Malta Inc.

Benjamin R Bollinger

Bao H Truong

Mert Geveci

Samar J Shah

Erhan Karaca

Frederick Redell

Roy T Collins

David M Brantzeg

Michael Geyer

John S Bowen

Sebastian W Freund

James J Underwood

The present disclosure provides pumped heat energy storage systems that can be integrated with a Coal Fired Energy Generation Unit (CF-EGU) to repurpose CF-EGUs as thermal energy storage systems. A pumped heat energy storage system of the present disclosure can store thermal energy by operating as a heat pump with heat discharge occurring as a result of heat engine operation of the pumped heat energy storage system and/or a steam cycle of the CF-EGUs to provide heating thereto. For example, thermal energy can be exchanged via working fluids flowing between the pumped heat energy storage systems and the CF-EGUs to drive turbines that provide power to generators while repurposing equipment from the CF-EGUs to create energy.

Pumped heat energy storage system integrated with coal-fired energy generation unit

A method including: operating a pumped-heat energy storage ('PHES') system in a generation mode to generate electricity; and responsive, at least in part, to a determination that a power generation plant will reduce supply of electricity to an electrical grid by a reduction amount of electricity, changing modes of the PHES system from the generation mode to operate in a charge mode. Operating in the charge mode can include receiving a charge amount of electricity, at least equal to the reduction amount of electricity, into the PHES system from the power generation plant and converting at least a portion of the charge amount of electricity to stored thermal energy.

Pumped heat energy storage system with load following

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.

Pumped heat energy storage system with hot-side thermal integration

The present disclosure provides pumped heat energy storage systems that can be used to store and/or extract electrical energy. A pumped heat energy storage system of the present disclosure can store energy by operating as a heat pump, whereby net work input can be used to transfer heat from the cold side to the hot side. A working fluid of the system is capable of efficient heat exchange with heat storage fluids on a hot side of the system and on a cold side of the system. Such pumped energy storage systems can be beneficially integrated with thermal plants to provided heat transfer to and/or from the thermal plants.

Pumped heat energy storage system with thermal plant integration

The present disclosure provides pumped heat energy storage systems that can be used to store and extract electrical energy. A pumped heat energy storage system of the present disclosure can store energy by operating as a heat pump, whereby net work input can be used to transfer heat from the cold side to the hot side. A working fluid of the system is capable of efficient heat exchange with heat storage fluids on a hot side of the system and on a cold side of the system. The system can also extract energy by operating as a heat engine transferring heat from the hot side to the cold side, which can result in net work output. Shared powertrains and reversible powertrains are disclosed to circulate the working fluid.

Pumped heat energy storage system with modular turbomachinery

The present disclosure provides pumped heat energy storage systems that can be used to store and/or extract electrical energy. A pumped heat energy storage system of the present disclosure can store energy by operating as a heat pump, whereby net work input can be used to transfer heat from the cold side to the hot side. A working fluid of the system is capable of efficient heat exchange with heat storage fluids on a hot side of the system and on a cold side of the system. Such pumped energy storage systems can be beneficially integrated with steam plants to provided heating to the steam cycle.

Pumped heat energy storage system with steam cycle

A method including: (i) operating a pumped-heat energy storage system ('PHES system') in a charge mode to convert electricity into stored thermal energy in a hot thermal storage medium (“HTS medium”) by transferring heat from a working fluid to a warm HTS medium, resulting in a hot HTS medium, wherein the PHES system is further operable in a generation mode to convert at least a portion of the stored thermal energy into electricity; and (ii) heating the hot HTS medium with an electric heater above a temperature achievable by transferring heat from the working fluid to the warm HTS medium.

Pumped heat energy storage system with electric heating integration

The present disclosure provides pumped thermal energy storage systems that can be used to store and extract electrical energy. A pumped thermal energy storage system of the present disclosure can store energy by operating as a heat pump or refrigerator, whereby net work input can be used to transfer heat from the cold side to the hot side. A working fluid of the system is capable of efficient heat exchange with heat storage fluids on a hot side of the system and on a cold side of the system. The system can extract energy by operating as a heat engine transferring heat from the hot side to the cold side, which can result in net work output.

Pumped heat electric storage system with recirculation

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.

A method including: (i) receiving a first amount of electricity into a pumped-heat energy storage system ('PHES system') from a power generation plant supplying a second amount of electricity to an electrical grid; (ii) operating the PHES system in a charge mode, converting at least a portion of the received first amount of electricity to stored thermal energy; and (iii) increasing a power level of the PHES system such that the first amount of electricity that the PHES system receives from the power generation plant is increased such that the second amount of electricity supplied to the electrical grid by the power generation plant is a reduced amount of electricity less than the second amount of electricity.

A method including: (i) operating a pumped-heat energy storage system ('PHES system') in a charge mode to convert electricity into stored thermal energy in a hot thermal storage medium ('HTS medium') by transferring heat from a working fluid to a warm HTS medium, resulting in a hot HTS medium, wherein the PHES system is further operable in a generation mode to convert at least a portion of the stored thermal energy into electricity; and (ii) heating the hot HTS medium with an electric heater above a temperature achievable by transferring heat from the working fluid to the warm HTS medium.

Growing community of inventors

Cambridge, MA, United States of America

Benjamin R Bollinger