Thermal storage with molten salt for peaking power

Claim 1

In a process for the generation of electrical power wherein coil is gasified and these gases are burned to produce a stream of heated fuel gases which are introduced into an electrical power generation zone to generate electrical power during peak and non-peak electrical power demand periods and wherein heated exhaust gases are released from said electrical power generation zone, the improvement which utilizes the heat released by said exhaust gases to generate increased electrical power during peak demand periods comprising: (i) passing a heat exchange gas in contact with said heated exhaust gases to heat said heat exchange gas with heat released by said exhaust gases; (ii) introducing said heated heat exchange gas into a thermal storage zone wherein during non-peak demand periods a portion of the heat released by said heated heat exchange gas is stored in said thermal storage zone for use during peak demand periods; (iii) passing said heat exchange gas discharged from said thermal storage zone into a first steam generation zone wherein the remaining portion of heat of said heated heat exchange gas is utilized to generate steam for producing electrical power during non-peak demand periods; (iv) during peak demand periods admixing said heated heat exchange gas from step (i) with additional heat exchange gas; (v) introducing said admixture into said thermal storage zone to heat said admixture with the heat stored in said thermal storage zone; (vi) passing the heated admixture discharged from said thermal storage zone into a second steam generation zone wherein the heat of said admixture is utilized to generate steam for producing increased electrical power during peak demand periods; (vii) recirculating a portion of the admixture discharged from said second steam generation zone back into said thermal storage zone to heat said recirculated admixture with the heat stored in said thermal storage zone; (viii) directing the remaining portion of the admixture discharged from said second steam generation zone into said first steam generation zone to generate steam for producing electrical power; (ix) heating the admixture discharged from said first steam generation zone with said exhaust gases; and (x) admixing said recirculating portion of admixture of step (vii) with said heated admixture of step (ix) and introducing same into said thermal storage zone.