Thermal Storage Systems

[Tom Booth]

I came across this interesting article about electrically conductive firebrick that heats up to over 3000° F when electricity is passed through it, allowing thermal energy storage of "at least 95% efficiency".

https://www.yahoo.com/tech/startup-deve ... 00579.html

There have been various mentions now and then on the forum of Sand Batteries and other heat storage methods, but I couldn't find any threads specifically devoted to the subject to post this article, so here we go.

There is a website.

https://electrifiedthermal.com/

As far as I know, these firebricks are not yet available for purchase ? Not really sure about that.

[Tom Booth]

The article suggests:

the system is discharged by running air or another gas through the brick channels to provide heat to any furnace, boiler, turbine, or kiln.

But I was, of course thinking in terms of using the stored heat to power a Stirling engine/generator, the engine, potentially embedded directly into the "Joule hive".

[Jack]

For my stove idea I plan on using a sandwich of sand with pipes running through it from the fire and aluminium plates. I plan on designing the plates as fluid accelerators. A kind of thermo kinetic battery.
I'm hoping to avoid pressure and turn the heat straight into external kinetic energy as much as possible.

Let's see how that turns out.

The idea is to use glycerin as a fluid to bring the heat in from the fire, because it boils at over 300 degrees. And water to take it out.
That way the battery will capture the peak heat from the stove and turn it into a slower heat.

[Tom Booth]

Sounds interesting, but I'm not clear on what you mean by "fluid accelerators" or "thermo kinetic battery".

[Jack]

I'm trying to develop a closed loop system with a turbine. Turbines don't work on pressure but kinetic energy. So I'm going to try to make it so that the heat added doesn't add pressure but turns straight into kinetic energy.
So the whole battery would just be a fluid accelerator in stead of building up pressure which is later turned into kinetic energy.

This is just my working theory. Testing will tell if this can actually work like I hope.

[Tom Booth]

So... The "plates" are what, like a big rotating Tesla turbine / flywheel ?

[VincentG]

Jack maybe this will spark some ideas, I had never prototyped this but I think it has alot of potential.

viewtopic.php?t=5545

[Jack]

So... The "plates" are what, like a big rotating Tesla turbine / flywheel ?

No the plates will be CNC machines pieces of aluminium with a series of canals and nozzles in them. So heat exchangers that put movement into the fluid as it is being heated up.

[Jack]

Jack maybe this will spark some ideas, I had never prototyped this but I think it has alot of potential.

viewtopic.php?t=5545

I think this is the same principle I have in mind. Just different mechanics.
I think I need to start my own topic in it, because I talked about it in other topics, but I don't want to keep hijacking and go offtopic. So I'll try to write and draw some things and set that up soon.

[Tom Booth]

Jack maybe this will spark some ideas, I had never prototyped this but I think it has alot of potential.

viewtopic.php?t=5545

I think this is the same principle I have in mind. Just different mechanics.
I think I need to start my own topic in it, because I talked about it in other topics, but I don't want to keep hijacking and go offtopic. So I'll try to write and draw some things and set that up soon.

Not "off topic" here at all. Very fascinating. Thanks for the clarification.

It sounds like something similar to a steam injector / ejector loop perhaps?

Anyway, look forward to hearing more either way, here or on your new thread. Thanks.

[Jack]

I have a few design options in mind. One would be a plate with a lot of Tesla valves cut into there. I still think there's something there and with some tweaks they might actually be good accelerators while preventing back pressure.
I'll be testing a few options to see what gets the best results. But I'm first focusing on getting a better feel for the turbine. After that it's the battery.

[Tom Booth]

I have a few design options in mind. One would be a plate with a lot of Tesla valves cut into there. I still think there's something there and with some tweaks they might actually be good accelerators while preventing back pressure.
I'll be testing a few options to see what gets the best results. But I'm first focusing on getting a better feel for the turbine. After that it's the battery.

That reminds me. One of the main reasons I went and bought a 3D printer a long time ago, and then a new laptop to run the processor intensive 3D graphics was to 3D print and test the toroidal Tesla valve. I suspect it must be quite a bit more effective than the flat 2D zig zag type.

I still haven't had time to load the programs on the new computer no less figure out how to use them.

[Jack]

I've seen them printed, but they would need to be metal to be effective for my plan. 3d printing metal is still a bit out of reach for the average user. That would be an awesome tool to have though.

[Tom Booth]

"Lost PLA metal casting" is a possibility. I've not tried it myself yet but it's apparently quite possible, and obviously a lot cheaper than a 3D metal printer. I think anyway, unless the price of 3D metal printers has come down dramatically since the last time I looked into it.

[Jack]

I've seen some videos on the pla, but I'm not convinced. I'll wait for the better ones to get more affordable and me to run into some money.