Thermochemical heat storage unit
View Patent ↗The present disclosure relates to thermochemical heat storage units. The teachings thereof may be embodied in systems and methods for operating, including charging and discharging, a thermochemical heat storage unit. For example, a method for operating a thermochemical heat storage unit may include: producing a first steam and feeding it to a heat exchanger; partially condensing the steam with release of its thermal energy, in the heat exchanger; subsequently pressurizing water condensed from the steam; feeding the pressurized water to the heat exchanger; evaporating the water into a second steam; and storing at least a portion of the second steam in a steam storage unit.
1. A method for operating a thermochemical heat storage unit, the method comprising:
producing a first steam and feeding the first steam to a heat exchanger;
at least partially condensing the first steam with an at least partial release of its thermal energy, by means of the heat exchanger; and
subsequently pressurizing water condensed from the first steam;
returning at least some of the pressurized water to the heat exchanger;
at least partially evaporating the water into a second steam by absorbing thermal energy previously released; and
storing at least a portion of the second steam in a steam storage unit.
2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising feeding the second steam to the thermochemical heat storage unit during a discharging operation of the thermochemical heat storage unit.
3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the steam storage unit comprises a Ruths steam storage unit.
4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the water is pressurized to at least 0.5 MPa.
5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising heating the pressurized water prior to its return to the heat exchanger.
6. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising adding fresh water to the pressurized water prior to the return of the latter to the heat exchanger.
7. The method as claimed in claim 6 , further comprising using at least part of the second steam to produce fresh water.