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US 2022/0034601 A1Published application
Thermal energy storage system with nucleation cooling
AssigneeRocky Research
InventorsKaveh Khalili, Uwe Rockenfeller
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed are systems and methods of flexibly cooling thermal loads by providing a thermal energy storage cooling system having a nucleation cooling system for at least initiating nucleation of a phase change media within the thermal energy storage system.
Claims27
A thermal energy cooling system, comprising:
- a thermal energy storage system comprising a phase change material in thermal communication with a plurality of first heat transfer surfaces and second heat transfer surfaces;
- a first refrigerant or heat transfer fluid in thermal contact with the plurality of first heat transfer surfaces at a first temperature to at least initiate crystallization of the phase change material;
- and
- a second refrigerant or heat transfer fluid in thermal contact with the plurality of second heat transfer surfaces at a second temperature that is higher than the first temperature and configured to transfer heat from a thermal load to the plurality of second heat transfer surfaces.
1 more element
A thermal energy cooling system for a laser weapon system, comprising:
- a thermal energy storage system comprising a tank and a plurality of tubes filled with phase change material;
- a nucleation cooling system connected to the thermal energy storage system;
- a plurality of inner tubes traversing the tubes and in fluid communication with the nucleation cooling system that circulates a first refrigerant or heat transfer fluid at a first temperature through the plurality of inner tubes, wherein the first temperature initiates nucleation of the phase change material;
- a vapor compression system in fluid communication with the tank and configured to circulate a second refrigerant or heat transfer fluid through the tank around the tubes and at a second temperature higher than the first temperature;
- and
- a laser weapon system in thermal communication with the thermal energy storage system to transfer heat from the laser weapon system to the phase change material.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.