Thermal energy storage and power generation systems and methods
| DWPI Title: Solar energy storage and generation system, has energy storage system comprising reactor, and thermochemically active material circulated within thermochemical energy storage system and selected as ionic-electronic conductive metal oxide |
| Abstract: A solar power system and materials capable of storing heat energy by thermochemical energy storage are disclosed. Thermal energy is stored as chemical potential in these materials through a reversible reduction-oxidation reaction. Thermal energy from concentrated sunlight drives a highly endothermic reduction reaction that liberates lattice oxygen from the oxide to form O2 gas, leaving energy-rich, oxygen-depleted particles. When desired, the heat is recovered as the particles are re-oxidized in an exothermic reaction upon exposure to air. The system may be integrated with a power generation system to generate power. |
| Use: Solar energy storage and generation system. |
| Advantage: The system utilizes the exothermic nature of the chemical energy discharge process so as to heat the working fluid for allowing storage at low temperature during discharge so as to facilitate storage and reduce material costs for improving overall working efficiency by reducing re-radiation losses during solar charging/reduction. The system produces electricity at a reduced cost by increasing storage density and shifting power generation to times of greater demand or to times when sunlight is unavailable, and can effectively achieve the collection and storage of thermal energy at high temperatures by utilizing compositions for allowing for overall high efficiencies in electricity production. |
| Novelty: The system (10) has a thermochemical energy storage system comprising a solar receiver reduction reactor (16), a re-oxidation reactor (20), and a particle transport system (24) to circulate particles between the solar receiver reduction reactor and the re-oxidation reactor. A power generation system provides input air to the re-oxidation reactor and receives output air from the re-oxidation reactor. A thermochemically active material (34) is circulated within the thermochemical energy storage system and selected as a mixed ionic-electronic conductive metal oxide. The power generation system is an air Brayton cycle power generation system. |
| Filed: 9/4/2015 |
| Application Number: US14846201A |
| Tech ID: SD 12749.1 |
| This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. DE-NA0003525 awarded by the United States Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration. The Government has certain rights in the invention. |
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