Methods and apparatus for creating large energy storage mass through the collection and use of warmed water

Abstract

A system for heating and supplying electricity to residential, commercial, and industrial buildings using renewable energy that is stored, at little or no incremental cost, in a large mass of warm or hot water. The large thermal mass is sized based on the building. Thermal energy from a number of sources, including, but not limited to renewable energy panels, waste heat, and flue gas, are used to provide heat to the large thermal mass.

We claim: 
     
         1 . An energy storage system comprised of a system or method for creating and storing a very large thermal mass of warm or hot water; an insulated storage container for the large thermal mass; at least one heat exchanger; a control-box to regulate the heat exchanger; and a system of piping between the stored large thermal mass and the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         2 . The invention described in  1 , wherein the storage container is a natural or man-made swale in the land containing a pond liner or other impermeable liner. 
     
     
         3 . The invention described in  1 , wherein the storage container is at least partially below grade. 
     
     
         4 . The invention described in  1 , wherein the water is originally captured as environmental precipitation and is purified on-site. 
     
     
         5 . The invention described in  1 , wherein the large thermal mass is at least 50,000 gallons. 
     
     
         6 . The invention described in  1 , wherein the large thermal mass is at least 500,000 gallons. 
     
     
         7 . The invention described in  1 , wherein at least one of the heat exchangers is a liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger. 
     
     
         8 . The invention described in  1 , wherein at least one of the heat exchangers is a liquid-to-air heat exchanger. 
     
     
         9 . The invention described in  1 , wherein the large thermal mass is warmed directly by a solar thermal panel and associated piping. 
     
     
         10 . The invention described in  1 , wherein the large thermal mass is warmed via a heat exchanger, from a solar thermal panel, a photovoltaic panel, or other solar-type panel. 
     
     
         11 . The invention described in  1 , wherein the large thermal mass is warmed, at least partially, from waste-heat from fossil fuel combustion or flue gas. 
     
     
         12 . The invention described in  1 , wherein lightweight, large-diameter return pipe, containing water from which heat has been removed, is made to float at the temperature strata roughly equal to that of the return water. 
     
     
         13 . The invention described in  1 , wherein sacks of eutectic salts and/or paraffin waxes are suspended in the large thermal mass. 
     
     
         14 . The invention described in  13 , wherein the sacks are insulated. 
     
     
         15 . The invention described in  13 , wherein the sacks are not insulated. 
     
     
         16 . The invention described in  13 , wherein a mechanism attached to the sacks can massage or squeeze the sacks, in order to optimize the phase change characteristic of the material in the sacks. 
     
     
         17 . The invention described in  1 , wherein a lightweight barrier is suspended within the tank in order to separate the temperature strata. 
     
     
         18 . The invention described in  1 , wherein the large thermal mass supplies one side of a thermoelectric generator or a shaped metal alloy heat-engine. 
     
     
         19 . The invention described in  18 , wherein insulated sacks of eutectic salts and/or paraffin are suspended within the large thermal mass, the thermal heat from which are used to supply the thermoelectric generator or shaped metal alloy heat-engine. 
     
     
         20 . The invention described in  1 , wherein the lid of the storage container can rotate, either because the lid floats on the large thermal mass of water, or because the lid rests on bearings. 
     
     
         21 . The invention described in  20 , wherein a controller and plurality of pumps and pipes can rotate the lid, in order to track the sun. 
     
     
         22 . The invention described in  22 , wherein a plurality of renewable energy panels, such as PV panels or thermal solar panels, are mounted on saw-toothed mounts.