US 12,255,579 B2
Low cost dispatchable solar power
John Beavis Lasich, Blackburn (AU); Richard James Payne, Blackburn (AU); Sean Alexander Baker, Blackburn (AU); and Anthony John Kitchener, Blackburn (AU)
Assigned to Raygen Resources Pty Ltd, Blackburn (AU)
Appl. No. 17/258,935
Filed by RAYGEN RESOURCES PTY LTD, Blackburn (AU)
PCT Filed Jul. 11, 2019, PCT No. PCT/AU2019/050728
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jan. 8, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/010401, PCT Pub. Date Jan. 16, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 2018902511 (AU), filed on Jul. 11, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0336582 A1, Oct. 28, 2021
Int. Cl. H02S 40/44 (2014.01); F01K 3/12 (2006.01); F03G 6/00 (2006.01); H02S 40/42 (2014.01)
CPC H02S 40/44 (2014.12) [F01K 3/12 (2013.01); F03G 6/001 (2013.01); F03G 6/005 (2013.01); F03G 6/071 (2021.08); F03G 6/092 (2021.08); H02S 40/425 (2014.12)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of operating a large scale solar energy plant that converts solar energy into electrical energy and thermal energy, the method including:
(a) converting solar energy into thermal energy and heating a first volume of water to charge a hot store during an energy storage stage of the method, with the step including sourcing thermal energy from a coolant used to cool a solar cell receiver of the solar energy plant when the solar cell receiver is illuminated with sunlight;
(b) converting solar energy into electrical energy and using the electrical energy to operate a first heat engine to cool a second volume of water and charge a cold store via heat exchange with a working fluid of the first heat engine that is in heat exchange relationship with the cold store during the energy storage stage of the method, with the first heat engine extracting heat from the second volume of water and exhausting heat to atmosphere;
(c) using the hot store and the cold store to operate the first heat engine or a second heat engine to power an electrical generator during an energy discharge stage of the method, wherein step (c) includes:
(i) using the hot store to transfer heat to the working fluid of at least one of the first heat engine or the second heat engine,
(ii) transferring thermal energy from the working fluid and generating power in at least two power generation stages, and,
(iii) using the cold store as a cold sink to extract heat from the working fluid;
(d) recuperating heat energy from the working fluid in step (b) in at least two stages; and,
(e) transferring recuperated heat energy to the working fluid in step (b) in at least two stages via a first recuperator and a second recuperator to enhance the performance of step (c), wherein the at least two stages include:
(i) a first stage which comprises transferring heat to the working fluid via the first recuperator before the hot store transfers heat to the working fluid, and
(ii) a second stage which comprises transferring heat to the working fluid, via the second recuperator and then the hot store, after thermal energy has been transferred from the working fluid to generate power in one power generation stage and before transferring thermal energy from the working fluid and generating power in a second power generation stage.