Heat pump and phase-change energy storage device

2—The system according to claim 1, wherein the portion of the first circuit and the portion of the second circuit form curves of substantially equal dimensions each extending between two walls of the heat exchanger and forming successive plates defining a volume inside the heat exchanger, the phase-change material being arranged around the volume and between the plates formed by the first circuit and the second circuit, to promote heat exchanges between, on the one hand, the phase-change material and the refrigerant fluid, and, on the other hand, the phase-change material and the secondary fluid.

3—The system according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of energy storage elements comprising the phase-change material, said energy storage elements being distributed in said heat exchangers and in contact with the portion of the first circuit and the portion of the second circuit to enable, on the one hand, a calorific exchange between the refrigerant fluid and the phase-change material and, on the other hand, a calorific exchange between the phase-change material and the secondary fluid.

4—The system according to claim 1, wherein the evaporator is positioned in the first heat exchanger and the condenser is positioned in the second heat exchanger, and wherein the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger each comprise the energy storage elements that are in contact with said evaporator and said condenser of the first heat pump.

5—The system according to claim 1, wherein the portion of the first circuit of the first heat exchanger and/or the second heat exchanger forms curves of substantially equal dimensions.

6—The system according to claim 3, wherein the energy storage elements have a substantially oblong shape, and comprise a central opening allowing an apex of a curve of the portion of the first circuit to be inserted through said energy storage elements, so as to promote a calorific exchange between the refrigerant fluid and the phase-change material.

7—The system according to claim 6, wherein the first heat exchanger or the second heat exchanger has a substantially cylindrical shape, and wherein the energy storage elements are substantially equal in size to allow a stacking of said energy storage elements over several loops of the portion of the first circuit.

8—The system according to claim 3, wherein the energy storage elements comprise surface singularities to promote turbulent flow of the secondary fluid.

9—The system according to claim 1, comprising means for recovering an amount of waste heat and means for conveying said amount of waste heat to at least one circuit of the second heat exchanger.

10—The system according to claim 1, comprising a steam energy production device comprising at least one expansion machine, said expansion machine being supplied by at least a part of the thermal energy stored by the phase-change material, said steam energy production device being capable of producing mechanical energy from said expansion machine.

11—The system according to claim 10, comprising a generator or an alternator for producing an amount of electrical energy from the mechanical energy produced from the expansion machine.