Commissariat a L'energie Atomique

Jacques Chabanne

Alain Bricard

Bernard Duret

The present invention relates to a process of accumulation and restitution of heat, wherein heat, mainly in the form of latent heat of fusion, is stored, as required, by causing a hot heat-transfer fluid to circulate in the lower part of a bed of material in grain form with considerable latent heat of fusion, the temperature of the fluid being higher than the melting point of the material which melts under the effect of the additional calories from the fluid, and heat stored by the material in the liquid state is restituted, as required, by circulating and bringing into contact the material and the fluid, the temperature of the latter being lower than the melting point of the material, with the result that the latter yields heat to the fluid on solidifying in the form of grains before being transported into a tank for storing the material in grain form. The invention also relates to a heat accumulator for carrying out the process.

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Fontaine, France

Jacques Chabanne