Pumped heat energy storage system with convey able solid thermal storage media directly thermally coupled to working fluid

Abstract

A pumped heat energy storage system () is provided. A thermodynamic charging assembly (') may be configured to compress a working fluid and generate thermal energy. A thermal storage assembly () is coupled to charging assembly to store at atmospheric pressure by way of a conveyable bulk solid thermal storage media thermal energy generated by the charging assembly. A thermodynamic discharging assembly (″) is coupled to the thermal storage assembly to extract thermal energy from the thermal storage assembly and convert extracted thermal energy to electrical energy. A heat exchanger assembly () is coupled to the thermal storage assembly. The heat exchanger assembly is arranged to directly thermally couple the conveyable bulk solid thermal storage media that is conveyed to the heat exchanger assembly with a flow of the working fluid that passes through the heat exchanger assembly. Disclosed embodiments can make use of immersed-particle heat exchanger technology and can offer similar roundtrip efficiency and pressure ratio characteristics comparable to those of a recuperated cycle without involving a recuperator and concomitant piping.