Automatic monitoring system for thermal energy storage plants

摘要

An automatic monitoring system for thermal energy storage (TES) plants wherein a pilot ice tank ( 11 ) uses Archimedes' principle to determine the ice inventory level by measuring the resultant force ( 28 ) of the algebraic addition of the weight of the ice and the reaction of the water pushing the ice up with a force equal to the weight on the water displaced by the volume of the ice. The resultant force ( 28 ) applied on a pivoting arm ( 37 ) is transferred to a liquid filled bellow ( 19 ) and is transformed into hydraulic pressure. The instantaneous hydraulic pressure is transferred to a pressure transducer ( 21 ) which converts the hydraulic pressure into an electric current. The electric current is then sent as an electronic analog input to the central control panel ( 30 ) of the TES for analysis or display.