Patent ID: 9441889
Filing Date: 2016-09-13
CPC Classification: F24H,F28D,F28F,Y02E

Claim Text:
1. A system comprising: a thermocline location system configured to monitor a plurality of locations of a thermocline within a thermal energy storage medium of a thermal energy storage device at a plurality of different moments in time; circuitry coupled with the thermocline location system and configured to provide information regarding the locations of the thermocline within the thermal energy storage medium of the thermal energy storage device at the different moments in time using the monitoring of the locations of the thermocline; wherein the thermocline location system comprises: a position indicating object configured to move throughout different locations of a reservoir of the thermal energy storage device which holds the thermal energy storage medium as a result of changes in the locations of the thermocline within the thermal energy storage medium; and a monitoring device configured to monitor the locations of the object; and wherein the circuitry is configured to use the monitored locations of the object to provide the information regarding the locations of the thermocline within the thermal energy storage medium.