ENERGY STORAGE AND UTILISATION SYSTEM

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system and a method for providing steam. In particular, the present invention relates to a steam delivery system comprising a thermal energy storage apparatus for heating a flow of feedwater to produce steam at a predetermined temperature and/or a predetermined pressure.

Claims

1-30. (canceled)

31. A steam delivery system for providing industrial steam, the system comprising: a feedwater control system for providing a flow of feedwater; a thermal energy storage apparatus in fluid communication with the feedwater control system to heat the feedwater flowing through a conduit of the thermal energy storage apparatus to provide steam; and a desuperheater in fluid communication with the thermal energy storage apparatus to receive the steam and regulate the steam temperature; a sparge system in fluid communication with the desuperheater; such that in use, the steam delivery system provides industrial steam having at least one of a predetermined temperature and a predetermined pressure; and the steam delivery system operates in configurations comprising: an excess-steam configuration, wherein at least a portion of the steam provided by the desuperheater is redirected to the sparge system; a no-demand configuration, wherein the steam provided by the desuperheater is redirected to the sparge system.

32. The steam delivery system according to claim 31, wherein the sparge system comprises a sparger tank comprising: a volume of water; at least one nozzle for injecting the steam provided by the desuperheater into the water; such that in use, the steam is condensed and the water is heated.

33. The steam delivery system according to claim 32, wherein at least a portion the water is recycled to mix with the feedwater.

34. The steam delivery system according to claim 31, wherein an aerosol of cooling water is introduced into the desuperheater and mixed with the steam for reducing the temperature of the steam.

35. The steam delivery system according to claim 31, wherein the desuperheater comprises a heat exchanger, preferably the heat exchanger is a shell and tube type, a tube-in-tube type, or a plate type.

36. The steam delivery system according to claim 31, wherein the desuperheater comprises a pressure regulator for regulating the steam pressure at an outlet of the desuperheater.

37. The steam delivery system according to claim 31, further comprising a pressure regulator in fluid communication with the desuperheater to receive the steam from the desuperheater and regulate the steam pressure, preferably the pressure regulator is a pressure control valve, more preferably a pressure reducing valve or a pressure sustaining valve.

38. The steam delivery system according to claim 31, wherein the feedwater control system comprises a pump, preferably a positive-displacement pump, a centrifugal pump, an axial-flow pump, or a combination thereof connected in series or parallel.

39. The steam delivery system according to claim 31, wherein the feedwater control system comprises a filter to remove contaminants from the feedwater, preferably the filter is a reverse osmosis filter.

40. The steam delivery system according to claim 31, wherein the feedwater control system comprises a demineraliser to demineralise the feedwater.

41. The steam delivery system according to claim 31, wherein the feedwater control system comprises a heated water tank for pre-heating the feedwater, preferably the feedwater is pre-heated by heat recovered from the steam using heat recovery means.

42. The steam delivery system according to claim 31, further comprising a storage unit in fluid communication with the desuperheater, such that the storage unit stores excess steam, preferably the storage unit is a steam accumulator or a steam drum.

43. The steam delivery system according to claim 42, wherein the stored steam is released to meet peak steam demand.

44. A method of providing industrial steam, the method comprising the steps of: providing feedwater through a feedwater control system; flowing the feedwater from the feedwater control system to a thermal energy storage apparatus to heat the feedwater to provide steam; and desuperheating the steam to regulate the steam temperature; sparging the steam provided by the desuperheater to a sparge system in configurations comprising: an excess-steam configuration, wherein at least a portion of the steam provided by the desuperheater is redirected to the sparge system; a no-demand configuration, wherein the steam provided by the desuperheater is redirected to the sparge system; to thereby provide industrial steam having at least one of a predetermined temperature and a predetermined pressure.

45. The method according to claim 44, wherein the sparge system comprises a sparger tank comprising: a volume of water; at least one nozzle for injecting the steam provided by the desuperheater into the water; to thereby condense the steam and heat the water.

46. The method according to claim 45, wherein at least a portion the water is recycled to mix with the feedwater.

47. The method according to claim 44, wherein an aerosol of cooling water is introduced into the desuperheater and mixed with the steam for reducing the temperature of the steam.

48. The method according to claim 44, wherein the desuperheater comprises a heat exchanger, preferably the heat exchanger is a shell and tube type, a tube-in-tube type, or a plate type.

49. The method according to claim 44, wherein the desuperheater comprises a pressure regulator for regulating the steam pressure at an outlet of the desuperheater.

50. The method according to claim 44, further comprising a step of regulating the steam pressure using a pressure regulator, preferably the pressure regulator is a pressure control valve, more preferably a pressure reducing valve or a pressure sustaining valve.

51. The method according to claim 44, wherein the feedwater control system comprises a pump, preferably a positive-displacement pump, a centrifugal pump, an axial-flow pump, or a combination thereof connected in series or parallel.

52. The method according to claim 44, wherein the feedwater control system comprises a filter that removes contaminants from the feedwater, preferably the filter is a reverse osmosis filter.

53. The method according to claim 44, wherein the feedwater control system comprises a demineraliser to demineralise the feedwater.

54. The method according to claim 44, wherein the feedwater control system comprises a heated water tank for pre-heating the feedwater, preferably the feedwater is pre-heated by heat recovered from the steam using heat recovery means.

55. The method according to claim 44, further comprising a step of storing excess steam provided by the desuperheater in a storage unit, preferably the storage unit is a steam accumulator or a steam drum.

56. The method according to claim 55, wherein the stored steam is released to meet peak steam demand.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0133] Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0134] FIG. 1 shows a side perspective view of an embodiment of the energy storage apparatus of the present invention.

[0135] FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the steam delivery system.

[0136] FIG. 3 shows a further embodiment of the system as shown in FIG. 2, wherein a steam drum is installed after the desuperheater.

[0137] FIG. 4 shows a further embodiment of the system as shown in FIG. 3, wherein a heated water tank is installed for pre-heating the feedwater.

[0138] FIG. 5 shows a further embodiment of the system as shown in FIG. 4, wherein heat recovery means is used to pre-heat feedwater.

[0139] FIG. 6 shows an embodiment of the system, wherein excess steam is directed to a sparge system.

[0140] FIG. 7 shows a further embodiment of the system as shown in FIG. 6, wherein the water in the sparge system is recycled to mix with the feedwater in the heated water tank.

[0141] FIG. 8 shows a further embodiment of the system as shown in FIG. 7, wherein a steam drum is installed in parallel with the sparge system.

[0142] FIG. 9 shows a further embodiment of the system as shown in FIG. 8, wherein heat recovery means is used to pre-heat feedwater.

[0143] FIG. 10 shows a particularly preferred embodiment of the system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0144] The skilled addressee will understand that the invention comprises the embodiments and features disclosed herein as well as all combinations and/or permutations of the disclosed embodiments and features.

[0145] The steam delivery system can have different configurations to suit different operating requirements.

[0146] FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of invention, wherein a flow of feedwater 209 is flowed through a pump 201 to be pressurised. The pressurised feedwater 210 is then flowed though a conduit in a thermal energy storage apparatus 202, where it is heated to become superheated steam 211. After that, the superheated steam is introduced to a desuperheater 203 to reduce its temperature. The desuperheater preferably has a pressure regulator (not shown) that regulates the steam pressure at an outlet. The steam 212, having at least one of a predetermined temperature and a predetermined pressure is then provided to a steam user 204.

[0147] FIG. 3 shows a steam drum 205 installed after the desuperheater 204. The steam drum advantageously stores excess steam that can be released to meet peak steam demand.

[0148] FIG. 4 shows a heated water tank 206 installed before the pump 201, such that the feedwater can be pre-heated before being introduced to the thermal energy storage apparatus 202.

[0149] FIG. 5 shows that the feedwater is preheated in the heated water tank 206 using heat recovered from heat recovery means 207 installed at the user's side.

[0150] FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 show that instead of a steam drum, a sparge system 208 can be installed after the desuperheater. Excess steam provided can be directed to the sparge system when the steam demand is lower than the supply or zero. Furthermore, the water in the sparge system, after being heated by the sparged steam, can be recycled to use as pre-heated feedwater. Advantageously, the thermal energy storage apparatus does not need to turned down or turned off when the steam demand is low or zero, therefore cold start may be avoided.

[0151] FIG. 8 shows that the steam drum 205 can be installed in parallel with the sparge system 208 after the desuperheater 204. In this configuration, when there is excess steam provided, a portion of the excess steam is stored while the other portion is directed to the sparge system 208 for pre-heating the feedwater.

[0152] FIG. 9 shows another embodiment that heat recovered from the heat recovery means 207 is also used for pre-heating the feedwater.

EXAMPLES

Example 1Energy Storage Apparatus

[0153] Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a sensible heat storage body 102 for use as an energy apparatus 100. The sensible heat storage body 102 has a heating element channel 104 for receiving a removable heating element 106 (not shown). The sensible heat storage body 102 also has a heat exchanger channel 108 for receiving the heat exchanger 110. The sensible heat storage body 102 is assembled by component parts and can be milled, machined or the like to provide the heating element channel 104 and heat exchanger channel 108 having at least two open ends within the sensible heat storage body. The sensible heat storage body 102 is in the form of a graphite panel comprised of component slabs of graphite machined to snugly receive a heat exchanger 110 as well as a heating element 106.

[0154] In use, the removable heating element 106 heats the inner region of the sensible heat storage body 102 and the heat exchanger 110 is encased within the heat exchanger channel 108 of the sensible heat storage body 102 such that a heat transfer medium can flow from the inlet to the outlet of the heat exchanger 110 through the body 102.

Example 2Steam Delivery System

[0155] A particular example of the steam delivery system is shown in FIG. 10. Feedwater 209 is filtered by an RO filter 213, followed by demineralisation in a demineralisation tank 214. The demineralised feedwater 216 is then pressurised using a pump 201 before being introduced to a thermal energy storage apparatus 202 to produce superheated steam 211. The steam is desuperheated in a desuperheater 203 with a flow of cooling water 215. The desuperheater preferably has a pressure regulator (not shown) that regulates the steam pressure at an outlet. Part of the steam 212, having at least one of a predetermined temperature and a predetermined pressure, is directed to a sparge system 208, while the rest is provided to a steam user 204. At least a portion the water in the sparge system is recycled to mix with the feedwater.

[0156] Table 1 shows exemplary properties of different flows in FIG. 10.

TABLE-US-00001 Temperature Pressure Flowrate Flow no. Type of fluid C. kPaG kg/h 209 Feedwater 20 350 100-750 210 Pressurised 20 1700 100-750 demineralised feedwater 211 Superheated steam 230-700 1650 100-750 212 Desuperheated steam 230 1500 100-1000 215 Cooling water 85 1650 0.1-500

[0157] Although the invention will be described with reference to specific examples it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention may be embodied in many other forms.