle can also operate in a quiescent mode, where the system is neither producing a substantial amount of electrical energy nor storing substantial amounts of thermal energy.
[00229] Non-operating pumps and / or turbo machines in quiescent mode will cause the temperature profile in a Brayton cycle heat exchanger to be significantly different from the desired temperature profile when the heat exchanger is operating in charge or discharge mode . This difference can lead to long acceleration times for a Brayton cycle system to go online and start supplying or accepting energy. It can also lead to additional thermal stresses as the temperature changes. Beneficially, pump control can be implemented to operate pumps at a very low speed to leak heat into or out of the heat exchangers to maintain a desired temperature profile in the heat exchangers that allows for a transition
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129/129 fast for optimal operation in loading or unloading modes. For example, a power generation system can be operated in a quiescent mode such that the cycle is operated at a level sufficient to circulate working and / or thermal fluids, but is effectively generating zero or negligible liquid electrical energy. In quiescent mode, the pump control can be implemented to maintain the desired approach temperatures in one or more heat exchangers in the system, so that when the system transitions to, for example, the discharge mode, the heat exchangers are already are close to operating temperatures. In this way, the transition from quiescent to discharge modes can take very little time, for
example, less than 1 minute or less 5 minutes or less 10 minutes. SAW. Conclusion [00230] Although various aspects and Forms of realization have been here disclosed, others aspects and Forms of
realization will be evident to the technicians in the subject. The various aspects and embodiments disclosed herein are for the purpose of illustration and are not intended to be limiting, the true scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims.

权利要求:
Claims (19)
[1]
1. Power generation system characterized by the fact that it comprises:
a closed loop system comprising a working fluid that circulates at least a first heat exchanger, a turbine, a second heat exchanger, and a compressor;
a first pump configured to pump a first thermal fluid at a variable flow based on the speed of the pump through the first heat exchanger and in thermal contact with the working fluid;
a generator driven by the turbine and configured to generate a quantity of electrical energy;
a first control device operatively connected to the first pump and configured to control the speed of the first pump;
at least one sensor, where each sensor is configured to determine and report an operating condition; And a controller in communication with the first control device and with at least one sensor, where the controller is configured to receive the reported operating condition from each sensor and, based on at least one reported operating condition, drive the first device control to adjust the speed of the first pump.
[2]
2. Power generation system, according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the closed-loop system is a closed-loop Brayton system.
[3]
3. Power generation system, according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the first
Petition 870190060169, of 06/27/2019, p. 12/21
2/8 heat exchanger comprises a working fluid inlet, a working fluid outlet, a thermal fluid inlet, and a thermal fluid outlet, wherein the sensor of at least one comprises: (i) a first sensor configured to determine and report a first temperature at the working fluid outlet, and (II) a second sensor configured to determine and report a second temperature at the thermal fluid inlet, where the controller is operable to determine an approach temperature of the first exchanger of heat as the difference between the second temperature and the first temperature, and in which the controller is configured, based on the determined approach temperature, direct the first control device to adjust the speed of the first pump.
[4]
4. Power generation system, according to claim 3, characterized by the fact that the controller is configured to direct the control device to increase the speed of the first pump when the determined approach temperature is above a first value and to decrease speed when the given temperature approach is below a second value.
[5]
5. Power generation system, according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the generator is configured to deliver electrical energy to a power grid system, where at least one sensor comprises: (i) a first sensor configured to determine and report a phase value of the power grid system, and (II) a second sensor
Petition 870190060169, of 06/27/2019, p. 13/21
3/8
configured for to determine and report a value phase in electricity generated, on what the controller is operable to determine an difference of phase between the value of phase of the system network energy and the value gives
phase of electricity generated, and in which the controller is configured to, based on the phase difference, direct one or more control devices to adjust the pump speed.
[6]
6. Power generation system according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the generator comprises an alternator, in which at least one sensor is configured to determine and report a current phase value in the alternator and a phase value on the alternator, where the controller is operable to determine a phase difference between the current phase value and the voltage phase value, and where the controller is configured to, based on the phase difference, direct one or more control devices to adjust the pump speed.
[7]
7. Power generation system, according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the generator comprises: an alternator, and power electronics, in which the sensor of at least one is configured to determine and report a phase value alternator and a power electronics phase value, where the controller is operable to determine a phase difference between the alternator phase value and the
Petition 870190060169, of 06/27/2019, p. 14/21
4/8 phase value of the power electronics, and where the controller is configured to, based on the phase difference, direct one or more control devices to adjust the pump speed.
[8]
8. Power generation system, according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the first heat exchanger is a hot side heat exchanger arranged downstream of the compressor and upstream of the turbine.
[9]
9. Power generation system, according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the first heat exchanger is a heat exchanger on the cold side arranged downstream of the turbine and upstream of the compressor.
[10]
10. Power generation system, according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that it also comprises a recuperative heat exchanger, in which the working fluid downstream of the compressor is in thermal contact with the working fluid downstream of the turbine .
[11]
11. Power generation system, according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that it also comprises:
a second pump, where the second pump pumps a second thermal fluid at a variable flow based on the speed of the pump through the second heat exchanger and in thermal contact with the working fluid; And a second control device operatively connected to the second pump and configured to control the pump speed of the second pump, where the controller is in communication with the second control device, where the controller is further configured to receive the condition of reported operation of
Petition 870190060169, of 06/27/2019, p. 15/21
5/8 each sensor and, based on at least one reported operating condition, direct the second control device to adjust the speed of the second pump.
[12]
12. Power generation system, according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the one or more operating conditions are selected from the group of working heat exchanger of fluid inlet temperature, first heat exchanger working fluid outlet temperature, first thermal fluid heat exchanger inlet temperature, first heat exchanger thermal fluid outlet temperature, first heat exchanger approach temperature, second heat exchanger working fluid inlet temperature, second exchanger working fluid outlet temperature, second heat exchanger thermal fluid inlet temperature, second heat exchanger thermal fluid outlet temperature, approach temperature according to heat exchanger, recuperative heat exchanger inlet temperature, output of recuperative heat exchanger, recuperative heat temperature of approx. exchanger information, fluid working pressure downstream of the compressor and upstream of the turbine, fluid working pressure downstream of the turbine and upstream of the compressor, compressor torque, turbine torque, generator torque, Rpm compressor, RPM turbine, generator RPM, amount of electrical energy, and the electrical energy phase generated, or a combination thereof.
[13]
13. Power generation system characterized by the fact that it comprises:
a closed-loop system comprising a
Petition 870190060169, of 06/27/2019, p. 16/21
6/8 work that circulates through, in order, at least one heat exchanger on the hot side, a turbine, a recovery heat exchanger, a heat exchanger on the cold side, and a compressor, where the compressor is driven by the turbine ;
a hot-side pump, where the hot-side pump pumps a first thermal liquid at a variable flow rate based on the speed of the pump through the heat exchanger on the hot side and the thermal contact with the working liquid;
a generator driven by the turbine and configured to generate a quantity of electrical energy;
a first control device operatively connected to the pump on the hot side and configured to control the speed of the pump;
a first sensor configured to determine and report a first temperature in a working fluid outlet of the heat exchanger on the hot side;
a second sensor configured to determine and report a second temperature at a thermal fluid inlet of the heat exchanger on the hot side; It is a controller in communication with the first sensor, the second sensor, and the first control device, where the controller is operable to determine an approach temperature of the first heat exchanger as the difference between the second temperature and the first temperature, and where the first controller is configured to direct the control device to increase the pump speed when the determined approach temperature is above a desired value.
[14]
14. Power generation system, according to
Petition 870190060169, of 06/27/2019, p. 17/21
7/8 claim 13, characterized by the fact that it comprises: a pump on the cold side, where the pump on the cold side pumps a second thermal fluid through the heat exchanger on the cold side and in thermal contact with the working fluid; And a heat rejection device, in which the second thermal fluid flows through the heat rejection device
heat after in get out of heat exchanger side cold, ejting part of heat in second thermal fluid for other middle.15 System power generation according to with the
claim 13, characterized by the fact that it further comprises:
a second control device operatively connected to the cold-side pump and configured to control the speed of the cold-side pump pump;
a third sensor configured to determine and report a third temperature in a working fluid outlet from the cold side heat exchanger; And a fourth sensor configured to determine and report a fourth temperature at a thermal fluid inlet on the cold side heat exchanger, where the controller is in communication with the third sensor, the fourth sensor, and the second control device, where the controller is operable to determine a temperature of the cold-side heat exchanger approach as the difference between the fourth temperature and the third temperature, and where the controller is configured to direct the second control device to increase the pump speed of the cold-side pump when the temperature
Petition 870190060169, of 06/27/2019, p. 18/21
8/8 determined of the approach of the heat exchanger of the friolate is above a desired value.
[15]
16. Method characterized by the fact that it comprises:
circulating a working fluid through a Brayton cycle system comprising a first heat exchanger, a turbine, a second heat exchanger, and a compressor;
pumping a variable flow rate of a first thermal fluid through the first heat exchanger, where the first thermal fluid is in thermal contact with the working fluid;
determine a functioning condition of the Brayton cycle system; And adjusting the variable flow rate of the first thermal fluid based on the operating condition.
[16]
17. The method of claim 16, characterized by the fact that adjusting the variable flow rate comprises driving a pump that pumps the first thermal liquid to change the speed.
[17]
18. Method according to claim 17, characterized by the fact that determining an operating condition of the Brayton cycle system comprises determining an approach temperature of the first heat exchanger, and in which to adjust the variable flow rate of the first thermal fluid based on the operating condition comprises increasing the pump speed when the determined approach temperature is above a first value.
[18]
19. Method, according to claim 16, characterized by the fact that it also comprises:
generating a quantity of electric energy through a
Petition 870190060169, of 06/27/2019, p. 19/21
9/8 generator driven by the turbine; And supply of electricity generated by the generator for a grid system, in which the determination of an operational condition of the Brayton cycle system comprises the determination of a phase difference between the grid system and the electricity generated, and in which the adjustment of the variable flow rate of the first thermal fluid based on the operating condition comprises: based on the determined phase difference, adjusting the variable flow rate of the first thermal fluid, directing a pump pumping the first thermal fluid to change the speed .
[19]
20. Method, according to claim 16, characterized by the fact that it further comprises:
generating a quantity of electrical energy through a generator driven by the turbine, in which determining a functioning condition of the Brayton cycle system comprises determining the quantity of electrical energy generated by the generator, and in which the adjustment of the variable flow rate of the first thermal fluid based on the operating condition comprises: based on a difference between the amount of electrical energy generated and a desired amount of electrical energy, adjusting the variable flow rate of the first thermal fluid by driving a pump pumping the first thermal fluid to change speed.

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AU2017387803B2|2020-08-13|Variable pressure turbine

同族专利:

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公开号 | 公开日

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US20180179960A1|2018-06-28|

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AU2017387774B2|2020-10-22|

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EP3563044A1|2019-11-06|

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CA3087029C|2021-08-31|

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US10920667B2|2021-02-16|

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US20190162116A1|2019-05-30|

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WO2018125421A1|2018-07-05|

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AU2017387774A1|2019-07-18|

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CA3087029A1|2018-07-05|

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CN110325715A|2019-10-11|

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US10233833B2|2019-03-19|

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EP3563044A4|2021-03-03|

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US20210172371A1|2021-06-10|

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法律状态:
2021-10-13| B350| Update of information on the portal [chapter 15.35 patent gazette]|

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2021-11-03| B06W| Patent application suspended after preliminary examination (for patents with searches from other patent authorities) [chapter 6.23 patent gazette]|

优先权:

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申请号 | 申请日 | 专利标题

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US15/392,653|US10233833B2|2016-12-28|2016-12-28|Pump control of closed cycle power generation system|

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PCT/US2017/062117|WO2018125421A1|2016-12-28|2017-11-17|Pump control of closed cycle power generation system|

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