# US 12,006,920 B2 · Solid-state-based energy converter, heating/cooling apparatus comprising such an energy converter, and method for operating a heating/cooling apparatus

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- Number: US 12,006,920 B2
- Document ID: US12006920B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/612,920
- Filed: 2020-05-18
- Published: 2022-07-21
- Granted: 2024-06-11
- Earliest claimed: 2019-05-22
- Assignees: University of Saarland
- Applicants: UniversitäT Des Saarlandes
- Inventors: Susanne-Marie Kirsch; Felix Welsch; Stefan Seelecke
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12006920B2

## CPC

- F25B 23/00: Machines, plants or systems, with a single mode of operation not covered by groups F25B1/00 - F25B21/00, e.g. using selective radiation effect
- F03G 7/0614: {using shape memory elements}
- Y02B 30/00: Energy efficient heating, ventilation or air conditioning [HVAC]
- F25B: REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
- F03G: SPRING, WEIGHT, INERTIA OR LIKE MOTORS; MECHANICAL-POWER PRODUCING DEVICES OR MECHANISMS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR OR USING ENERGY SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (arrangements in connection with power supply in vehicles from force of nature B60K16/00; electric propulsion with power supply in vehicles from force of nature B60L8/00)
- Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS

## Abstract

The invention relates to a thermoelastic energy converter (1), in particular for use in a thermoelastic heating/cooling apparatus or in a combined heat-and-power coupling system, comprising: an arrangement comprising multiple converter devices (3a, 3b), wherein each of the converter devices (3a, 3b) has one or more thermoelastic elements (4) arranged in a direction of extension; a loading device, in order to load the thermoelastic elements (4) of each of the multiple converter devices (3a, 3b) so as to have a temporally variable power curve; a coupling which is designed such that the loading device actuates the converter devices (3a, 3b) in a phase-offset manner with respect to their cyclic loading and unloading.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A thermoelastic energy converter (1), being used in a thermoelastic heating/cooling apparatus or in a combined heat-and-power coupling system, comprising:
an arrangement comprising multiple converter devices (3a, 3b), wherein each of the converter devices (3a, 3b) has one or more thermoelastic elements (4) arranged in a direction of extension;
a loading device, in order to load the thermoelastic elements (4) of each of the multiple converter devices (3a, 3b) so as to have a temporally variable power curve,
a coupling which is configured to actuate the loading device which controls the converter devices (3a, 3b) in a phase-offset manner with respect to their cyclic loading and unloading,
wherein the thermoelastic elements (4) within one or more of the converter devices (3a, 3b) are each arranged parallel to each other in a frame (2, 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d), such that the converter devices (3a, 3b) form one or more substantially planar heat exchanger planes, which are entirely contained within the frame (2, 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d).

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

Thermoelastic energy converter (1) according to claim 1, wherein the coupling is implemented:
with a converter device (10) which is configured to control the loading device in such a way that the converter devices (3a, 3b) are controlled in a phase-offset manner, that the thermoelastic elements (4) of the respective converter devices (3a, 3b) are cyclically loaded and unloaded and thereby cyclically heated and cooled, respectively; or
with a force extraction configured to extract, from the energy converter, mechanical energy, which is provided to the loading device from the converter devices (3a, 3b).

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

Thermoelastic energy converter according to claim 1, wherein the multiple converter devices form at least one substantially planar heat exchanger plane each comprising multiple converter devices, wherein the converter devices of a heat exchanger plane are entirely contained within a common frame (2, 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d).

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

Thermoelastic energy converter (1) according to claim 1, wherein the loading device comprises a common carriage (5) movably arranged in the frame (2, 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d) and connected to one of the ends of the thermoelastic elements (4), such that, in the case of a cyclic translational movement of the common carriage (5) in the direction of extension, an alternating cyclic loading and unloading of the thermoelastic elements (4) of the converter devices (3a, 3b) is achieved, or such that, in the case of a thermal loading of the thermoelastic elements (4) of the converter devices (3a, 3b), a cyclic translational movement of the common carriage (5) in the direction of extension is achieved.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

Thermoelastic energy converter (1) according to claim 3, wherein the converter device (10) is configured to move the common carriage (5) cyclically according to a predetermined movement profile, wherein the movement profile is configured to provide, during the cyclic operation, load phases for loading one of the converter devices (3a, 3b) and hold phases, in which substantially no movement of the carriage (5) is performed, and/or to provide loading phases for loading the converter devices (3a, 3b) and unloading phases for unloading the converter devices (3a, 3b) during the cyclic operation, wherein the loading phases and the unloading phases of the multiple converter devices (3a, 3b) comprise different force characteristics or expansion characteristics.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

Thermoelastic energy converter (1) according to claim 1, wherein the loading device for each of the converter devices (3a, 3b) comprises a carriage (5a, 5b) movably arranged in the frame (2, 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d), wherein each of the carriages is connected to the respective thermoelastic elements (4) of the associated converter device (3a, 3b), such that, in the case of a respective movement profile with a cyclic translational movement of the carriages (5a, 5b) in the direction of extension, the cyclic loading and unloading of the thermoelastic elements (4) is achieved or such that, in the case of a thermal loading of the thermoelastic elements (4) of the converter devices (3a, 3b), a cyclic translational movement of the respective carriage in the direction of extension is achieved.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

Thermoelastic energy converter (1) according to claim 6, wherein the carriages (5a, 5b) are mechanically coupled in order to use a mechanical energy released, when one of the converter devices (3a, 3b) is unloaded, at least partially for loading another of the converter devices (3a, 3b).

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

Thermoelastic energy converter (1) according to claim 7, wherein the converter device (10) is coupled to the carriages in order to control them according to the respective non-sinusoidal, movement profile, wherein the cyclic movement profiles each provide a loading phase for loading the respective converter device (3a, 3b), a holding phase in which substantially no movement of the respective carriage is performed, and an unloading phase for unloading the respective converter device (3a, 3b).

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

Thermoelastic energy converter (1) according to claim 8, wherein the loading phase and the unloading phase each have, in sections, linear or other monotonic progressions of the loading and/or unloading or of a movement of the carriages, wherein the linear progressions have different gradients and the other monotonic progressions of the loading and/or unloading or of the movement of the carriages (5a, 5b) have different gradient progressions, respectively.

### Claim 10 (depends on 5)

Thermoelastic energy converter (1) according to claim 5, wherein the converter device comprises at least one cam disk (11) with a respective cam carriage (12) coupled to the corresponding carriage (5, 5a, 5b), wherein the cam disk (11) is engaged with the cam carriage (12) such that, by means of a linkage guide of the cam disk (11), a movement of the respective carriage (5, 5a, 5b) for loading and unloading the thermoelastic elements (4) of the respective converter device (3a; 3b) in the direction of extension (E) of the thermoelastic elements (4), is effected.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

Thermoelastic energy converter (1) according to claim 8, wherein the converter device comprises at least one cam disk (11) with a respective cam carriage (12) coupled to the corresponding carriage (5, 5a, 5b), wherein the cam disk (11) is engaged with the cam carriage (12) such that, by means of a linkage guide of the cam disk (11), a movement of the respective carriage (5, 5a, 5b) for loading and unloading the thermoelastic elements (4) of the respective converter device (3a; 3b) in the direction of extension (E) of the thermoelastic elements (4), is effected.

### Claim 12 (depends on 5)

Thermoelastic energy converter (1) according to claim 5, wherein the force extraction comprises at least one cam disc (11) with a respective cam carriage (12) coupled to the corresponding carriage (5, 5a, 5b), wherein the cam disc (11) is engaged with the cam carriage (12), such that, due to a temperature load on the thermoelastic elements (4) of the respective converter device (3a, 3b), a movement of the respective carriage (5, 5a, 5b) and, by means of a linkage guide, a rotation of the cam disk (11) is effected.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

Thermoelastic energy converter (1) according to claim 8, wherein the force extraction comprises at least one cam disc (11) with a respective cam carriage (12) coupled to the corresponding carriage (5, 5a, 5b), wherein the cam disc (11) is engaged with the cam carriage (12), such that, due to a temperature load on the thermoelastic elements (4) of the respective converter device (3a, 3b), a movement of the respective carriage (5, 5a, 5b) and, by means of a linkage guide, a rotation of the cam disk (11) is effected.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

Energy converter system (20) with a heating/cooling system, comprising:
an arrangement of at least one energy converter (1) according to claim 1;
one or more media supply lines (21, 21b) for supplying a gaseous or liquid medium, including air or water, to the arrangement, and one or more media discharge lines (22a, 22b) for discharging the medium from the arrangement,
a media path switching device configured to pass the medium through one or more of the converter devices (3a, 3b) selectively along a first or a second media path (S1, S2) to separate cooled or heated medium;
wherein the coupling is configured to operate the at least one energy converter (1) in synchronism with a switchover between a media routing by means of the first and the second medium path (S1, S2), such that the medium is routed through the arrangement for receiving heat from the thermoelastic elements (4) and for outputting heat to the thermoelastic elements (4) by means of the first and the second medium path (S1, S2), respectively.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

Energy converter system (20) according to claim 14, wherein the coupling is configured to perform the cyclic loading and unloading during operation of multiple energy converters (1), when flowing through along the first or the second media path (S1, S2), offset in time with respect to each other with respect to the direction of flow of the medium through the respective media path.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

Energy converter system (20) according to claim 14, wherein the media path switching device (23) is provided with at least one media control element to switch between the first media path and the second media path (S1, S2).

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

Energy converter system (20) according to claim 16, wherein the media path switching device (23) is provided with at least a first media supply line (21a) and a first media discharge line (22a) for controlling the first media path (S1) and with at least a second media supply line (21b) and a second media discharge line (22b) for controlling the second media path (S2).

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

Energy converter system (20) according to claim 17, wherein the first media supply line (21a) and the first media discharge line (22a) are arranged on different sides of the energy converter arrangement, and the second media supply line (21b) and the second media discharge line (22b) are arranged on different sides of the energy converter arrangement, wherein the first media supply line (21a), the first media discharge line (22a), the second media supply line (21b) and/or the second media discharge line (22b) are provided on a frame part of the frame (2, 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d) of the converter devices (3a, 3b) or in a cover on the surface side thereof.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

Energy converter system (20) according to claim 16, wherein the energy converter arrangement comprises multiple mutually adjacent energy converters (1), such that the first and the second media paths (S1, S2) each pass through two mutually adjacent converter devices (3a, 3b) of energy converters (1), wherein the media supply lines (21a, 21b) and/or the media discharge lines (22a, 22b) are arranged on surface sides of the energy converter arrangement or in each case in a frame (2, 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d) of the converter devices (3a, 3b) of the energy converters (1).

### Claim 20 (depends on 17)

Energy converter system according to claim 17, wherein the at least one first and/or second media supply line (21a, 21b) and/or the at least one first and/or second media discharge line (22a, 22b) has a rectangular, round, oval or triangular opening cross section.

### Claim 21 (depends on 13)

Energy converter system (20) according to claim 13, wherein the first and/or the second media path (S1, S2) are formed along the direction of extension of the thermoelastic elements (4), transversely to the direction of extension (E) and in the plane of arrangement of the thermoelastic elements (4), or transversely to the direction of extension and transversely to the plane of arrangement of the thermoelastic elements (4).

### Claim 22 (depends on 1)

Method of operating a thermoelastic energy converter (1) according to claim 1, being used in a thermoelastic heating/cooling apparatus or in a combined heat-and-power coupling system, wherein the thermoelastic energy converter comprises an arrangement with multiple converter devices (3a, 3b), each of the converter devices (3a, 3b) having one or more thermoelastic elements (4) arranged in a direction of extension (E);
wherein the thermoelastic elements (4) of each of the multiple converter devices (3a, 3b) are being loaded with a time-variable force profile, wherein the converter devices (3a, 3b) are being driven in a phase-offset manner with respect to their cyclic loading and unloading.

### Claim 23 (depends on 1)

Method for operating an energy converter system (20), being used in a heating/cooling system, wherein the energy converter system (20) comprises an arrangement of at least one energy converter (1) according to claim 1, one or more media supply lines (21a, 21b) for supplying a gaseous or liquid medium, including air or water, to the arrangement and one or more media discharge lines (22a, 22b) for discharging the medium from the arrangement, and a media path switching device configured to pass the medium through one or more of the converter devices (3a, 3b) selectively along a first or a second media path to separate cooled or heated medium;
wherein the at least one energy converter (1) is operated in synchronism with a switchover between a media routing along the first and the second medium paths (S1, S2), such that the medium is routed through the arrangement for receiving heat from the thermoelastic elements (4) and for outputting heat to the thermoelastic elements (4) along the first and the second medium paths (S1, S2), respectively.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

Method according to claim 23, wherein, when operating multiple energy converters (1), the cyclic loading and unloading is performed with a time offset with respect to each other upon flowing through along the first or the second media path (S1, S2) with respect to the flow direction of the medium through the respective media path.