Patents by Inventor David Bierman
David Bierman has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 11994347Abstract: A thermal storage solution system is disclosed herein. The system includes an insulated container having a thermal storage medium, a heating element configured to heat the thermal storage medium, a heat receiving unit (e.g., thermophotovoltaic (TPV) heat engine, heat transfer fluid, an industrial process component) configured to convert heat into electric energy, and a mechanism configured to control a view factor between the thermal storage medium and the heat engine. In another embodiment, the system includes multiple thermal storage media as unit cells in a single enclosure or container with insulation between adjacent unit cells.Type: GrantFiled: June 23, 2022Date of Patent: May 28, 2024Assignee: Antora Energy, Inc.Inventors: Andrew Joseph Ponec, Justin Briggs, David Bierman, Sam Kortz
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Publication number: 20240154135Abstract: A solid-state thermal battery system is disclosed herein. The system includes a stationary thermal storage medium that can be charged by adding heat to the thermal storage medium. Actuated heat engines can be utilized to discharge the solid-state thermal battery, converting the heat stored in the thermal storage medium into electricity. The heat engines are actuated in a manner that reduces thermal gradients in the thermal storage medium to increase the efficiency of the system. In one embodiment, the thermal storage medium is contained in a main chamber of an insulated container. The heat engines are stored, when idle, in an ancillary chamber adjacent to the main chamber and moved into the main chamber by an actuation system to begin discharging the solid-state thermal battery. The heat engines follow a path during discharge to dynamically move between regions of the thermal storage medium to reduce thermal gradients induced therein.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 18, 2023Publication date: May 9, 2024Inventors: Andrew Joseph Ponec, Justin Briggs, David Bierman, Tarun Narayan
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Patent number: 11876254Abstract: A solid-state thermal battery system is disclosed herein. The system includes a stationary thermal storage medium that can be charged by adding heat to the thermal storage medium. Actuated heat engines can be utilized to discharge the solid-state thermal battery, converting the heat stored in the thermal storage medium into electricity. The heat engines are actuated in a manner that reduces thermal gradients in the thermal storage medium to increase the efficiency of the system. In one embodiment, the thermal storage medium is contained in a main chamber of an insulated container. The heat engines are stored, when idle, in an ancillary chamber adjacent to the main chamber and moved into the main chamber by an actuation system to begin discharging the solid-state thermal battery. The heat engines follow a path during discharge to dynamically move between regions of the thermal storage medium to reduce thermal gradients induced therein.Type: GrantFiled: November 11, 2020Date of Patent: January 16, 2024Assignee: Antora Energy, Inc.Inventors: Andrew Joseph Ponec, Justin Briggs, David Bierman, Tarun Narayan
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Publication number: 20220412228Abstract: A thermal storage solution system is disclosed herein. The system includes an insulated container having a thermal storage medium, a heating element configured to heat the thermal storage medium, a heat receiving unit (e.g., thermophotovoltaic (TPV) heat engine, heat transfer fluid, an industrial process component) configured to convert heat into electric energy, and a mechanism configured to control a view factor between the thermal storage medium and the heat engine. In another embodiment, the system includes multiple thermal storage media as unit cells in a single enclosure or container with insulation between adjacent unit cells.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 23, 2022Publication date: December 29, 2022Applicant: Antora Energy, Inc.Inventors: Andrew Joseph Ponec, Justin Briggs, David Bierman, Sam Kortz
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Publication number: 20210143446Abstract: A solid-state thermal battery system is disclosed herein. The system includes a stationary thermal storage medium that can be charged by adding heat to the thermal storage medium. Actuated heat engines can be utilized to discharge the solid-state thermal battery, converting the heat stored in the thermal storage medium into electricity. The heat engines are actuated in a manner that reduces thermal gradients in the thermal storage medium to increase the efficiency of the system. In one embodiment, the thermal storage medium is contained in a main chamber of an insulated container. The heat engines are stored, when idle, in an ancillary chamber adjacent to the main chamber and moved into the main chamber by an actuation system to begin discharging the solid-state thermal battery. The heat engines follow a path during discharge to dynamically move between regions of the thermal storage medium to reduce thermal gradients induced therein.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 11, 2020Publication date: May 13, 2021Inventors: Andrew Joseph Ponec, Justin Briggs, David Bierman, Tarun Narayan
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Patent number: 10043932Abstract: A single-stack, solar power receiver comprising both a thermal absorber layer and a photovoltaic cell layer. The stack includes an aerogel layer, that is optically transparent and thermally insulating (“OTTI”); a spectrally selective high thermal conductivity (“SSTC”) thermal absorber layer; a bottom OTTI layer; and a PV cell layer. The SSTC layer includes a set of fins that substantially blocks solar radiation absorption in the band where PV cells are most sensitive. Photons with energies above or below this band block range are absorbed by the fins and the absorbed heat is conducted to pipes in the fin structure carrying a heated thermal working fluid to heat storage. Photons with energy in the band block range are reflected by the SSTC fins to the PV cell layer. The bottom OTTI aerogel layer keeps the PV cell operating near ambient temperature. The PV cell converts incident solar radiation to electrical energy.Type: GrantFiled: August 20, 2014Date of Patent: August 7, 2018Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyInventors: Gang Chen, Evelyn N. Wang, Svetlana V. Boriskina, Kenneth McEnaney, Hadi Ghasemi, Selcuk Yerci, Andrej Lenert, Sungwoo Yang, Nenad Miljkovic, Lee A. Weinstein, David Bierman
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Patent number: 9929690Abstract: A solar thermal photovoltaic device, and method of forming same, includes a solar absorber and a spectrally selective emitter formed on either side of a thermally conductive substrate. The solar absorber is configured to absorb incident solar radiation. The solar absorber and the spectrally selective emitter are configured with an optimized emitter-to-absorber area ratio. The solar thermal photovoltaic device also includes a photovoltaic cell in thermal communication with the spectrally selective emitter. The spectrally selective emitter is configured to permit high emittance for energies above a bandgap of the photovoltaic cell and configured to permit low emittance for energies below the bandgap.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 2014Date of Patent: March 27, 2018Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyInventors: Andrej Lenert, David Bierman, Walker Chan, Ivan Celanovic, Marin Soljacic, Evelyn N. Wang, Young Suk Nam, Kenneth McEnaney, Daniel Kraemer, Gang Chen
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Publication number: 20160164451Abstract: A solar thermal photovoltaic device, and method of forming same, includes a solar absorber and a spectrally selective emitter formed on either side of a thermally conductive substrate. The solar absorber is configured to absorb incident solar radiation. The solar absorber and the spectrally selective emitter are configured with an optimized emitter-to-absorber area ratio. The solar thermal photovoltaic device also includes a photovoltaic cell in thermal communication with the spectrally selective emitter. The spectrally selective emitter is configured to permit high emittance for energies above a bandgap of the photovoltaic cell and configured to permit low emittance for energies below the bandgap.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 31, 2014Publication date: June 9, 2016Inventors: Andrej Lenert, David Bierman, Walker Chan, Ivan Celanovic, Marin Soljacic, Evelyn N. Wang, Young Suk Nam, Kenneth McEnaney, Daniel Kraemer, Gang Chen
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Publication number: 20150053266Abstract: A single-stack, solar power receiver comprising both a thermal absorber layer and a photovoltaic cell layer. The stack includes an aerogel layer, that is optically transparent and thermally insulating (“OTTI”); a spectrally selective high thermal conductivity (“SSTC”) thermal absorber layer; a bottom OTTI layer; and a PV cell layer. The SSTC layer includes a set of fins that substantially blocks solar radiation absorption in the band where PV cells are most sensitive. Photons with energies above or below this band block range are absorbed by the fins and the absorbed heat is conducted to pipes in the fin structure carrying a heated thermal working fluid to heat storage. Photons with energy in the band block range are reflected by the SSTC fins to the PV cell layer. The bottom OTTI aerogel layer keeps the PV cell operating near ambient temperature. The PV cell converts incident solar radiation to electrical energy.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 20, 2014Publication date: February 26, 2015Inventors: Gang Chen, Evelyn N. Wang, Svetlana V. Boriskina, Kenneth McEnaney, Hadi Ghasemi, Selcuk Yerci, Andrej Lenert, Sungwoo Yang, Nenad Miljkovic, Lee A. Weinstein, David Bierman