Exxon Research and Engineering Company

Other

Edward W Nicholson

Robert P Cahn

An improved process for storing the off-peak electrical output of an electricity generating plant in the form of heat by using said off-peak electrical output to raise the temperature level of a quantity of stored low vapor pressure thermal energy retention material and recalling said stored heat during periods of peak power demand in the form of electrical power, or industrial process heat wherein the excess electrical power, running a compressor (i.e. heat pump), compresses low grade heat containing vapor thereby raising the temperature and said compressed high heat is transferred to a LVP thermal energy retention material, the improvement comprising using as a source of low grade heat the waste heat generated by industrial and/or municipal installation such as refineries, steel mills, incinerators, etc. The process utilizes hot low vapor pressure (LVP) thermal energy retention material and appropriate storage means and cold LVP thermal energy retention material and appropriate storage means, low level, low grade waste heat either alone or in combination with stored hot water, most preferably alone, heat exchanger means, heat pumping means, turbine means, electric motor means and generator means and/or industrial process heat utilization means.

Thermal energy storage by means of reversible heat pumping utilizing

The excess power from a power station, whether nuclear, fossil fuel, geothermal, solar, etc. is stored in the form of heat in a low vapor pressure thermal energy retention material which is selected from the group consisting of petroleum hydrocarbon distillates having a boiling range of between 500.degree. to 1300.degree. F with a vapor pressure in the temperature range of 500.degree.-650.degree. F not exceeding 1 atm. Low vapor pressure thermal energy retention materials may be heated in any number of ways, for example, directly by turbine extraction steam and primary high pressure steam, or by means of excess volumes of boiler feed water heated by turbine extraction steam and primary high pressure steam, or by direct solar energy or by means of the excess electricity generated by any form of power station. The hot LVP thermal energy retention materials are stored in hot storage location means and used during peak demand periods to supply extra power when needed either by the transfer of heat to boiler feed water, the generation of intermediate pressure steam (to run turbines) thereby effecting the conversion of stored thermal energy into additional power. After use they are kept in cold storage location means.

Low vapor pressure organic heat retention materials kept at atmospheric

The power output from a nuclear power plant or fossil fuel power plant operating under constant reactor (or furnace) and boiler conditions is varied by increasing the turbine extraction steam during low power demand periods for the purpose of using the steam to heat a low vapor pressure organic material and storing such low vapor pressure organic material under atmospheric pressure at high temperature. During periods of high power demand, the extraction rate from the steam turbine is decreased or even discontinued and the stored hot low vapor pressure organic material is used for boiler feed water preheat and interstage steam reheat.

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Summit, NJ, United States of America

Edward W Nicholson