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US 12,638,251 B2Granted
Heating and cooling system using mechanical transfer of encapsulated phase change materials
Assignee9494-2851 QuéBec Inc.
InventorChristian Vachon
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A heat transfer system comprises a solid-liquid phase change material (PCM) encapsulated in a plurality of capsules movable through a closed loop circuit by a transfer mechanism.
Claims18
A heat transfer system comprising:
- a first container and a second container, the first container located in a first environment, the second container located in a second environment, the first environment having a first temperature, the second environment having a second temperature, the first and second temperatures being different, the first and second containers each containing a plurality of capsules having a phase change material (PCM) core encapsulated in a thermally conductive outer shell, the PCM core having a phase change temperature selected between the first and second temperatures;
- a first fluid circuit for circulating a first fluid in heat exchange relationship with the plurality of capsules inside the first container;
- a second fluid circuit for circulating a second fluid in heat exchange relationship with the plurality of capsules inside the second container;
- transfer means having a first transfer line for transferring the plurality of capsules from the first container to the second container and a second transfer line for transferring the plurality of capsules from the second container to the first container;
- and
- a controller operatively connected to the transfer means and the first and second fluid circuits, the controller configured for controlling a flow rate of the plurality of capsules between the first and the second containers as a function of a temperature and a flow rate of the first fluid through the first container and a temperature and a flow rate of the second fluid through the second container.
3 more elements
A heat transfer system comprising:
- an outdoor container disposed outside of a building;
- an indoor container remote from the outdoor container and disposed inside an enclosed space of the building;
- a solid-liquid phase change material (PCM) having a phase change temperature selected between a first temperature of the outdoor container and a second temperature of the indoor container, an entirety of the PCM encapsulated in individual capsules;
- a transfer mechanism having a first transfer line for transferring the individual capsules from the outdoor container to the indoor container and a second transfer line for transferring the individual capsules from the indoor container to the outdoor container;
- a first heat transfer fluid circuit for directing a first heat transfer fluid through the first outdoor container, the first heat transfer fluid in heat exchange relationship with the individual capsules inside the outdoor container;
- a second heat transfer fluid circuit for directing a second heat transfer fluid through the indoor container, the second heat transfer fluid in heat exchange relationship with the individual capsules inside the indoor container;
- and
- a storage container for storing a portion of the individual capsules, the storage container operatively connected to one or more of the outdoor and indoor containers to allow transfer of the portion of the individual capsules from the storage container to the one or more of the outdoor and indoor containers and vice versa, wherein the storage container is disposed in the enclosed space together with the indoor container.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.