Method and apparatus for a delayed and prolonged air cooling condensation system

Abstract

In various embodiments devices and methods are provided for an improved dry-cooling condensation system. In certain embodiments the methods involve receiving steam from a source of steam (e.g., a power plant); condensing the steam into water while transferring the latent heat of the steam into the latent heat of a thermal storage material; and dissipating the latent heat from the thermal storage material at a later time when the ambient temperature is lower than the ambient temperature at the time the steam was condensed into water.

1 . A device for steam condensation and delayed dissipation of the heat produced by said condensation, said device comprising:
 a combined condensation/thermal storage chamber, said chamber comprising:   one or more valved ports for receiving steam from a steam source;   one or more containers containing a thermal storage material;   one or more valved ports for applying a vacuum to said thermal storage chamber;   one or more valved ports for introducing ambient pressure air into said chamber;   one or more valved ports for removing condensed water from said chamber; and   a valve system operably coupling said chamber to a source of ambient temperature air.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein said one or more containers containing a thermal storage material is a plurality of containers each containing a thermal storage material. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein said thermal storage material is a phase change thermal storage material (PCM). 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 3 , wherein said thermal storage material is a liquid/solid phase change thermal storage material. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 3 , wherein said thermal storage material comprises a material selected from the thermal storage materials shown in Table 2. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 3 , wherein said thermal storage material comprises Na 2 CO 3 .10H 2 O. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 3 , wherein said PCM contains glass microfibers or nanofibers. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein said device further comprises an apparatus to cause mixing of liquid phase thermal storage material in the containers containing the thermal storage material. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 8 , wherein said containers are attached to a structure frame and said apparatus comprises a motor configured to cause rotation of said structure frame and the attached containers. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein said one or more valved ports for applying a vacuum to said thermal storage chamber are operably coupled to a vacuum pump. 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein said one or more valved ports for applying a vacuum to said thermal storage chamber and said one or more valved ports for introducing ambient pressure air into said chamber are controlled by separate valves. 
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein said one or more valved ports for applying a vacuum to said thermal storage chamber and said one or more valved ports for introducing ambient pressure air into said chamber are controlled by the same valve(s). 
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein said valve system operably coupling said chamber to a source of ambient temperature air comprises a butterfly valve. 
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein said source of ambient air is a fan and/or blower. 
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein said source of ambient air comprises one or more ducts configured to receive ambient wind. 
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein said device is one of a plurality of said devices configured in a parallel configuration. 
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein said one or more valved ports for receiving steam from a steam source are operably coupled to the low temperature steam output from a turbine. 
     
     
         18 - 19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . A system for delayed heat dissipation from the condensation of waste steam, said system comprising a plurality of devices according to  claim 1 , configured in a parallel configuration. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein said system comprises at least 10, or at least 20, or at least 30, or at least 40, or at least 50, or at least 60, or at least 70, or at least 80, or at least 90, or at least 100, or at least 150, or at least 200 of said devices. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein said system is operably coupled to the low temperature steam output from a turbine. 
     
     
         23 - 24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . A dry-cooling condensation method, said method comprising
 receiving steam from a source of steam;   condensing the steam into water while transferring the latent heat of said steam into the latent heat of a thermal storage material; and   dissipating the latent heat from said thermal storage material at a later time when the ambient temperature is lower than the ambient temperature at the time the steam was condensed into water.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein said thermal storage material is a phase change thermal storage material (PCM). 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein said thermal storage material is a liquid/solid phase change thermal storage material. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein said thermal storage material comprises a material selected from the thermal storage materials shown in Table 2. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein said thermal storage material comprises Na 2 CO 3 .10H 2 O. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein said source of steam is the steam output from a turbine. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein said turbine is in a power plant selected from the group consisting of a coal-fired power plant, a gas-fired power plant, a nuclear power plant, and a solar thermal power plant. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein said receiving and condensing comprises receiving and condensing during daylight hours. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein said receiving and condensing comprises receiving and condensing between noon and 3:00 pm. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein said dissipating comprise dissipating the latent heat from said thermal storage material during the late afternoon, and/or evening, and/or night. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein said method is performed using a device comprising:
 a combined condensation/thermal storage chamber, said chamber comprising:   one or more valved ports for receiving steam from a steam source;   one or more containers containing a thermal storage material;   one or more valved ports for applying a vacuum to said thermal storage chamber;   one or more valved ports for introducing ambient pressure air into said chamber;   one or more valved ports for removing condensed water from said chamber; and   a valve system operably coupling said chamber to a source of ambient temperature air.   
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein said receiving and condensing comprises:
 opening said one or more valved ports for applying a vacuum to said thermal storage chamber to reduce the ambient pressure in said thermal storage chamber;   opening said one or more valved ports for receiving steam to introduce steam from said steam source into said chamber, whereby said steam condenses transferring latent heat of steam into said thermal storage material; and   operating said one or more valved ports for removing condensed water from said chamber to return the condensed water to the system providing said steam source.   
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein said dissipating comprises:
 restoring the pressure in said thermal storage chamber to atmospheric pressure;   operating said valve system operably coupling said chamber to a source of ambient temperature air to pass ambient temperature air through said thermal storage chamber to transfer heat from said thermal storage material to said air.   
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein passing ambient temperature air comprising operating a fan/blower to force air through said chamber. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein passing ambient temperature air comprising coupling said chamber to a duct system that channels wind through said chamber. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein said dissipating further comprises operating an apparatus to provide mixing of fluid thermal storage material in the chambers containing said fluid thermal storage material. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein said method comprises operating a motor to rotate a structure frame to which said chambers containing said thermal storage material are attached. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein said method is performed using a system comprising a plurality of said devices. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein said devices are configured in a parallel configuration. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein substantially all of the devices in said system perform said receiving and condensing at the same time. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein substantially all of the devices in said system perform said dissipating at the same time. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein a plurality of the devices perform said receiving and condensing at the same time others of the devices are dissipating.