Energy storage apparatus

Patent · Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1985

OSTI ID:5705100

Hitchin, J

A container holds a heat storage medium such as aqueous sodium thiosulfate having properties of melting into a liquid and crystallizing into a solid and saturated solution in a particular temperature range and of storing energy when converted to the molten state and of releasing such stored energy when crystallized. The sodium thiosulfate liquid may be chemically basic by the addition to the liquid of a suitable soluble additive material such as disodium hydrogen phosphate or trisodium phosphate or both. First and second tubes made from a suitable heat conducting material such as aluminum are disposed in the container in spaced and nested relationship to one another. The tubes may be joined by connecting members also made from aluminum. The first tubes are connected to provide for the circulation of a first fluid through the tubes to transfer energy to the heat storage medium for melting the material and further heating it above the melting interval. The second tubes are connected to provide for the circulation of a second fluid through the tubes to transfer heat from the storage medium. The heat storage medium may be stirred while in the liquid state but the stirring may be discontinued when the medium solidifies at crystallization.

• Assignee: Thermal Energy Storage, Inc.
• Patent Number(s): US 4491172
• OSTI ID: 5705100
• Resource Relation: Patent File Date: Filed date 22 Apr 1981; Other Information: PAT-APPL-256595
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

25 ENERGY STORAGE
LATENT HEAT STORAGE
THERMAL ENERGY STORAGE EQUIPMENT
DESIGN
ALUMINIUM
CRYSTALLIZATION
MELTING
PHASE CHANGE MATERIALS
SODIUM SULFATES
TUBES
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY STORAGE
EQUIPMENT
HEAT STORAGE
MATERIALS
METALS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
SODIUM COMPOUNDS
STORAGE
SULFATES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
250600* - Energy Storage- Thermal