Devices that incorporate phase change materials in containment vessels promote conduction of thermal energy between the phase change materials within the containment vessels and the surrounding air. In some embodiments, the containment vessels are transparent to enable visual awareness of the operation and functionality of the PCMs. In some embodiments, the containment vessels are design to passively promote air flow across the surfaces of the containment vessels. In some embodiments, the containment vessels include embedded structures to promote the conduction of thermal energy to and from the interior of the containment vessel. In some of these embodiments, the intent is to target the location of crystal ‘seeds’ and control crystal growth, thus gaining greater control over thermal transfer.

A heat storage system using sand as a solid heat storage medium has a fluidized bed heat exchanger (3) arranged between and separated from a storage tank (1) for cold sand and a storage tank (2) for hot sand by weirs (4, 5). The heat exchanger (3) is divided into a plurality of chambers (7) by weirs (6). The weirs (4, 5, 6) are arranged as a combination of overflow and underflow weirs. Fluidized sand is produced in the chambers (7) by a blower (14) positioned underneath the heat exchanger (3). Heat is transferred from a heat source to the sand fluidized and from the fluidized sand to a heat transport medium by transferring mechanisms (8, 9) in the chambers (7). The sand is redirected in a horizontal direction by horizontally acting blowers and/or installations (12) projecting into a respective chamber from a side.

An optimized heating and cooling system including a thermal mass, thermal energy transport conduits to deliver thermal energy to the thermal mass including one or more phase change materials (PCMs), at least one heat exchanger to exchange the thermal energy from a energy input into heat transfer fluid that is pumped through the thermal mass. The system also includes a controller in electronic communication with a temperature sensor, a throttle and a pump. A desired building temperature profile, a daily temperature forecast, the electricity rates, the thermal characteristics of the PCMs are entered into or obtained by the controller and the controller uses that information to optimize the energy use to avoid using the heating and cooling system during peak electricity demand time, or uses the rate structure to determine the operation sequence that results in the most efficient use of energy or least cost.

A damper assembly in a heat recovery ventilator, comprising a rotor, a bearing, drive means, and sealing means. The rotor rotates about an axis of rotation and includes a pair of end walls in spaced-apart relation to define a substantially open periphery. The rotor also includes an air-deflecting member connected between the end walls. The bearing is associated with one of the end walls and is located at the axis of rotation, to support rotation of the rotor. The drive means rotates the rotor about the axis of rotation and positions the air-deflecting member in first and second orientations. The sealing means is in slide contact engagement with the rotor and seals between the rotor and a surrounding damper compartment of the ventilator. The sealing means isolates the exhaust airstream from the supply airstream in the damper compartment while the air-deflecting member is in the first or the second orientation.

Methods and devices for long-duration electricity storage using low-cost thermal energy storage and high-efficiency power cycle, are disclosed. In some embodiments it has the potential for superior long-duration, low-cost energy storage.

A turbine bypass system comprises a bypass path which is selectively operable to deliver hot gases to a gas cooler and a pebble bed positioned in the bypass path upstream of the gas cooler. The pebble bed absorbs heat from the bypass gases and thereby reduces the temperature of the bypass gases prior to delivery of the bypass gases to the gas cooler.

A thermal energy storage and recovery device is provided including a container having a first fluid terminal for inserting heat transfer medium into the interior of the container and a second fluid terminal for extracting heat transfer medium from the interior of the container, a heat storage material for receiving thermal energy from the heat transfer medium when in a first operational mode and releasing thermal energy to the heat transfer medium when in a second operational mode, and a plurality of enclosures each filled at least partially with a part of the heat storage material. The enclosures are spatially arranged within the container so a flow of the heat transfer medium is guidable between the first and second fluid terminals and a direct thermal contact between the heat transfer medium and the enclosures is achievable as the heat transfer medium flows between the first and second fluid terminals.

An energy transportation and grid support system utilizes at least one transportable containment module capable of storing thermal or chemical energy typically produced from renewable or geothermal sources and providing connectivity with energy conversion equipment typically located in a land or sea-based operating facility. The system includes circuitry to hookup to an adjacent electricity grid for the provision of grid support and/or piping to move thermal energy typically used to drive steam turbines generating electricity. The operating facility also includes a communication arrangement to link with and exchange operations control data with a grid or heating operator and the energy transportation operator. The invention is directed to both apparatus and method for the energy transportation and grid support system.

A cold storage heat exchanger has refrigerant pipes and a cold storage material. Each of the refrigerant pipes has a refrigerant passage therein. The refrigerant pipes are arranged so as to be distanced from each other with clearances therebetween. The cold storage material is disposed in at least one of the clearances. At least another one of the clearances provides an air passage. The heat storage material is disposed in at least two of the clearances arranged adjacent to each other.

A system including a chilled air generation system, a forced air convection system, one or more phase change material (PCM) modules, and a controller. The controller is configured to regulate the temperature of a facility by selectively utilizing the chilled air generation system and the forced air convection system based on multiple factors, which may include energy source type(s), relative costs of the energy from the source(s), availability of energy from the source(s), facility temperature, PCM module temperature, and/or temperature of goods stored within the facility, among other considerations. The controller may thus advantageously and cost-effectively control the periods of time during which the chilled air generation system is used and those during which the thermal energy stored in the PCM modules is used.