Industrial scale power plant, a system including an industrial scale power plant and one or more appliances, a convection oven, and a hot and cold thermal fluid supply method
The invention relates to a hybrid hydrogen thermo-electric multi-function industrial scale power plant, a system including such a power plant and connected appliances, a convection oven, and a hot and cold thermal fluid supply method. The invention uses a thermal fluid for heating, a thermal fluid for cooling, heat to both heat and cool the respective thermal fluids, a renewable or waste energy source to generate electricity, and hydrogen to store energy for both heating, cooling, and electricity. Ultimately, the invention allows to work off the grid on an industrial scale thereby having minimal environmental impact.
1 . An industrial scale power plant for providing hot thermal fluid at a temperature above 100 degrees Celsius, and between 100 and 500 degrees Celsius, for heating purposes and for providing cold thermal fluid at a temperature of at most 10 degrees Celsius, and between-60 and 5 degrees Celsius, for cooling purposes, said power plant comprising:
a hot thermal fluid storage tank,
a cold thermal fluid storage tank,
a thermal fluid heating system for heating thermal fluid using heat from a renewable energy source or waste energy source,
an absorption or adsorption cooling system for cooling thermal fluid using heat from the renewable energy source or waste energy source,
an electricity generating system for converting energy from the renewable energy source or waste energy source into electricity, which electricity generating system has a significant overcapacity,
a battery system for storing electricity,
a hydrogen storage tank,
a hydrogen burner for converting hydrogen into heat,
a hydrogen battery for converting hydrogen into electricity,
a hydrogen generating system for converting electricity into hydrogen,
a control system,
a hot thermal fluid circulation system for circulating thermal fluid between the hot thermal fluid storage tank and the thermal fluid heating system for heating the thermal fluid in the hot thermal fluid storage tank, and
a cold thermal fluid circulation system for circulating thermal fluid between the cold thermal fluid storage tank and the absorption or adsorption cooling system for cooling the thermal fluid in the cold thermal fluid storage tank,
wherein the electricity generating system is configured to supply electrical components of the power plant with electrical power,
wherein the battery system is connected to the electricity generating system to store excess electricity in the battery system and to supply electrical components of the power plant with electrical power in case the power generated by the electricity generating system is not sufficient,
wherein the hydrogen generating system is connected to the electricity generating system to convert excess electricity into hydrogen,
wherein the hydrogen storage tank is connected to the hydrogen generating system to store generated hydrogen,
wherein the hydrogen burner is connected to the hydrogen storage tank to convert hydrogen into heat configured to be used to heat the thermal fluid in the hot thermal fluid storage tank and/or configured to drive the absorption or adsorption cooling system,
wherein the hydrogen battery is connected to the hydrogen storage tank to convert hydrogen into electricity configured to supply electrical components of the power plant with electrical power,
wherein the power plant further includes a hot thermal fluid outlet and a hot thermal fluid inlet connected to the hot thermal fluid storage tank to provide hot thermal fluid to an appliance,
wherein the power plant also includes a cold thermal fluid outlet and a cold thermal fluid inlet connected to the cold thermal fluid storage tank to provide cold thermal fluid to the appliance,
and wherein the control system is configured to control operation of the power plant, to minimize environmental impact while being able to provide hot and cold thermal fluid at any desired time.
2 . An industrial scale power plant according to claim 1 , wherein the thermal fluid heating system is configured to absorb solar heat for heating the hot thermal fluid.
3 . An industrial scale power plant according to claim 2 , wherein the thermal fluid heating system includes a solar concentrating device for directing solar radiation received at a first surface of a mirror or lens to a second surface in contact with the hot thermal fluid, which second surface is smaller than the first surface.
4 . An industrial scale power plant according to claim 1 , wherein the absorption or adsorption cooling system is configured to absorb solar heat for driving the cooling system.
5 . An industrial scale power plant according to claim 1 , wherein the electricity generating system comprises solar panels, to convert solar radiation into electricity.
6 . A system comprising:
one or more industrial appliances requiring heat to function,
an industrial scale power plant for providing heat to the one or more industrial appliances, wherein the industrial scale power plant includes:
a hot thermal fluid storage tank,
a thermal fluid heating system for heating thermal fluid using heat from a renewable energy source or waste energy source,
an electricity generating system for converting energy from a renewable energy source or waste energy source into electricity, which electricity generating system has a overcapacity,
a battery system for storing electricity,
a hydrogen storage tank,
a hydrogen burner for converting hydrogen into heat,
a hydrogen battery for converting hydrogen into electricity,
a hydrogen generating system for converting electricity into hydrogen,
a control system, and
a hot thermal fluid circulation system for circulating thermal fluid between the hot thermal fluid storage tank and the thermal fluid heating system for heating the thermal fluid in the hot thermal fluid storage tank to a temperature above 100 degrees Clesius, and between 100 and 500 degrees Celsius,
wherein the electricity generating system is configured to supply electrical components of the power plant with electrical power,
wherein the battery system is connected to the electricity generating system to store excess electricity in the battery system and to supply electrical components of the power plant with electrical power in case the power generated by the electricity generating system is not sufficient,
wherein the hydrogen generating system is connected to the electricity generating system to convert excess electricity into hydrogen,
wherein the hydrogen burner is connected to the hydrogen storage tank to convert hydrogen into heat configured to be used to heat the thermal fluid in the hot thermal fluid storage tank,
wherein the hydrogen battery is connected to the hydrogen storage tank to convert hydrogen into electricity configured to supply electrical components of the power plant with electrical power,
wherein the one or more appliances are connected to the hot thermal fluid storage tank to receive and return hot thermal fluid while extracting heat from the hot thermal fluid,
and wherein the control system is configured to control operation of the power plant, to minimize environmental impact while being able to provide hot thermal fluid at any desired time, and to control the amount of heat provided to the one or more appliances.
7 . A system according to claim 6 , wherein the one or more appliances include one or more of the following devices:
convection oven,
grill,
rack oven,
fruit dehydrator,
oil fryer,
water heater and house heater,
heat electricity generator,
water desalination system,
fermentation room,
pasteurizer,
dairy and cheese making device,
eggs hatching machine,
bacterial incubator.
8 . A system according to claim 6 , wherein the industrial scale power plant is an industrial scale power plant according to claim 1 .
9 . A system according to claim 8 , wherein at least one of the one or more appliances are connected to the cold thermal fluid storage tank to receive and return cold thermal fluid while transferring heat to the cold thermal fluid.
10 . A method for providing hot thermal fluid and cold thermal fluid, said method comprising the following steps:
a. heating thermal fluid using heat from a renewable or waste energy source and storing the heated thermal fluid in a hot thermal fluid storage tank,
b. driving an absorption or adsorption cooling system with heat from the renewable or waste energy source to cool thermal fluid and storing the cooled thermal fluid in a cold thermal fluid storage tank,
c. generating electricity using the renewable or waste energy source, converting excess electricity into hydrogen, and storing the hydrogen in a hydrogen storage tank, and
d. in case heat from the renewable or waste energy source is insufficient for heating the thermal fluid, converting hydrogen in the hydrogen storage tank into heat for heating thermal fluid and storing the heated thermal fluid in a hot thermal fluid storage tank.
11 . A method according to claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises the step of converting hydrogen in the hydrogen storage tank into heat for driving the absorption or adsorption cooling system or using heated thermal fluid from the hot thermal fluid storage tank for driving the absorption or adsorption cooling system in case the heat from the renewable or waste energy source is insufficient for driving the absorption or adsorption cooling system.