Low vapor pressure organic heat retention materials kept at atmospheric pressure used as heat storage media

摘要

The excess power from a power station, whether nuclear, fossil fuel, geothermal, solar, etc. is stored in the form of heat in a low vapor pressure thermal energy retention material which is selected from the group consisting of petroleum hydrocarbon distillates having a boiling range of between 500° to 1300° F with a vapor pressure in the temperature range of 500°-650° F not exceeding 1 atm. Low vapor pressure thermal energy retention materials may be heated in any number of ways, for example, directly by turbine extraction steam and primary high pressure steam, or by means of excess volumes of boiler feed water heated by turbine extraction steam and primary high pressure steam, or by direct solar energy or by means of the excess electricity generated by any form of power station.PPThe hot LVP thermal energy retention materials are stored in hot storage location means and used during peak demand periods to supply extra power when needed either by the transfer of heat to boiler feed water, the generation of intermediate pressure steam (to run turbines) thereby effecting the conversion of stored thermal energy into additional power. After use they are kept in cold storage location means.