Heat accumulator with agitating function
AssigneeNippondenso Co., Ltd.
InventorKenso Kanada
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A phase separation of a salt hydrate as a heat accumulating medium is prevented, thereby maintaining a heat accumulating density of a heat accumulator for a long period of time. A heat accumulating pipe contains Ba(OH).sub.2 .cndot.8H.sub.2 O as a heat accumulating medium which is not subjected to supercooling and a sphere movable in the heat accumulating pipe. A heat insulating vessel having a cooling water inlet pipe and a cooling water outlet pipe is filled with the heat accumulating pipes. By vibrating a heat accumulator having an agitating function which includes the heat accumulating pipes and the heat insulating vessel, the sphere moves in the heat accumulating pipe to agitate the heat accumulating medium, so that a distribution of water becomes uniform and a phase separation is prevented.
Claims22
A heating apparatus comprising:
- a heat accumulating medium including a salt hydrate, causing no supercooling, which is capable of reversible change between a liquid phase and a solid phase accompanying absorption and discharge, respectively, of latent heat, said heat accumulating medium, in a non-agitated state, forming refractory crystals at a temperature equal to or larger than a melting point of said heat accumulating medium due to an uneven distribution of water formed when said heat accumulating medium melts;
- a heat accumulating vessel, made of a heat conductive material, containing said heat accumulating medium;
- only a single agitating member movably disposed in said heat accumulating vessel for agitating substantially all of said heat accumulating medium in said heat accumulating vessel to evenly distribute said water and thereby prevent formation of said refractory crystals in said heat accumulating medium, said agitating member having a size sufficient to agitate said heat accumulating medium;
- a heat transfer medium for exchanging heat with said heat accumulating medium in said heat accumulating vessel;
- a heat insulating vessel, containing said heat accumulating vessel and said heat transfer medium, for exchanging heat with said heat accumulating vessel, said heat insulating vessel including heat insulating means for insulating external heat from said heat accumulating vessel and said heat transfer medium;
- and
- a heat accumulator, having an inlet and an outlet and being connected to said heat insulating vessel, for permitting said heat transfer medium to flow into said heat insulating vessel through said inlet and for permitting said heat transfer medium to flow out of said heat insulating vessel.
A method of exchanging heat with a coolant, said method comprising steps of:
- passing said coolant over a container containing a heat accumulating medium capable of transferring latent heat to said coolant when said heat accumulating medium makes a reversible phase change from a liquid phase to a solid phase and capable of receiving latent heat from said coolant when said heat accumulating medium makes a reversible phase change from said solid phase to said liquid phase, said heat accumulating medium, in a non-agitated state, forming refractory crystals at a temperature equal to or larger than a melting point of said heat accumulating medium due to an uneven distribution of water formed when said heat accumulating medium melts;
- transferring heat from said heat accumulating medium to said coolant when said coolant is at a temperature lower than that of said heat accumulating medium;
- transferring heat from said coolant to said heat accumulating medium when said coolant is at a temperature sufficient to cause said heat accumulating medium to make said phase change from said solid phase to said liquid phase;
- and
- during said step of transferring heat from said heat accumulating medium to said coolant, agitating substantially all of said heat accumulating medium using only a single agitating member movable in said container and having a specific size sufficient to evenly distribute said water and thereby prevent formation of said refractory crystals in said heat accumulating medium.
A heating apparatus comprising:
- a heat accumulating medium including a salt hydrate capable of a reversible change between a liquid phase and a solid phase accompanying absorption and discharge, respectively, of latent heat;
- a heat accumulating vessel made of a heat conductive material and containing said heat accumulating medium therein;
- an agitating member composed of only one body and movably disposed in said heat accumulating vessel, said agitating member being for agitating substantially all of said heat accumulating medium in said heat accumulating vessel;
- a heat insulating vessel containing said heat accumulating vessel therein and having an inlet port and an outlet port;
- and
- a heat transfer medium which flows into said heat insulating vessel through said inlet port, flows around said heat accumulating vessel for exchanging heat with said heat accumulating medium, and flows out of said heat insulating vessel through said outlet port.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.