Storing/transporting energy

Abstract

An installation for storing and/or transporting energy comprises a charging station, a discharging station and a reactor part ( 1 ). The reactor part is designed to be part of a chemical heat pump and contains an active substance. It is also arranged to be capable of being connected to the charging station for charging, i.e. transfer of the active substance to a charged state, and to the discharging station for discharging, i.e. transfer of the active substance to a discharged state. In the reactor part a matrix for the active substance can in one embodiment be provided, so that the active substance both in its solid and its liquid state is held or carried or bonded by the matrix. The matrix is advantageously an inert material such as aluminium oxide and has pores, which are permeable for the volatile liquid and in which the active substance is located. In particular, a material can be used that has a surface or surfaces, at which the active substance can be bonded in the liquid state thereof. For example, the matrix can be a material comprising separate particles such as a powder or a compressed fibre material. The installation can also be used for production of the volatile liquid in a purified form.

1 . An installation for storing and/or transporting energy comprising a charging station, a discharging station and a storage part,
 the charging stating and the storage part having coupling devices for connecting inner spaces existing inside them to one another,   the discharging stating and the storage part having coupling devices for connecting inner spaces existing inside them to one another, and   the storage part containing, in an inner space thereof, an active substance for interaction with a volatile liquid by absorption and desorption thereof,   
     characterized in
 that the storage part is made as a reactor part of a chemical heat pump, the active substance in the reactor part and the volatile liquid selected, so that the volatile liquid that can be absorbed by the active substance at a first temperature and desorbed by the active substance at a second higher temperature, the active substance having at the first temperature a solid state from which the active substance when absorbing the volatile liquid and the vapour phase thereof immediately or directly partly changes to a liquid state or a solution phase and at the second temperature has a liquid state or exists in a solution phase, from which the active substance when releasing the volatile liquid, in particular the vapour phase thereof, directly changes partly to a solid state, and the reactor part contains a matrix for the active substance, so that the active substance both in its solid state and in its liquid phase or solution phase is held and/or is bonded to the matrix, 
 that the charging station includes a condenser or similar device for receiving and/or removing, when the storage part is connected to the charging station and the inner space of the reactor part is in communication with an inner space of the condenser or the similar device, from the reactor part gas phase of the volatile liquid, so that the reactor part is charged in the same way as in chemical heat pump, the active substance then being transferred to a charged state by desorption of the volatile liquid, and 
 that the discharging station includes an evaporator containing in an inner space a quantity of the volatile liquid in the condensed form thereof, for transferring, when the storage part is connected to the discharging station and the inner space of the reactor part is in communication with the inner space in the evaporator, gas phase of the volatile liquid to the reactor part, so that the reactor part is discharged in the same way as in a chemical heat pump, the active substance then being transferred to a discharged state by absorption of the volatile liquid. 
 
   
   
       2 . An installation according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the matrix is of an inert material, in particular including at least aluminium oxide. 
   
   
       3 . An installation according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the matrix is made from a material comprising pores which are permeable to the volatile liquid and in which the active substance is applied 
   
   
       4 . An installation according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the matrix is made from a material having a surface at which the active substance in its liquid state can be bonded, in particular having a surface that is wet by the active substance in the liquid state thereof and/or the volatile liquid in the liquid state thereof. 
   
   
       5 . An installation according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the matrix is made from a material comprising separate particles, in particular a powder or a compressed fibre to material. 
   
   
       6 . An installation according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the matrix has the shape of a layer of material applied to a surface of the first heat exchanger. 
   
   
       7 . An installation according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the matrix together with the active substance held therein is enclosed in a restricting structure, in particular a net device comprising at least a net or a cloth of a fibre material. 
   
   
       8 . An installation according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the condenser or the similar device comprises a vacuum pump 
   
   
       9 . An installation according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the storage part includes a container, in which at least one reactor vessel is placed. 
   
   
       10 . An installation according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the storage part includes a container, in which a plurality of reactor vessels are placed and interconnected. 
   
   
       11 . An installation according to  claim 10 , characterized in that said plurality of reactor vessels include substantially identical tubular units that at one end are interconnected by a collector tube. 
   
   
       12 . An installation according to  claim 10 , characterized in that said plurality of reactor vessels include substantially identical plate-shaped units that at one end are interconnected by a collector tube. 
   
   
       13 . An installation according to  claim 9 , characterized in that said at least one reactor vessel or said plurality of reactor vessels is/are arranged for heat exchange with an external medium, that can, when the storage part is connected to a charging station or a discharging station, be circulating in the container around the individual reactor vessels. 
   
   
       14 . An installation according to  claim 13 , characterized in that the container includes two coupling pipes, that are arranged to supply, when the storage part is connected to a charging station or a discharging station, to a space in the container around said plurality of reactor vessels an external medium for heat exchange with said plurality of reactor vessels, and to remove, respectively, the external medium from the space. 
   
   
       15 . An installation according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the charging station and the discharging station are the same station. 
   
   
       16 . An installation for storing and/or transporting energy and production of clean quantities of a volatile liquid, in particular water,
 the installation comprising a charging station, a discharging station and a storage part,   the charging stating and the storage part having coupling devices for connecting inner spaces existing inside them to one another,   the discharging stating and the storage part having coupling devices for connecting inner spaces existing inside them to one another, and   the storage part containing in an inner space an active substance for interaction with a volatile liquid by absorption and desorption thereof,   
     characterized in
 that the discharging station includes an evaporator containing in an inner space a quantity of the volatile liquid in the condensed form thereof, for transferring, when the storage part is connected to the discharging station and the inner space of the reactor part is in communication with the inner space in the evaporator, gas phase of the volatile liquid to the reactor part, so that the reactor part is discharged in the same way as in chemical heat pump, the active substance then being transferred to a discharged state by absorption of the volatile liquid, and 
 that the charging station includes a condenser for receiving, when the storage part is connected to the charging station and the inner space of the reactor part is communication with an inner space of the condenser, from the reactor part gas phase of the volatile liquid, so that the reactor part is charged in the same way as in chemical heat pump, the active substance then being transferred to a charged state by desorption of the volatile liquid, 
 said inner space of the condenser being separated from said inner space of the evaporator, 
 said inner space of the evaporator being arranged to receive, before connection of the discharging station to the storage part, a quantity of the volatile liquid in the liquid phase thereof, in particular a quantity of the volatile liquid in an unclean form, and 
 a tapping device for tapping off the quantity of liquid being the liquid phase, that exists in said inner space in the condenser after the charging station has been connected to the storage part for charging the active substance, in order to use or handle said quantity of liquid. 
 
   
   
       17 . An installation according to  claim 16 , characterized in that the storage part is made as a reactor part of a chemical heat pump, the active substance in the reactor part and the volatile liquid selected, so that the volatile liquid that can be absorbed by the active substance at a first temperature and desorbed by the active substance at a second higher temperature, the active substance having at the first temperature a solid state from which the active substance when absorbing the volatile liquid and the vapour phase thereof immediately or directly partly changes to a liquid state or a solution phase and at the second temperature has a liquid state or exists in a solution phase, from which the active substance when releasing the volatile liquid, in particular the vapour phase thereof, directly changes partly to a solid state, and the reactor part contains a matrix for the active substance, so that the active substance both in its solid state and in its liquid phase or solution phase is held and/or is bonded to the matrix. 
   
   
       18 . A method of storing and/or transport of energy and production of clean quantities of a volatile liquid, in particular water, comprising.
 that a storage part which in an inner space contains an active substance for interaction with the volatile liquid by absorption and desorption thereof, is supplied with energy for transferring the active substance to the charged state thereof having no absorbed volatile liquid,   that the storage part thereafter is discharged for transferring the active substance to the discharged state thereof including absorbed volatile liquid for using the stored energy,   
     characterized in
 that in transferring the active substance to the charged state thereof having no absorbed volatile liquid the volatile absorbed liquid is transferred to the gas phase thereof, which after condensing gives a quantity of clean volatile liquid. 
 
   
   
       19 . A method according to  claim 18 , characterized in that when the storage part is discharged for transferring the active substance to the discharged state thereof the energy stored in the storage part is used for delivering heating or cooling. 
   
   
       20 . A method according to  claim 18 , characterized in that after the storage part has been supplied with energy for transferring the active substance to the charged state thereof, the storage part is stored separately from or at a distance of the place, where the supplying of energy has been executed, and/or is transported away from this place. 
   
   
       21 . A method according to  claim 18 , characterized in that in discharging the active substance, the storage part is connected to a discharging station comprising an evaporator, that in an inner space contains a quantity of the volatile liquid in the condensed state thereof, in particular a quantity of the volatile liquid in unclean farm, to transfer, when the inner space in the storage part is in communication with the inner space in the evaporator, to the storage part pure gas phase of the volatile liquid, so that the active substance in the storage part is discharged in the same way as in a chemical heat pump. 
   
   
       22 . A method according to  claim 18 , characterized in that in charging the active substance, the storage part is connected to a charging station comprising a condenser to receive, when the inner space in the storage part is in communication with the inner space in the condenser, from the storage part gas phase of the volatile liquid and condense to the liquid phase thereof, so that the active substance in the storage part is charged in the same way as in a chemical heat pump, the active substance being transferred to a charged state by desorption of the volatile liquid, whereafter the inner space of the condenser contains a quantity of the volatile liquid in the pure form thereof.