F22B29/06

Heat exchanger, such as for a solar power plant

A heat exchanger (10) to provide heat exchange between fluids (24, 25), such as in a solar power plant (1), may include a first and second pipe connectors (13, 14), and a pipe bundle (17) extending between the first and second pipe connectors, with pipes (17a-17n) of the pipe bundle configured to guide a second fluid (25). The pipe bundle may be connected to the first and second pipe connectors at pipe connection points (16) so the inside of the pipes (17a-17n) is in fluid communication with cavities (15) of those connectors. The pipes may be arranged adjacent each other and extending together between the pipe connectors in a meandering manner providing a plurality of crests (20a, 20b) on the pipes between the pipe connectors, so that crests of the pipes are arranged to extend into recesses provided by one or more crests on other pipes of the pipe bundle.

Heat exchanger, such as for a solar power plant

A heat exchanger (10) to provide heat exchange between fluids (24, 25), such as in a solar power plant (1), may include a first and second pipe connectors (13, 14), and a pipe bundle (17) extending between the first and second pipe connectors, with pipes (17a-17n) of the pipe bundle configured to guide a second fluid (25). The pipe bundle may be connected to the first and second pipe connectors at pipe connection points (16) so the inside of the pipes (17a-17n) is in fluid communication with cavities (15) of those connectors. The pipes may be arranged adjacent each other and extending together between the pipe connectors in a meandering manner providing a plurality of crests (20a, 20b) on the pipes between the pipe connectors, so that crests of the pipes are arranged to extend into recesses provided by one or more crests on other pipes of the pipe bundle.

ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM AND APPLICATIONS

An energy storage system converts variable renewable electricity (VRE) to continuous heat at over 1000° C. Intermittent electrical energy heats a solid medium. Heat from the solid medium is delivered continuously on demand. An array of bricks incorporating internal radiation cavities is directly heated by thermal radiation. The cavities facilitate rapid, uniform heating via reradiation. Heat delivery via flowing gas establishes a thermocline which maintains high outlet temperature throughout discharge. Gas flows through structured pathways within the array, delivering heat which may be used for processes including calcination, hydrogen electrolysis, steam generation, and thermal power generation and cogeneration. Groups of thermal storage arrays may be controlled and operated at high temperatures without thermal runaway via deep-discharge sequencing. Forecast-based control enables continuous, year-round heat supply using current and advance information of weather and VRE availability. High-voltage DC power conversion and distribution circuitry improves the efficiency of VRE power transfer into the system.

ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM AND APPLICATIONS

An energy storage system converts variable renewable electricity (VRE) to continuous heat at over 1000° C. Intermittent electrical energy heats a solid medium. Heat from the solid medium is delivered continuously on demand. An array of bricks incorporating internal radiation cavities is directly heated by thermal radiation. The cavities facilitate rapid, uniform heating via reradiation. Heat delivery via flowing gas establishes a thermocline which maintains high outlet temperature throughout discharge. Gas flows through structured pathways within the array, delivering heat which may be used for processes including calcination, hydrogen electrolysis, steam generation, and thermal power generation and cogeneration. Groups of thermal storage arrays may be controlled and operated at high temperatures without thermal runaway via deep-discharge sequencing. Forecast-based control enables continuous, year-round heat supply using current and advance information of weather and VRE availability. High-voltage DC power conversion and distribution circuitry improves the efficiency of VRE power transfer into the system.

ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM AND ALUMINA CALCINATION APPLICATIONS
20230304420 · 2023-09-28 ·

An energy storage system (TES) converts variable renewable electricity (VRE) to continuous heat at over 1000° C. Intermittent electrical energy heats a solid medium. Heat from the solid medium is delivered continuously on demand. Heat delivery via flowing gas establishes a thermocline which maintains high outlet temperature throughout discharge. The delivered heat which may be used for processes including power generation and cogeneration. In one application, the TES provides higher-temperature heat through non-combustible fluid to an alumina calcination system used to remove impurities or volatile substances and/or to incur thermal decomposition to a desired product.

ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM AND ALUMINA CALCINATION APPLICATIONS
20230304420 · 2023-09-28 ·

An energy storage system (TES) converts variable renewable electricity (VRE) to continuous heat at over 1000° C. Intermittent electrical energy heats a solid medium. Heat from the solid medium is delivered continuously on demand. Heat delivery via flowing gas establishes a thermocline which maintains high outlet temperature throughout discharge. The delivered heat which may be used for processes including power generation and cogeneration. In one application, the TES provides higher-temperature heat through non-combustible fluid to an alumina calcination system used to remove impurities or volatile substances and/or to incur thermal decomposition to a desired product.

THERMAL ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM COUPLED WITH THERMAL POWER CYCLE SYSTEMS
20230296034 · 2023-09-21 ·

An energy storage system converts variable renewable electricity (VRE) to continuous heat at over 1000° C. Intermittent electrical energy heats a solid medium. Heat from the solid medium is delivered continuously on demand. Heat delivery via flowing gas establishes a thermocline which maintains high outlet temperature throughout discharge. The delivered heat which may be used for processes including power generation and cogeneration. In one application, the energy storage system provides higher-temperature heat to a conventional lower-temperature heat source to boost the temperature of a thermal power cycle working fluid to a turbine, thereby increasing efficiency of the power cycle.

THERMAL ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM COUPLED WITH THERMAL POWER CYCLE SYSTEMS
20230296034 · 2023-09-21 ·

An energy storage system converts variable renewable electricity (VRE) to continuous heat at over 1000° C. Intermittent electrical energy heats a solid medium. Heat from the solid medium is delivered continuously on demand. Heat delivery via flowing gas establishes a thermocline which maintains high outlet temperature throughout discharge. The delivered heat which may be used for processes including power generation and cogeneration. In one application, the energy storage system provides higher-temperature heat to a conventional lower-temperature heat source to boost the temperature of a thermal power cycle working fluid to a turbine, thereby increasing efficiency of the power cycle.

FEEDWATER CONTROL FOR A FORCED-FLOW WASTE-HEAT STEAM GENERATOR

A method for operating a forced-flow steam generator constructed as a waste-heat steam generator having a pre-heater, including pre-heater heating surfaces, and having an evaporator including evaporator heating surfaces connected downstream on the flow medium side of the pre-heater heating surfaces. A device for adjusting a feed water mass flow has a set point for the feed water mass flow. During the creation of the set point for the feed water mass flow, a waste-heat flow transferred to a fluid in the evaporator heating surfaces is determined, and mass storage and energy storage in the fluid in the evaporator heating surfaces is detected during non-steady-state plant operation. A behaviour over time of a mass storage in the evaporator is coupled with a behaviour over time of a mass storage in the pre-heater, wherein scaling is carried out with a ratio of the density changes in the evaporator and pre-heater

THERMAL ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM COUPLED WITH A SOLID OXIDE ELECTROLYSIS SYSTEM
20230323793 · 2023-10-12 ·

An energy storage system (TES) converts variable renewable electricity (VRE) to continuous heat at over 1000° C. Intermittent electrical energy heats a solid medium. Heat from the solid medium is delivered continuously on demand. Heat delivery via flowing gas establishes a thermocline which maintains high outlet temperature throughout discharge. The delivered heat which may be used for processes including power generation and cogeneration. In one application, the energy storage system provides higher-temperature heat to a solid oxide electrolysis system to maintain in an electrolysis operating temperature range during operation and nonoperation, thereby increasing the efficiency of the temperature control.