An apparatus for the accumulation and transfer of thermal energy is disclosed including a thermal energy charging device having a bed of fluidizable solid particles received within a casing and acting as heat accumulation means by being exposed to a thermal energy source, heat exchange means operating in counter-current, configured for an exchange of thermal energy between a heated vector mass of the bed particles and an operative fluid, transport means configured for feeding the vector mass of the bed particles from the device to the heat exchange means and for returning part of the vector mass, downstream the heat exchange means, to the device, and a control unit associated with parameter detecting means arranged selected locations of the apparatus to control the flow of the vector mass within the apparatus.

A thermal conveyance system and process for absorbing, transporting, storing, and recovering thermal energy (both hot and cold energy) over a wide range of temperatures from up to 2,100 F., or higher, or cool energy at subzero temperatures in inert and stable particles without the need to maintain a minimum temperature or requiring high system pressures. The process involving the transferring thermal energy to a first transfer fluid and recovering thermal energy from a second transfer fluid wherein the first and the second transfer fluids comprise a two phase thermal media including a gaseous carrier containing a quantity of micron to millimeter sized solid particles.

A heat storage and transfer method, having: providing a plurality of heat storage and transfer modules, arranged thermally in series, each module of the plurality having a bed of fluidizable solid particles as a heat storage and transfer means; adducting a flow of a heat transfer fluid (HTF) to cross the modules in serial thermal sequence; fluidizing each of the beds of fluidizable solid particles so as to foster heat exchange between the bed particles with said heat transfer fluid, the arrangement being such that the heat transfer fluid can cross the modules in sequence according to opposite directions, to transfer or extract thermal energy, respectively, from the beds of particles.

The present invention concerns a device for collecting solar energy by means of a concentrator of the nonimaging type and a receiver for the transfer of energy by heat exchange with a fluid which operates, independently, a thermodynamic cycle for the exploitation of energy, said concentrator comprising an inlet area, an underlying outlet area and an inner space between said inlet area and said outlet area; said receiver being positioned under said concentrator and said inner space of the concentrator and said receiver being connected by said outlet area, characterized in that said inner space of the concentrator and said receiver are in fluid communication through said outlet area, a plurality of solid particles are present inside said receiver, and said device for collecting solar energy comprises means apt to take a part of said solid particles from said receiver and to put them from below inside said inner space of said concentrator, said solid particles subsequently returning, by gravity, into said receiver, passing through said outlet area.

The present invention concerns a device for collecting solar energy by means of a concentrator of the nonimaging type and a receiver for the transfer of energy by heat exchange with a fluid which operates, independently, a thermodynamic cycle for the exploitation of energy, said concentrator comprising an inlet area, an underlying outlet area and an inner space between said inlet area and said outlet area; said receiver being positioned under said concentrator and said inner space of the concentrator and said receiver being connected by said outlet area, characterized in that said inner space of the concentrator and said receiver are in fluid communication through said outlet area, a plurality of solid particles are present inside said receiver, and said device for collecting solar energy comprises means apt to take a part of said solid particles from said receiver and to put them from below inside said inner space of said concentrator, said solid particles subsequently returning, by gravity, into said receiver, passing through said outlet area.

The present invention describes a device for controlling cooling of a heat transfer solid supplying or withdrawing heat to or from a unit carrying out globally endothermic or exothermic reactions respectively. The exchange bundle of said device is in a triangular pattern.

The invention relates to contactors suitable for use, for example, in manufacturing and chemical refinement processes. In an aspect is a hybrid indirect/direct contactor for thermal management of counter-current processes, the contactor comprising a vertical reactor column, an array of interconnected heat transfer tubes within the reactor column, and a plurality of stream path diverters, wherein the tubes and diverters are configured to block all straight-line paths from the top to bottom ends of the reactor column.

An apparatus including: (a) a fluid material conduit in fluid communication with a source of a fluid material, wherein the fluid material comprises unexpanded, expandable polymeric microspheres; (b) a treatment zone in heat transfer communication with a source of heat and in fluid communication with the fluid material conduit, such that the fluid material is directly or indirectly contacted by heat within the treatment zone; and (c) a back pressure generator in fluid communication with the treatment zone, capable of increasing pressure in the treatment zone, which results in expansion of the expandable polymeric microspheres when the fluid material exits the treatment zone.

An apparatus including: (a) a fluid material conduit in fluid communication with a source of a fluid material, wherein the fluid material comprises unexpanded, expandable polymeric microspheres; (b) a treatment zone in heat transfer communication with a source of heat and in fluid communication with the fluid material conduit, such that the fluid material is directly or indirectly contacted by heat within the treatment zone; and (c) a back pressure generator in fluid communication with the treatment zone, capable of increasing pressure in the treatment zone, which results in expansion of the expandable polymeric microspheres when the fluid material exits the treatment zone.

Methods, systems, and apparatus for cooling hot product gas are provided. The method includes introducing cooled solid into a downward or upward contactor where heat transfer between solid and product gas. After separating solid and product gas in cyclone system, cooled product gas flows to process downstream and hot solid is introduced into a fluidized bed solid cooler from the cyclone dipleg. The hot solid flows through the shell side of the fluidized bed cooler and exchanger heat with the coolant in the tube side. The cooled solid flows through a mechanical or non-mechanical valve back into the downward/upward contactor and complete the cycle.