Granted Patent B2

US 12,428,979 · App. 18/719,424 · Granted Sep 30, 2025

Inventors: Bao H. Truong (Cambridge, MA); Benjamin R. Bollinger (Cambridge, MA)

Assignee: MALTA INC.

F01K3/02F01K3/12F01K23/08F02C1/05F02C1/10F02C6/14F01K7/38F28D2020/0082

Abstract

Claims (23)

1. An integrated system ( 3500 ) comprising:

a pumped heat energy storage (“PHES”) system ( 3005 ) operable in charge mode to accept electrical energy and convert the accepted electrical energy into stored thermal energy, the PHES system ( 3005 ) comprising:

a first compressor system ( 830 ) and a first turbine system ( 840 );

a hot-side heat exchanger (“HHX”) system ( 500 );

a cold-side heat exchanger (“CHX”) system ( 600 );

a working fluid loop ( 300 ) comprising a charge-mode working fluid loop arranged to circulate a working fluid through, in sequence, the charge compressor system, the HHX system, the turbine system, the CHX system, and back to the charge compressor system,

wherein the PHES system in charge mode is configured to convert at least a portion of the accepted electricity into at least a portion of the stored thermal energy in a hot thermal storage medium (“HTS medium”) by transferring heat from the working fluid to heat the HTS medium; and,

a coal plant ( 1803 ), comprising:

a second turbine system that drives a generator, wherein the second turbine system is driven by a steam heated at least in part by the stored thermal energy in the hot HTS medium; and

a steam heat exchanger (“SHX”) system ( 1830 ) operable in generation mode to accept stored thermal energy from the PHES system ( 3005 ) and transfer the accepted thermal energy to the steam for use in the second turbine system, wherein the SHX system is configured to transfer heat from the hot HTS medium to provide the steam to drive the second turbine system,

wherein the coal plant is configured to provide return heat to the PHES system from steam from the second turbine system.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the coal plant comprises a condenser system configured to receive at least a portion of the steam from the second turbine system for condensing, and to transfer heat to the PHES system.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the condenser system comprises a cooling heat exchanger system for communicating heat to the PHES system from a condenser coolant flow circulating in thermal contact with the portion of the steam from the second turbine system for condensing.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the condenser coolant flow is arranged in thermal contact with a cooling tower of the coal plant.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the cooling heat exchanger system is arranged to thermally contact the condenser coolant flow with cold thermal storage medium (“CTS medium”) of the PHES system to transfer heat from the coal plant to the CTS medium.

6. The system of any of claim 5 , wherein the cooling heat exchanger receives cold CTS medium from a cold CTS tank system ( 692 ) in fluid communication with the CHX system ( 600 ).

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the SHX system ( 1830 ) is formed as a molten salt steam generator (“MSSG”) that generates steam for the second turbine system with heat from the HTS medium.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the MSSG is configured to transfer heat from the HTS medium to provide steam for use in the second turbine system.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the MSSG comprises a pre-heater, heater, and superheater each configured to transfer heat from the HTS medium to provide steam for use in the second turbine system.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the MSSG comprises a reheater configured to transfer heat from the HTS medium for reheating steam from a portion of the second turbine system.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein a return outlet temperature of HTS medium from the MSSG to the PHES system is about 310° C.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the SHX system receives the hot HTS medium from a hot HTS tank ( 520 ) in fluid communication with the HHX system ( 500 ).

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the PHES is configured without a discharge mode to provide net electricity.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (400)