The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 14, 2023
Filed:
Mar. 18, 2022
247solar Inc., Great Falls, VA (US);
Bruce N. Anderson, Great Falls, VA (US);
247Solar Inc., Great Falls, VA (US);
Abstract
Thermal battery systems for management (e.g., load management) of electrical power sources, and related methods, are generally described. Thermal battery systems in certain embodiments have an electric heater, a thermal storage system, a heat exchange system and an electricity generator. The electric heater is configured to be connected in electrical communication with an electric power source, such as an electric power grid and to heat the thermal storage system. The electric heater may be a separate unit from the thermal storage system and heat the thermal storage system indirectly by heating a first fluid that is circulated through the thermal storage system during charging, or the electric heater may be integrated directly into the thermal storage system to heat it directly. The thermal storage system is configured to store thermal energy from the electric heater during a charging mode of the thermal storage system, and to heat the first fluid, which is then supplied to a heat exchange system during a discharging mode of the thermal storage system. The heat exchange system comprises at least one heat exchanger, and in some cases, at least a first and a second heat exchanger connected in series. The heat exchange system is positioned downstream from the thermal storage system and is configured to transfer heat from the heated first fluid to a second compressed fluid. The electricity generator may comprise at least one gas turbine and compressor. The compressor is configured to supply the second compressed fluid to the heat exchange system. The turbine is positioned with an inlet in fluid communication with and downstream from the heat exchange system so that the heated compressed second fluid is discharged from an outlet of the heat exchange system into the inlet of the turbine so that the turbine is able to generate electrical power therefrom. The power generated can be returned to the electrical power source, e.g., an electrical power grid.