Particulate heat transfer fluid and related system and method

• Main Authors: Newman John S, Hoertz Paul G, Bonino Christopher A, Trainham James Arthur
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 16.05.2017
• Subjects: ADHESIVES; BLASTING; CHEMISTRY; DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OFGENERAL APPLICATION; DYES; FLUID HEATERS, e.g. WATER OR AIR HEATERS, HAVING HEATGENERATING MEANS, IN GENERAL; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL; HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS,IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT; HEATING; LIGHTING; MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS; MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FORELSEWHERE; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; MECHANICAL-POWER PRODUCING DEVICES OR MECHANISMS, NOTOTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR OR USING ENERGY SOURCES NOT OTHERWISEPROVIDED FOR; METALLURGY; MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS OF MATERIALS; MISCELLANEOUS COMPOSITIONS; NATURAL RESINS; OR A REACTIVE PROPULSIVE THRUST, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PAINTS; POLISHES; PRODUCING MECHANICAL POWER; RANGES; REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGYGENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION; SPRING, WEIGHT, INERTIA OR LIKE MOTORS; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINSTCLIMATE CHANGE; VENTILATING; WEAPONS; WIND, SPRING WEIGHT AND MISCELLANEOUS MOTORS

A heat transfer system and related method of heat transfer is provided. The heat transfer system includes a tubular receiver positioned to receive heat from a heat source, the receiver comprising one or more enclosed tubes configured for gravity-driven flow of a particulate heat transfer fluid therethrough in a dense, unfluidized state having a particle volume fraction of at least about 25%; and at least one storage vessel in fluid communication with the tubular receiver and positioned to receive the heat transfer fluid therefrom, wherein the particulate heat transfer fluid includes a plurality of particles of a metal-containing material having a melting point of greater than 800 C, the heat transfer fluid being substantially free of a liquid component.