A system including: (i) 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 in a hot thermal storage (“HTS”) medium; (ii) an electric heater in thermal contact with the hot HTS medium, wherein the electric heater is operable to heat the hot HTS medium above a temperature achievable by transferring heat from a working fluid to a warm HTS medium in a thermodynamic cycle.

High temperature thermal energy storage, distinctive in that the storage comprises: a thermally insulated foundation, at least one self-supported cassette arranged on said foundation, which cassette is a self-supporting frame or structure containing a number of concrete thermal energy storage elements, some or all of said elements comprising embedded heat exchangers, a pipe system, the pipe system comprising an inlet and an outlet for thermal input to and output from the storage, respectively, and connections to said heat exchangers for circulating fluid through said heat exchangers for thermal energy input to or output from said thermal energy storage elements, and thermal insulation around and on top of the at least one self-supported cassette with concrete thermal storage elements. The invention also provides a method of building and methods of operating the storage.

A heat exchanger incorporates a metal hydride heat exchanger and mitigates the fluid mixing process, and thus greatly improves the heat transfer efficiency and heat recovery processes. The metal hydride heat exchanger has a container for the metal hydride that has a large aspect ratio. A plurality of high aspect container for the metal hydride may be coupled with a manifold.

There is provided a system for energy storage comprising: a fluidized bed apparatus with an energy storage material, wherein the energy storage material is provided in volumes coated with an outer layer of solid particles of a different material, wherein the volumes have a largest size in the interval 1-1000 μm and wherein the solid particles (5) have a largest size in the interval 1-500 nm. Advantages of the system include that structural changes in the energy storage material over time are minimized so that the energy storage material can be used over many cycles without any noticeable impairment. The heat transfer to and from the energy storage material is improved. The system can further be used for CO.sub.2 capture.

A temperature control system is used for controlling a temperature of a control target. The system includes: a first circulation circuit through which a first heat transfer medium circulates; a second circulation circuit that is independent of the first circulation circuit and through which a second heat transfer medium circulates; and a third circulation circuit that is independent of the first circulation circuit and the second circulation circuit and through which a third heat transfer medium circulates. The third heat transfer medium has a usable temperature range wider than usable temperature ranges of the first heat transfer medium and the second heat transfer medium.

An energy storage system converts variable renewable electricity (VRE) to continuous heat at over 1000° C. Intermittent electrical energy heats a solid medium. Heat from the solid medium is delivered continuously on demand. An array of bricks incorporating internal radiation cavities is directly heated by thermal radiation. The cavities facilitate rapid, uniform heating via reradiation. Heat delivery via flowing gas establishes a thermocline which maintains high outlet temperature throughout discharge. Gas flows through structured pathways within the array, delivering heat which may be used for processes including calcination, hydrogen electrolysis, steam generation, and thermal power generation and cogeneration. Groups of thermal storage arrays may be controlled and operated at high temperatures without thermal runaway via deep-discharge sequencing. Forecast-based control enables continuous, year-round heat supply using current and advance information of weather and VRE availability. High-voltage DC power conversion and distribution circuitry improves the efficiency of VRE power transfer into the system.

An energy storage device includes a plurality of plates, each having a first and second surface, with at least one of the surfaces having a plurality of grooves formed therein. The device further includes inlet and outlet plenums for providing or receiving a heat transfer medium to or from the grooves. At least one of the first surface and the second surface having the plurality of grooves formed therein of a first plate is disposed in direct contact with the other one of the at least first surface and second surface of an adjacent second plate. Heat from the transfer medium is transferred to the plates in a charging mode of operation or transferred from the plates to the transfer medium in a discharging mode of operation when the heat transfer medium is passed along the grooves.

Disclosed are systems and methods of flexibly cooling thermal loads by providing a complex compound system for burst mode cooling, a vapor compression system for ancillary cooling, and a thermal storage system for helping efficiently maintain and cool a thermal load such as a directed energy weapon system.

A thermal energy storage system is provided, comprising an outer shell defining an outer shell volume, an energy transfer module, comprising an input port for providing energy to the energy storage system, an output port for retrieving energy from energy storage system, wherein the outer shell is provided with a fluid distribution network.

A thermal storage solution system is disclosed herein. The system includes an insulated container having a thermal storage medium, a heating element configured to heat the thermal storage medium, a heat receiving unit (e.g., thermophotovoltaic (TPV) heat engine, heat transfer fluid, an industrial process component) configured to convert heat into electric energy, and a mechanism configured to control a view factor between the thermal storage medium and the heat engine. In another embodiment, the system includes multiple thermal storage media as unit cells in a single enclosure or container with insulation between adjacent unit cells.