Patent ID: 9458838
Filing Date: 2016-10-04
CPC Classification: F02C,F03G,F24S,Y02E

Claim Text:
1. A power plant comprising: a solar receiver configured to heat solid particles; a standpipe extending downward from the solar receiver to receive solid particles from the solar receiver, the standpipe having a height sufficient to support a column of heated solid particles of height H; a pressurized heat exchanger configured to operate at an elevated pressure higher than atmospheric pressure to heat working fluid flowing through the pressurized heat exchanger by heat transfer from heated solid particles flowing out of the bottom of the standpipe; and a flow path for solid particles from the bottom of the standpipe into the pressurized heat exchanger that is configured to be sealed by a pressure P produced at the bottom of the standpipe by a column of heated solid particles of the height H, the flow path comprising a silo or surge tank that forms a pressure vessel connected to the bottom of the standpipe, wherein the silo or surge tank includes at least one fluidization nozzle disposed in the silo or surge tank and configured to output working fluid to agitate a solid particle inventory in the silo or surge tank.