# US 2022/0034601 A1 · Thermal energy storage system with nucleation cooling

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- Number: US 2022/0034601 A1
- Document ID: US20220034601A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/940,864
- Filed: 2020-07-28
- Published: 2022-02-03
- Earliest claimed: 2020-07-28
- Assignees: Rocky Research
- Applicants: Rocky Research
- Inventors: Kaveh Khalili; Uwe Rockenfeller
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20220034601A1

## CPC

- F28D 20/02: using latent heat
- F28D 20/028: {Control arrangements therefor}
- F28D 20/021: {the latent heat storage material and the heat-exchanging means being enclosed in one container (F28D20/023 - F28D20/028 take precedence)}
- F41H 13/0062: {causing structural damage to the target}
- Y02E 60/14: Thermal energy storage
- F28D: HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT (fluid heaters having heat generating means and heat transferring means F24H; furnaces F27; details of heat-exchange apparatus of general)
- F41H: ARMOUR; ARMOURED TURRETS; ARMOURED OR ARMED VEHICLES; MEANS OF ATTACK OR DEFENCE, e.g. CAMOUFLAGE, IN GENERAL
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## 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.

## Claims

### Claim 1

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.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of second heat transfer surfaces comprise a plurality of tubes filled with phase change material.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The system of claim 2, wherein the plurality of tubes comprise from ten to five hundred tubes.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The system of claim 2, wherein each tube in the plurality of tubes are cylindrical and comprise an inner tube running therethrough, and wherein a plurality of the inner tubes comprise the plurality of first heat transfer surfaces.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The system of claim 4, wherein the plurality of inner tubes are fluidly connected to one or more cooling systems that pump the first refrigerant or heat transfer fluid through the plurality of inner tubes.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The system of claim 5, wherein the one or more cooling systems are one or more vapor compression cooling systems.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The system of claim 6, wherein the one or more vapor compression cooling systems each comprise a compressor, a condenser, and a refrigerant reservoir, and are configured to receive liquid refrigerant from the condenser that is directed through the inner tubes of the thermal energy storage system undergoing at least partial phase change and back into the reservoir and to flow the vaporous refrigerant from the reservoir to the compressor.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7, wherein the liquid refrigerant is directed with a refrigerant pump.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7, wherein the vapor compression system comprises one or more high voltage DC compressors that can be operated off a high voltage battery system.

### Claim 10 (depends on 2)

The system of claim 2, wherein the thermal energy storage system comprises a tank and the second refrigerant or heat transfer fluid surrounds the plurality of tubes comprising phase change material.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the second refrigerant or heat transfer fluid is cooled by one or more vapor compression systems that pump the second refrigerant or heat transfer fluid through the tank with flow in heat transfer contact with the plurality of tubes to freeze the phase change material.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of the thermal energy storage systems each having its own vapor compression system to facilitate the crystallization of the phase change material.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the thermal energy cooling system is configured to continue circulating the first refrigerant or heat transfer fluid across the plurality of first heat transfer surfaces after the crystallization of the phase change material is initiated to freeze the phase change material.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13, wherein the thermal energy cooling system is configured to continue circulating the first heat transfer fluid at a higher temperature than the first temperature after the crystallization of the phase change material is initiated to freeze the phase change material.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the phase change material has a transition temperature of between 10° C. and 20° C.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the phase change material is a hydrated salt complex.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The system of claim 16, wherein the hydrated salt complex is potassium fluoride tetrahydrate.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the first temperature is between 0° C. and 10° C.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the second temperature is between 10° C. and 15° C.

### Claim 20

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.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The system of claim 20, wherein the second refrigerant or heat transfer fluid at the second temperature is configured to continue crystallization of the phase change material following initial nucleation.

### Claim 22 (depends on 20)

The system of claim 20, wherein the first refrigerant or heat transfer fluid from the nucleation cooling system continues the crystallization of the phase change material to charge the thermal energy storage system while the second refrigerant or heat transfer fluid at the second temperature cools hotel loads related to the laser weapon system.

### Claim 23 (depends on 20)

The system of claim 20, further comprising a control system programmed to read sensor data and determine when to initiate cooling of the laser weapon to initiate discharge of the thermal energy storage system.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

The system of claim 23, wherein the control system is further programmed to detect that the thermal energy storage is not entirely discharged after a firing of the laser weapon and in response circulate the second refrigerant or heat transfer fluid through the thermal energy storage system to continue the crystallization of the phase change material.

### Claim 25 (depends on 24)

The system of claim 24, wherein the laser weapon system has a power between about 30 kW and about 70 kW and the system comprises from two to six of the thermal energy storage systems.

### Claim 26 (depends on 24)

The system of claim 24, wherein the laser weapon system has a power of about 100 kW to 500 kW and the system comprises from two to thirty of the thermal energy storage systems.

### Claim 27 (depends on 24)

The system of claim 24, wherein the laser weapon system has a power between about 5 kW and about 20 kW and the system comprises from one to four of the thermal energy storage systems.