US 12,404,831 B2
Thermal energy storage system including a plurality of vessels each having hot and cold liquid portions separated by a floating piston
Jonathan Lynch, St. Johnsbury, VT (US); Troy O. McBride, Norwich, VT (US); Joel Stettenheim, Norwich, VT (US); Per Erik Kristoffer Edstrom, Stockbridge, VT (US); Lief Johnson, West Lebanon, NH (US); and Oliver James Brambles, Wesham (GB)
Assigned to Norwich Technologies, Inc., White River Junction, VT (US)
Filed by Norwich Technologies, Inc., White River Junction, VT (US)
Filed on May 2, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/653,319.
Application 18/653,319 is a continuation of application No. 17/980,766, filed on Nov. 4, 2022, granted, now 12,000,369.
Application 17/980,766 is a continuation of application No. 17/550,144, filed on Dec. 14, 2021, granted, now 11,578,693, issued on Feb. 14, 2023.
Prior Publication US 2024/0280074 A1, Aug. 22, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. F03C 1/00 (2006.01); F03C 1/007 (2006.01); F03G 6/00 (2006.01); F03G 6/06 (2006.01); F28D 20/00 (2006.01)
CPC F03C 1/002 (2013.01) [F03C 1/0073 (2013.01); F03G 6/065 (2013.01); F03G 6/071 (2021.08); F28D 20/0034 (2013.01); F28D 2020/006 (2013.01); F28D 2020/0095 (2013.01); Y02E 60/14 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A thermal energy storage system for storing thermal energy produced by a heat source and for supplying the thermal energy to a thermal load, the thermal energy storage system comprising:
a working fluid configured to store the thermal energy and transfer the thermal energy between the heat source and the thermal load;
a plurality of vessels each configured to store the working fluid; each of the vessels having a first end, a second end, a central region having a length, an interior region, and a floating separator piston located in the interior region to separate a hot portion of the working fluid towards the first end from a cold portion of the working fluid towards the second end;
a first manifold configured to be thermally coupled to an output of the heat source and configured to be directly fluidly coupled to an input of the thermal load; and wherein the first manifold is fluidly coupled to the interior region of each of the plurality of vessels proximate the first end of each of the vessels;
a second manifold configured to be thermally coupled to an input of the heat source and configured to be directly fluidly coupled to an output of the thermal load; and wherein the second manifold is fluidly coupled to the interior region of each of the plurality of vessels proximate the second end of each of the vessels;
a plurality of temperature sensors disposed along the length of each of the plurality of vessels, configured to measure temperature of the working fluid in the interior region of the plurality of vessels;
a controller configured to maintain the working fluid in a liquid state and to manage a temperature of the working fluid entering the input of the thermal load; wherein the controller is configured to, based at least in part on measurements from the temperature sensors, determine a location of each piston within the interior region of each of the plurality of vessels in order to control movement of each floating separator piston in each of the plurality of vessels.