A method for storing an inorganic salt, wherein the inorganic salt has a long service life, and the stability of a salt melt made of the inorganic salt is increased. This is achieved in that the inorganic salt is provided in a liquid state, wherein the inorganic salt comprises anions which decompose when heat is supplied, thereby forming at least one gaseous decomposition product, and the pressure of the gas atmosphere is set such that the gas atmosphere is in chemical equilibrium with the inorganic salt in the liquid state.

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.

The disclosed technology includes methods of extracting geothermal energy, generally comprising the steps of: insertion of a thermal mass into a Heat Absorption Zone, absorbing heat in thermal mass, raising the thermal mass to a Heat Transfer Zone, and transferring the heat from the thermal mass. The acquired heat can be used to generate electricity or to drive an industrial process. The thermal mass can have internal chambers containing a liquid such as molten salt, and can also have structures facilitating heat exchange using a thermal exchange fluid, such as a gas or a glycol-based fluid. In some embodiments, two thermal masses are used as counterweights, reducing the energy consumed in bringing the heat in the thermal masses to the surface. In other embodiments, solid or molten salt can be directly supplied to a well shaft to acquire geothermal heat and returned to the surface in a closed loop system.

A buffer storage device and method including an underground storage chamber filled with a brine as a heat storage medium, a primary circuit filled with a first heat transfer medium, and a secondary circuit filled with a second heat transfer medium. A first heat exchanger in the primary circuit, through which the first heat transfer medium flows, is set up so as to transfer excess heat fed into the primary circuit from the first heat transfer medium to the brine in the underground storage chamber. A second heat exchanger in the secondary circuit, through which the second heat transfer medium flows, is set up so as to transfer, as required, at least some of the excess heat stored in the brine in the underground storage chamber to the second heat transfer medium. The secondary circuit is coupled to at least one heat consumer load.

The power plant system includes a molten salt reactor assembly, a thermocline unit, phase change heat exchangers, and process heat systems. The thermocline unit includes an insulated tank, an initial inlet, a plurality of zone outlets, and a plurality of gradient zones corresponding to each zone outlet and being stacked in the tank. Each gradient zone has a molten salt portion at a portion temperature corresponding to the molten salt supply from the molten salt reactor being stored in the tank and stratified. The molten salt portions at higher portion temperatures generate thermal energy for process heat systems that require higher temperatures, and molten salt portions at lower portion temperatures generate thermal energy for process heat systems that require lower temperatures. The system continuously pumps the molten salt supply in controlled rates to deliver the heat exchange fluid supply to perform work in the corresponding particular process heat system.

Disclosed are systems and methods of flexibly cooling thermal loads by providing a complex compound system for burst mode cooling, a vapor compression system for ancillary cooling, and a thermal storage system for helping efficiently maintain and cool a thermal load such as a directed energy weapon system.

The present disclosure relates to techniques for extracting heat energy from geothermal briny fluid. A briny fluid can be extracted from a geothermal production well and delivered to a heat exchanger. The heat exchanger can receive the briny fluid and transfer heat energy from the briny fluid to a molten salt. The molten salt can be pumped to a molten salt storage tank that can serve as energy storage. The briny fluid can be returned to a geothermal source via the production well. The briny fluid can remain in a closed-loop system, apart from the molten salt, from extraction through return to the geothermal production well.

A double-shell phase change heat storage balls and preparation method thereof is disclosed. The technical scheme is as follows. Paraffin is placed in oven, and organic ignition loss is added to obtain paraffin melt containing the ignition loss; metal balls is immersed in the paraffin melt containing the ignition loss, and cooled naturally to obtain the metal balls coated by ignition loss and paraffin; alumina refractory slurry is placed in a pan granulator, and the metal balls coated by ignition loss and paraffin is added, pelletized, and dried to obtain alumina composite phase change heat storage ball bodies; mullite refractory slurry is placed in a pan granulator, alumina composite phase change heat storage ball bodies is added, pelletized, dried, and placed in a muffle furnace. The temperature is raised to 1200-1600° C. by three systems and maintained. After naturally cooling, the double-shell phase change heat storage balls are prepared.

The various embodiments described herein include devices and systems for thermal energy storage. A single-temperature-thermal-energy storage (SITTES) system for desalinating seawater and/or producing electrical power is described. The SITTES system includes insulated tanks, a molten eutectic salt media arranged within the insulated tanks, heat exchangers arranged within the insulated tanks, and an outlet. In the SITTES system the heat exchangers are coupled to one another and configured to transfer heat between the salt media and a seawater media, and the outlet is configured to output a steam portion of the seawater media, thereby providing desalination of the portion of the seawater media and steam for electrical power generation.

A system for the production of molten salt. The system can have a preparation tank configured to melt raw salts, and a bubbler system in communication with the preparation tank. The bubbler can be configured to maintain vacuum conditions within the preparation tank and to remove gases from the preparation tank. A method for producing molten salt includes a step of providing a system for the production of molten salt. The system can have a preparation tank configured to melt raw salts, and a bubbler system in communication with the preparation tank. The bubbler can be configured to maintain vacuum conditions within the preparation tank and to remove gases from the preparation tank. Then, the method can include inserting raw salt into the preparation tank, and heating the raw salt to form molten salt. Then filtering the molten salt, and storing the molten salt.