Solid-state thermoclines with internal baffle structures are used in place of heat exchangers in a closed thermodynamic cycle power generation or energy storage system, such as a closed Brayton cycle system. The baffles limit the conductive and/or radiative transfer of heat between a solid thermal medium within different zones defined by the baffle structures.

The present invention relates to a hot water storage tank (202, 302, 402, 502, 602, 702), defining a primly storage volume (204, 304, 404, 504, 604, 704), with at least one heat source (212, 312, 412, 512, 612, 712) positioned in and operable to directly heat water in the upper portion (207, 307, 407, 507, 607, 707) of the primary storage volume (204, 304, 404, 04, 604, 704), and a pump or other means (237, 337, 437, 537, 637) that draws water, from the lower portion (209, 309, 409, 509, 609, 709) of the tank into a heat transfer device (216, 316, 416, 516, 616, 716), situated in said upper portion (207, 307, 407, 507, 607, 707). The heat transfer device (216, 316, 416, 516, 616, 716) is configured to enable the transfer of heat from heated water in the upper portion (207, 307, 407, 507, 607, 707) to the drawn water prior to discharge into the water in the upper portion (207, 307, 407, 507, 607, 707).

A cooling system for a heat source, such as a laser system, that includes a mixing valve mixing a cooling fluid from a hot line and a cold line and providing the mixed cooling fluid to the heat source, and a bladder tank having a bladder and including a hot side on one side of the bladder in fluid communication with the hot line and a cold side on an opposite side of the bladder in fluid communication with the cold line. A heat exchanger cools the cooling fluid flowing through the cold line. The cooling system is configured so that when the heat source is on and generating heat, cold cooling fluid from the cold side of the bladder tank is provided to the mixing valve and when the heat source is off and not generating heat, cold cooling fluid from the cold line fills the cold side of the bladder tank.

The present invention relates to a buffer store comprising a closed vessel housing for accommodating a storage fluid, in particular water, wherein the vessel housing has at least one inlet opening, for the filling of the vessel housing with the storage fluid, and at least one equalization opening, which fluidically connects the vessel housing to the surroundings and permits a fluidic equalization with the surroundings. According to the invention, a gas-tight cover is also provided in the interior of the vessel housing, which cover is capable of reliably protecting the storage fluid against mixing with other fluids, for example the ambient air.

A system and method for storing thermal energy in a heated liquid in a pressurized vessel employs an inner and outer vessel. The inner vessel contains water or specific liquids for storage and potential use of thermal energy contained therein. An outer vessel encapsulates an inner vessel, with a vacuum formed there between. The inner vessel comprises an upper portion containing an unheated liquid and a lower portion containing a heated liquid. A sliding insulated barrier segregates liquids. The pressure generated by the heated liquid, and incompressibility of unheated liquid equalizes static pressure within the inner vessel, which helps prevent the heated liquid in the lower portion from forming a vapor phase. Heated liquid egresses the lower portion of inner vessel to pass through a vapor producing apparatus to become vapor, then an expander to become condensate, and finally to a heat source for reintroduction into the inner vessel.

At least two series-connected storage cells have hot liquid supplied to or removed from a first cell and cold liquid supplied to, or removed from, a final cell. The liquid temperature decreases from the first cell to the final cell. Individual cells are connected from the warmer cell lower region to the colder cell upper region. At least one cell is closed by a cover forming a gas space between the liquid and the cover. A gas line branches off from the gas space entering into the liquid of a colder cell or into the liquid in the connection of two adjacent cells. At least one of the adjacent cells has a lower temperature than that of the cell from the gas space of which the gas line branches off.

The utility model discloses a novel phase change heat storage device, comprising a housing, wherein the housing is internally provided with a lining; an insulating layer is disposed between the lining and the housing; the lining is internally filled in with a phase change material; a coiled pipe is embedded in the phase change material; the inlet and outlet of the coiled pipe both extend out of the lining and are respectively welded with and communicate with a main water inflow pipe and a main water outflow pipe, so all welds between the coiled pipe and the main water inflow pipe and main water outflow pipe are positioned outside the lining and are not soaked by the phase change material. The lining is provided with at least one partition board; the partition board divides the inner space of the lining into independent spaces such that the phase change material is respectively positioned in the independent spaces divided by the partition board. Compared with the prior art, the utility model has a simple and novel structure design, solves the defects of existing phase change heat storage devices, greatly improves the heat exchange effect of the phase change heat storage device, reduces the production cost of the device, and prolongs the service life of the device.

A regenerative heat exchange apparatus includes a heat storage tank, a heat storage material disposed inside the heat storage tank and having a heat storage capability and a heat rejection capability, a liquid passage covered by the heat storage material inside the heat storage tank, the liquid passage having a first straight pipe portion through which a liquid flows horizontally, a heat medium passage covered by the heat storage material inside the heat storage tank, the heat medium passage being adjacent to and in a set with the liquid passage, the heat medium passage having a second straight pipe portion through which a heat medium flows horizontally, the heat medium being at a temperature higher than the liquid. The first straight pipe portion is located vertically lower than the second straight pipe portion.

The present invention relates to an electric water heater having an instantaneous hot water storage-type structure allowing a continuous outflow of a large amount of hot water instantaneously, without having to heat the water accommodated inside a housing directly. In the present invention, since the water flowed into the housing is heated while passing through the first and second heat exchange pipes, there is an effect that a large amount of hot water is instantaneously provided without having to heat a large amount of the water accommodated in the housing directly.

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.