초록 ▼

While many materials and additives which will melt and freeze at various temperature levels for storing and releasing large amounts of heat thereby per unit volume have been disclosed, the packaging of these materials with suitable non-corrodible long-lasting heat exchange structures has been cumber

While many materials and additives which will melt and freeze at various temperature levels for storing and releasing large amounts of heat thereby per unit volume have been disclosed, the packaging of these materials with suitable non-corrodible long-lasting heat exchange structures has been cumbersome and expensive. The present invention provides an inexpensive, high performance, non-corrodible thermal storage method and system adapted for use with heat storage materials of various compositions and adapted for use over a wide range of temperatures, including a heat exchanger which provides for phase change to occur approximately simultaneously throughout the volume of the entire storage mass and provides for the sites at which the phase change is occurring to be approximately uniformly distributed throughout the volume of the heat storage material. Problems of thermal expansion, stratification and sub-cooling are eliminated. Thermal storage methods and systems embodying the present system may advantageously be used for off-peak storage of electric refrigeration, cooling and heating as well as solar heating and other applications.

대표청구항 ▼

Heat storage tank apparatus for temporarily storing heat energy comprising: a thermally insulated tank having a fill port in the top thereof, liquid supply and return headers extending within said tank, at least one grid of closely-spaced small diameter conduits of flexible plastic material connecte

Heat storage tank apparatus for temporarily storing heat energy comprising: a thermally insulated tank having a fill port in the top thereof, liquid supply and return headers extending within said tank, at least one grid of closely-spaced small diameter conduits of flexible plastic material connected at their ends to the respective headers and arranged within said tank to give multiple parallel liquid circuits through which a heat-transfer liquid can flow, a liquid/solid phase change material substantially filling said tank and surrounding said grid of closely-spaced small diameter conduits, spacer means in said tank associated with said grid for providing substantially uniform horizontal spacing of said small diamter conduits of plastic material and permitting free flow of the phase change material in its liquid state throughout said tank, said insulated tank, said flexible plastic conduits and said headers being formed of materials capable of withstanding temperature above and below the melting point of said liquid/solid phase change material, said grid being rolled into a spiral roll configuration as seen in cross section looking downwardly, and said spacer means is low density matting having multiple spaces therein which has been rolled into said spiral roll configuration together with said grid, said matting and said grid being in alternate spiral layers as seen in cross section, whereby said phase change material may be alternately melted and frozen throughout the interior of the mass thereof as heat is added thereto or withdrawn therefrom by circulating heat-transfer liquid through said conduit grid. Heat storage tank apparatus for temporarily storing heat energy comprising: a thermally insulated tank, a liquid-conducting heat exchanger in said tank having supply and return connections thereto for feeding liquid into and out of said heat exchanger, a liquid/solid phase change material substantially filling said tank in contact with said heat exchanger, said heat exchanger substantially filling the tank for causing each region in the tank to be no more than a short distance away from the heat exchanger for freezing solid said phase change material throughout substantially the whole tank, said insulated tank and said heat exchanger being formed of materials capable of withstanding temperature above and below the phase change temperature of said liquid/solid phase change material, said liquid/solid phase change material being subject to stratification when in its liquid phase, impelling means for circulating the liquid in the tank for preventing stratification, motor means connected to said impelling means for driving the impelling means when the phase change material is in its liquid state, an upright central conduit in said tank associated with said impelling means and extending through said heat exchanger, said conduit communicating with said phase change material near the bottom of said tank and communicating with said phase change material near the top of said tank, and said impelling means impelling the phase change material through said upright conduit when said material is in its liquid state for said liquid to be recirculated through tank for preventing stratification of said material when in its liquid state.