A heat storage and heat release system for molten salt with steam heating is provided. The heat storage and heat release system for molten salt with steam heating includes a low-temperature molten salt tank, a high-temperature molten salt tank, molten salt pumps, a boiler barrel, a fixed tube-plate heat exchanger and a drum. The boiler barrel, the fixed tube-plate heat exchanger and the drum are arranged from high to low and are respectively. At least one molten salt outlet pipe and at least one molten salt returning pipe from the low-temperature molten salt tank are connected with the tube pass of the fixed tube-plate heat exchanger. At least one molten salt outlet pipe and at least one molten salt returning pipe from the high-temperature molten salt tank are connected with the tube pass of the fixed tube-plate heat exchanger.

A water heater appliance includes a tank extending along a vertical direction between a top end wall and a bottom end wall and a dip tube extending from an inlet end to an outlet end. The inlet end of the dip tube is coupled to a cold water inlet in the top end wall of the tank. The outlet end of the dip tube may be positioned in a bottom corner of the tank and/or positioned at an outer perimeter of the bottom end wall.

A thermal energy storage system utilizes a high temperature storage segment having flow passages extending through the storage segment whereby a working fluid can extract energy from the storage system for powering conventional downstream equipment. A mixing manifold cooperates with an outlet manifold for reducing the temperature of the working fluid to a temperature safe for the downstream equipment. The mixing manifold, an outlet manifold, an inlet manifold and a support base for the high temperature storage segment, are all of a high temperature tolerant material allowing the high temperature storage segment to operate at temperatures in excess of 1000° C. and preferably to temperatures above 1400° C. The temperature of the working fluid provided to the conventional equipment can be managed to be below a maximum temperature which in many cases may be about 700° C.

The application pertains to, for example, novel processes and systems for heat transfer, refrigeration, energy storage, and various cooling and heating processes. Such processes may include cooling or mixing various liquid-liquid phase transition liquids to release and/or energy. Additionally or alternatively, such processes may include charging and/or discharging thermal storage reservoirs with layered liquids of various temperatures.

A water heater system includes a water heater and a thermal mixing valve. The water heater includes a tank and a cap that each define interior volumes. The interior volume of the tank includes a heating element is the location where fluid is heated, whereas the cap includes a volume within which the thermal mixing valve may be disposed. The thermal mixing valve pulls cool and warm water from the volume of the tank, and then discharges a mixed stream of fluid at a user desired temperature via an outlet.

Thermal battery systems for management (e.g., load management) of electrical power sources, and related methods, are generally described. Thermal battery systems in certain embodiments have an electric heater, a thermal storage system, a heat exchange system and an electricity generator. The electric heater is configured to be connected in electrical communication with an electric power source, such as an electric power grid and to heat the thermal storage system. The electric heater may be a separate unit from the thermal storage system and heat the thermal storage system indirectly by heating a first fluid that is circulated through the thermal storage system during charging, or the electric heater may be integrated directly into the thermal storage system to heat it directly. The thermal storage system is configured to store thermal energy from the electric heater during a charging mode of the thermal storage system, and to heat the first fluid, which is then supplied to a heat exchange system during a discharging mode of the thermal storage system. The heat exchange system comprises at least one heat exchanger, and in some cases, at least a first and a second heat exchanger connected in series. The heat exchange system is positioned downstream from the thermal storage system and is configured to transfer heat from the heated first fluid to a second compressed fluid. The electricity generator may comprise at least one gas turbine and compressor. The compressor is configured to supply the second compressed fluid to the heat exchange system. The turbine is positioned with an inlet in fluid communication with and downstream from the heat exchange system so that the heated compressed second fluid is discharged from an outlet of the heat exchange system into the inlet of the turbine so that the turbine is able to generate electrical power therefrom. The power generated can be returned to the electrical power source, e.g., an electrical power grid.

The present invention to provide a method of operating a thermal energy storage device comprising a body of heat transfer fluid, said body of heat transfer fluid comprising an upper temperature region comprising heat transfer fluid having a temperature above a upper threshold temperature, a lower temperature region comprising heat transfer fluid having a temperature below a lower threshold temperature and a thermocline region separating the upper and lower temperature regions and comprising heat transfer fluid having a temperature above a lower threshold temperature and below an upper threshold temperature, wherein during charging of the thermal energy storage device, heat transfer fluid is removed from the thermocline region of the body of heat transfer fluid and when the temperature of the heat transfer fluid being removed from the thermocline region of the body of heat transfer fluid rises above a maximum temperature, said heat transfer fluid being removed is brought to a temperature equal to or below said maximum temperature, wherein the maximum temperature is above the lower threshold temperature and/or wherein during discharging of the thermal energy storage device, heat transfer fluid is removed from the thermocline region of the body of heat transfer fluid and when the temperature of the heat transfer fluid being removed from the thermocline region of the body of heat transfer fluid falls below a minimum temperature, said heat transfer fluid being removed is brought to a temperature equal to or above said minimum temperature, wherein said minimum temperature is below the upper threshold temperature.

A first system herein may include: (i) a pumped-heat energy storage system (“PHES system”), wherein the PHES system is operable in a generation mode to convert at least a portion of stored thermal energy into electricity, wherein the PHES system includes a working fluid path circulating a working fluid through, in sequence, at least a compressor system, a hot-side heat exchanger system, a turbine system, a cold-side heat exchanger system, and back to the compressor system; and (ii) a fluid path directing a first fluid through an intercooler and to a power generation plant, and wherein the working fluid path through the compressor system includes circulating the working fluid through, in sequence, at least a first compressor, the intercooler, and a second compressor, and wherein the intercooler thermally contacts the working fluid with the first fluid, transferring heat from the working fluid to the first fluid.

A heat storage device, a heat storage system comprising at least one heat storage device, and a method for operating a heat storage device.

A particle heat exchanger comprising: a housing including an inlet located at the top of the housing, and an outlet located below the inlet, the housing configured to enclose a flow of heat transfer particles which flows downwardly from the inlet to the outlet within the housing; at least one heat transfer tube enclosed in the housing and in contact with the flow of heat transfer particles therein, each heat transfer tube extending substantially parallel to an axis extending between the inlet and outlet of the housing; and at least one divider located between the inlet and outlet of the housing, the at least one heat transfer tube extending through each divider, each divider including at least one opening configured to form at least one flow constriction in the flow of heat transfer particles between the inlet and outlet of the housing.