A thermal energy storage system comprising a working fluid to store and transfer thermal energy between a heat source and a thermal load and a vessel to store the working fluid. The vessel has an interior region and a floating separator piston in the interior region to separate a hot portion from a cold portion of the working fluid. There is a first manifold thermally coupled to an output of the heat source and to an input of the thermal load and fluidly coupled to the interior region of the vessel and a second manifold thermally coupled to an input of the heat source and an output of the thermal load and fluidly coupled to the interior region of the vessel. There is a controller configured to maintain the working fluid in a liquid state.

A thermal energy storage system for comprising a working fluid to store and transfer thermal energy between a heat source and a thermal load and a plurality of vessels to store the working fluid. Each vessel has an interior region and a floating separator piston in the interior region to separate a hot portion from a cold portion of the working fluid. There is a first manifold thermally coupled to an output of the heat source and to an input of the thermal load and fluidly coupled to the interior region of the vessels and a second manifold thermally coupled to an input of the heat source and an output of the thermal load and fluidly coupled to the interior region of the vessels. The vessels are arranged in parallel.

Methods, systems, and device for thermal energy storage are provided. For example, some embodiments include a thermal energy storage device that may include: a first casing wall; a second casing wall; and/or multiple support structures located between the first casing wall and the second casing wall. The multiple support structures may provide continuous thermal paths and/or continuous mechanical paths between the first casing wall and the second casing wall. The thermal energy storage device may be fabricated utilizing an additive manufacturing technique, such as direct laser metal sintering. Some embodiments may be manufactured utilizing printed metals, such as an aluminum alloy. In some embodiments, a phase-change material is charged between the first casing wall and the second casing wall. The phase-change material may include paraffin.

Systems and methods are provided for charging a pumped thermal energy storage (“PTES”) system. A system may include a compressor or pump configured to circulate a working fluid within a fluid circuit, wherein the working fluid enters the pump at a first pressure and exits at a second pressure; a first heat exchanger through which the working fluid circulates in use; a second heat exchanger through which the working fluid circulates in use; a third heat exchanger through which the working fluid circulates in use, a turbine positioned between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger, configured to expand the working fluid to the first pressure; a high temperature reservoir connected to the first heat exchanger; a low temperature reservoir connected to the second heat exchanger, and a waste heat reservoir connected to the third heat exchanger.

An exothermic composite, comprising: a reactive material (RM) that undergoes an exothermic reaction upon contact with an oxidizer, and a phase-changing thermal storage material (PCM) having a phase change temperature, wherein (1) RM and PCM are intermixed with one another or (2) one of RM and PCM is interpenetrated with the other. Devices, comprising (1) a sample container that defines a sample volume therein or (2) a receptacle configured to accept a sample container defining a sample volume therein, and the device configured such that the sample container is in thermal communication with a composite according to the present disclosure. Also provided are related methods.

A rotating heat pipe is used for temperature control of electric motors and generators and other rotating heat generating assemblies to ensure their proper operation. The heat pipe is integral with the shaft, and unlike conventional devices, incorporates a solid-liquid phase change material as the heat transfer/transport material. In addition, it comprises a scraped surface heat exchange mechanism at the heat dissipation region to allow for high cooling rates as required. This scraped surface mechanism is preferentially driven by a magnetic coupling to eliminate issues related to leaks of the heat transfer material.

A method is provided for inputting thermal energy into fluidic medium in a process or processes related to oil refining and/or petrochemical industries by at least one rotary apparatus comprising a casing with at least one inlet and at least one exit, a rotor comprising at least one row of rotor blades arranged over a circumference of a rotor hub mounted onto a rotor shaft, and a stator configured as an assembly of stationary vanes arranged at least upstream of the at least one row of rotor blades. In the method, an amount of thermal energy is imparted to a stream of fluidic medium directed along a flow path formed inside the casing between the inlet and the exit by virtue of a series of energy transformations occurring when said stream of fluidic medium passes through stationary and rotating components of said rotary apparatus, respectively. The method further comprises: integration of said at least one rotary apparatus into a heat-consuming process facility configured as a refining and/or petrochemical facility and further configured to carry out heat-consuming process or processes related to refining of oil and/or producing petrochemicals at temperatures essentially equal to or exceeding 500 degrees Celsius (° C.), and conducting an amount of input energy into the at least one rotary apparatus integrated into the heat-consuming process facility, the input energy comprises electrical energy. A rotary apparatus and related uses are further provided.

The invention relates to a system for the storage and recovery of thermal energy, using, as its medium, at least one phase change material (solid-liquid) and a sensible heat solid material for storing/recovering the heat obtained from an external source in the form of phase change latent heat and sensible heat. The aforementioned materials are duly housed inside a single tank containing at least two zones which are differentiated by the range of temperatures to which they are subjected, each zone containing a different material. The most common configuration consists of three different zones located inside the tank, namely: a hot zone in the upper part of the tank, enclosing an encapsulated phase change material characterized by a high melting temperature; a cold zone housed in the lower part of the tank, containing a phase change material with a low melting temperature; and a middle zone containing a sensible heat solid material.

A thermal energy storage system comprising a working fluid to store and transfer thermal energy between a heat source and a thermal load and a vessel to store the working fluid. The vessel has an interior region and a floating separator piston in the interior region to separate a hot portion from a cold portion of the working fluid. There is a first manifold thermally coupled to an output of the heat source and to an input of the thermal load and fluidly coupled to the interior region of the vessel and a second manifold thermally coupled to an input of the heat source and an output of the thermal load and fluidly coupled to the interior region of the vessel. There is a controller configured to maintain the working fluid in a liquid state.

Embodiments of the present invention relate to compressed gas storage units, which in certain applications may be employed in conjunction with energy storage systems. Some embodiments may comprise one or more blow-molded polymer shells, formed for example from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE). Embodiments of compressed gas storage units may be composite in nature, for example comprising carbon fiber filament(s) wound with a resin over a liner. A compressed gas storage unit may further include a heat exchanger element comprising a heat pipe or apparatus configured to introduce liquid directly into the storage unit for heat exchange with the compressed gas present therein.