Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC

Purdue Research Foundation

Trustees of the Colorado School of Mines

Jeffrey Clayton Gifford

Zhiwen Ma

Patrick Gordon Davenport

Jason Schirck

Dening Jia

Aaron Morris

Xingchao Wang

The present disclosure describes heat exchangers for converting thermal energy stored in solid particles to electricity. Electro-thermal energy storage converts off-peak electricity into heat for thermal energy storage, which may be converted back to electricity, for example during peak-hour power generation. The heat exchanger for converting thermal energy stored in solid particles to electricity enables the conversion of thermal energy into electrical energy for redistribution to the grid. In some embodiments, pressurized fluidized-bed heat exchangers may achieve efficient conversion of thermal energy to electricity by providing direct contact of the solid particles with a gas stream.

Fluidized-bed heat exchanger for conversion of thermal energy to electricity

The disclosure relates to particle heaters for heating solid particles to store electrical energy as thermal energy. Thermal energy storage directly converts off-peak electricity into heat for thermal energy storage, which may be converted back to electricity, for example during peak-hour power generation. The particle heater is an integral part of an electro-thermal energy storage system, as it enables the conversion of electrical energy into thermal energy. As described herein, particle heater designs are described that provide efficient heating of solid particles in an efficient and compact configuration to achieve high energy density and low cost.

Electric charging particle heater for thermal energy storage

Growing community of inventors

Denver, CO, United States of America

Jeffrey Clayton Gifford