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.

Heat sink vessels are disclosed. The heat sink vessel includes a body defining an interior volume that circulate a working fluid therethrough. The body includes a first guidance portion coupled to a first port, a second guidance portion coupled to a second port and a middle portion coupled to the first and second guidance portions. The middle portion includes a heat sink core. The heat sink core is formed from a plurality of heat sink modules collectively arranged and coupled together to form a plurality of flow passages through the heat sink core. The heat sink vessel is configured to circulate the working fluid through the plurality of flow passages of the heat sink core via the first port and the second port.

A system including: a pumped-heat energy storage system (“PHES system”), wherein the PHES system is operable in a charge mode to convert electricity into stored thermal energy, wherein the PHES system comprises 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 hot fluid from a heat source external to the PHES system through a reheater, wherein a portion of the working fluid path through the turbine system comprises circulating the working fluid through a first turbine, the reheater, and a second turbine, and wherein the working fluid thermally contacts the hot fluid in the reheater, thereby transferring heat from the hot fluid to the working fluid.

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.

Methods are provided for controlling thermal energy storage in a thermal energy management system that may operate in response to a variable or high transient heat load. Thermal energy management systems are also provided for controlling thermal energy storage that may operate in response to a variable or high transient heat load.

The invention relates to a method and to a device for performing cyclical energy storage for a process region in a cyclical operation using an energy storage medium having a hot side and a cold side, the method comprising the following method steps, which are repeated in a cycle time. The energy storage medium is heated on the hot side by means of a hot medium in order to initiate internal thermal conduction in the energy storage medium from the hot side to the cold side. The temperature on the cold side of the energy storage medium is continuously captured by means of a temperature sensor and is compared with a preset limit temperature. After the limit temperature has been reached, a cold medium is fed to the cold side of the energy storage medium and the stored energy is discharged beginning from the cold side toward the hot side of the energy storage medium. At the start of a new energy storage cycle, the energy storage medium is heated on the hot side again.

The invention provides, in some aspects, a thermal storage system that has one or more fluid-transport vias that contain a heat transfer fluid and that are disposed in thermal coupling with a form of graphite, e.g., expanded graphite. The graphite form is, in turn, disposed in thermal coupling with a bonded aggregate material.

Heat sink vessels are disclosed. The heat sink vessel includes a body defining an interior volume that circulate a working fluid therethrough. The body includes a first guidance portion coupled to a first port, a second guidance portion coupled to a second port and a middle portion coupled to the first and second guidance portions. The middle portion includes a heat sink core. The heat sink core is formed from a plurality of heat sink modules collectively arranged and coupled together to form a plurality of flow passages through the heat sink core. The heat sink vessel is configured to circulate the working fluid through the plurality of flow passages of the heat sink core via the first port and the second port.

A thermal energy storage system comprising a dome-shaped thermal storage medium, a power supply that provides electrical power to an electrical air heater, a heat exchanger, an air blower, a steam generator, a tower, and air return duct. The thermal energy storage system may be designed in such a way that air return ducts are used to allow heat to travel back to the thermal storage medium, thereby improving efficiency and reducing loss of heat or energy of the system.

The present disclosure describes heat exchangers for converting thermal energy stored in solid particles to electricity. Electro-thermal energy storage converts off-peak electricity into heat for thermal energy storage, which may be converted back to electricity, for example during peak-hour power generation. The heat exchanger for converting thermal energy stored in solid particles to electricity enables the conversion of thermal energy into electrical energy for redistribution to the grid. In some embodiments, pressurized fluidized-bed heat exchangers may achieve efficient conversion of thermal energy to electricity by providing direct contact of the solid particles with a gas stream.