Thermal energy storage vessel, systems, and methods

Abstract

A containment vessel for a thermal energy storage system comprising a bottom wall joined to a surrounding containment side wall, and a liner comprising a liner bottom disposed upon the bottom wall of the vessel, the liner bottom having an outer perimeter and comprising an array of plates, each of the plates joined at a portion of its perimeter to a portion of the perimeter of an adjacent plate by a flexible joint; and a liner side wall joined to the outer perimeter of the liner bottom and disposed within the containment side wall. A thermal energy storage system comprising the containment vessel and an array of heat exchangers is also disclosed. The heat exchangers are disposed in the vessel, and are each supported by a support frame joined to one of the plates of the array of plates of the liner.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A vessel comprising a bottom wall joined to a surrounding containment side wall, and a liner comprising:
 a. a liner bottom disposed upon the bottom wall of the vessel, the liner bottom having an outer perimeter and comprising an array of plates, each of the plates joined at a portion of its perimeter to a portion of the perimeter of an adjacent plate by a flexible joint; and   b. a liner side wall joined to the outer perimeter of the liner bottom and disposed within the containment side wall.   
     
     
         2 . The vessel of  claim 1  wherein the vessel is cylindrical, the vessel bottom wall is circular, and the array of plates of the liner bottom is comprised of a plurality of radially arranged sector-shaped plates. 
     
     
         3 . The vessel of  claim 2 , wherein the array of plates is further comprised of a central plate bounded by a portion of each of the radially arranged sector-shaped plates. 
     
     
         4 . The vessel of  claim 3 , wherein the central plate is circular. 
     
     
         5 . The vessel of  claim 3 , wherein the central plate is a polygon. 
     
     
         6 . The vessel of  claim 5 , wherein the number of radially arranged sector-shaped plates is between three and eleven inclusive. 
     
     
         7 . The vessel of  claim 6 , wherein the number of radially arranged sector-shaped plates is seven. 
     
     
         8 . The vessel of  claim 5 , wherein the number of sides of the polygon is equal to the number of radially arranged sector-shaped plates. 
     
     
         9 . The vessel of  claim 1 , wherein each of the flexible joints is comprised of a first riser joined to the portion of perimeter of a first plate, and a second riser joined to the portion of perimeter of a second plate adjacent to the first plate, and wherein the first riser also joined to the second riser. 
     
     
         10 . The vessel of  claim 9 , wherein the flexible joints are further comprised of intermediate plates disposed between and joined to the respective first risers and the second risers. 
     
     
         11 . The vessel of  claim 1 , wherein the liner is made of a material selected from the group consisting of plain carbon steels; steels alloyed with copper, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, silicon, tungsten, titanium, vanadium and chromium chromium-molybdenum alloy steel, nickel-chromium-molybdenum alloy steel, and stainless steels. 
     
     
         12 . The vessel of  claim 1 , wherein the liner is made of stainless steel. 
     
     
         13 . The vessel of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plates of the liner bottom is joined to the bottom wall of the vessel. 
     
     
         14 . The vessel of  claim 1 , further comprising bottom insulation disposed between the bottom wall of the vessel and the liner bottom, and side wall insulation disposed between the containment side wall of the vessel and the liner side wall. 
     
     
         15 . The vessel of  claim 14 , wherein the side wall insulation is compressible and expandable. 
     
     
         16 . The vessel of  claim 1 , further comprising an array of heat exchangers disposed in the vessel, each of the heat exchangers supported by a support frame joined to one of the plates of the array of plates of the liner. 
     
     
         17 . The vessel of  claim 16 , wherein pairs of heat exchangers of the array of heat exchangers are connected in series. 
     
     
         18 . A method for making a vessel at a vessel construction site, the method comprising:
 a. pre-fabricating modular components of the vessel at a site other than the construction site, wherein the modular components include vessel liner components;   b. preparing ground of the construction site to receive the vessel;   c. constructing a bottom wall and a side wall of the vessel;   d. transporting the modular components to the construction site; and   e. assembling the vessel liner components to form a vessel liner within the vessel, the vessel liner comprising a liner bottom disposed upon the bottom wall of the vessel, wherein the liner bottom has an outer perimeter and comprises an array of plates, each of the plates joined at a portion of its perimeter to a portion of the perimeter of an adjacent plate by a flexible joint, and a liner side wall joined to the outer perimeter of the liner bottom and disposed within the containment side wall.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising placing heat exchangers supported by support frames into the vessel. 
     
     
         20 . A method for storing thermal energy comprising:
 a. providing a vessel comprised of:
 i. a bottom wall joined to a surrounding containment side wall; 
 ii. a liner comprising a liner bottom disposed upon the bottom wall, the liner bottom having an outer perimeter and comprising an array of plates, each of the plates joined at a portion of its perimeter to a portion of the perimeter of an adjacent plate by a flexible joint; and a liner side wall joined to the outer perimeter of the liner bottom and disposed within the containment side wall; and 
 iii. an array of heat exchangers disposed in the vessel; 
   b. filling a portion of the open volume around the heat exchangers with a thermal storage medium;   c. connecting a heat transfer fluid delivery system to the heat exchangers; and   d. connecting the heat transfer fluid delivery system to a thermal energy source, thereby transferring thermal energy into the thermal storage medium.