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 heat utilization system according to the invention includes: a sealed container into which a hydrogen-based gas is supplied; a heat generating structure that is accommodated in the sealed container and includes a heat generating element that is configured to generate heat by occluding and discharging hydrogen contained in the hydrogen-based gas; and a heat utilization device that utilizes, as a heat source, a heat medium heated by the heat of the heat generating element. The heat generating element includes a base made of a hydrogen storage metal, a hydrogen storage alloy, or a proton conductor, and a multilayer film provided on the base. The multilayer film has a first layer made of a hydrogen storage metal or a hydrogen storage alloy and having a thickness of less than 1000 nm and a second layer made of a hydrogen storage metal or a hydrogen storage alloy, which is different from that of the first layer, or ceramics and having a thickness of less than 1000 nm.

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.

A passive water cooler comprising a water tank arranged for containing a volume of water, an internal heat exchanger disposed within the water tank for contact with (e.g. submersion within) said volume of water and an external heat exchanger disposed outside the water tank in thermal communication with the internal heat exchanger. The external heat exchanger and the internal heat exchanger are connected and arranged to collectively define a fluid circulation circuit configured to contain coolant fluid flowable by convection to provide said thermal communication for transferring heat therebetween. The tank comprises thermally insulating material for thermally insulating said volume of water from the environment within which the external heat exchanger resides. The external heat exchanger is arranged to be positioned higher than the internal heat exchanger to permit formation of a thermocline within the coolant fluid between the external heat exchanger and the internal heat exchanger.

A thermal battery including: a battery core; and a load-bearing structure at least partially surrounding the battery core. The load-bearing structure including: a plurality of tubes arranged adjacent to one another and connected to at least one adjacent tube of the plurality of tubes; and an exothermic material disposed in the plurality of tubes. The load-bearing structure can include one or more initiation devices for initiating the exothermic material. The plurality of tubes can be compressed in a cross-section to compact the exothermic material disposed on the plurality of tubes. A thermal isolation material can also be disposed at one or more ends of the plurality of tubes.

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 heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVACR) system includes a heating fluid circuit, a cooling fluid circuit, and a storage fluid circuit. A thermal system of the HVACR system absorbs energy from the storage fluid circuit and rejects it to the heating fluid circuit. The storage fluid circuit includes thermal storage tanks containing thermal storage material that can provide energy for heating or absorb energy for cooling depending on the state of the thermal storage material. Heating can be provided using the heating fluid circuit and the heat provided by the thermal system. Cooling can be provided using the cooling fluid circuit by absorbing energy from the conditioned space using a cooling fluid and rejecting energy from the cooling fluid to the storage fluid circuit including the thermal storage tanks. The thermal storage tanks can also have heat added to them using an air source heat pump system to provide sufficient storage for heating operations.

The invention provides a device for the inductive compression of carbon dioxide via isochoric heating. The resulting hot, supercritical or compressed carbon dioxide is suitable for driving a gas turbine with highly efficient use of the input thermal energy, for local heating and cooling applications, and for pipeline transportation to remote locations where the high enthalpy content of the gas can be harvested.

Example heat exchangers and methods of use are described herein. An example heat exchanger includes a lattice structure including a plurality of conduits defining a plurality of interstitial voids between the plurality of conduits. Each of the plurality of conduits includes an inlet and an outlet, and the plurality of conduits are arranged such that, between the inlet and the outlet, each of the conduits intersects at least one other conduit to enable flow between the intersecting conduits. The example heat exchanger also includes a first manifold formed unitarily with the lattice structure, the first manifold comprising a first plurality of openings in fluid communication with each inlet of the plurality of conduits. The example heat exchanger further includes a phase change material (PCM) disposed within and substantially filling the plurality of interstitial voids.

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.