Heat storage system utilizing phase change materials government rights
AssigneeUniversity of Dayton
InventorIval O. Salyer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A thermal energy transport and storage system is provided which includes an evaporator containing a mixture of a first phase change material and a silica powder, and a condenser containing a second phase change material. The silica powder/PCM mixture absorbs heat energy from a source such as a solar collector such that the phase change material forms a vapor which is transported from the evaporator to the condenser, where the second phase change material melts and stores the heat energy, then releases the energy to an environmental space via a heat exchanger. The vapor is condensed to a liquid which is transported back to the evaporator. The system allows the repeated transfer of thermal energy using the heat of vaporization and condensation of the phase change material.
Claims26
A thermal energy transport and storage system comprising
- a first container containing a mixture of a first phase change material and silica powder, said phase change material being adapted to absorb thermal energy from an energy source and convert from a liquid to a vapor;
- a second container containing a second phase change material, said second phase change material adapted to store and release said thermal energy absorbed by said first phase change material and convert from a solid to a liquid and from a liquid to a solid;
- and
- first and second tubes connected between said first and second containers, said first tube adapted to transport vapor from said first container to said second container and said second tube adapted to transport liquid from said second container to said first container.
A method for continuously transporting and storing thermal energy comprising the steps of:
- providing a mixture of a first phase change material and silica powder in a first container;
- providing a source of thermal energy such that said first phase change material absorbs said thermal energy and converts from a liquid to a vapor;
- providing a second phase change material in a second container;
- transporting vapor from said first container to said second container such that said second phase change material stores and releases thermal energy absorbed by said first phase change material and converts from a solid to a liquid and from a liquid to a solid;
- and
- transporting said liquid from said second container to said first container.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.