Thermal storage apparatus and method for air conditioning system
OwnerRobert Levenduski, James Marsh Lesterinventors
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Abstract
A thermal energy storage unit is provided in connection with an air conditioning or refrigeration condenser. Working fluid waste heat is stored in the thermal energy storage unit during at least a relatively hot part of the day. Heat stored in the thermal energy storage unit is then rejected to the air during a cooler period, such as night. By rejecting the stored heat directly to the atmosphere, there is no need to provide an energy-consumptive refrigeration cycle for cooling the thermal storage medium material. In this way, a refrigeration system compressor has a reduced load and/or reduced duty cycle during hot parts of the day and relatively less energy can be used during high-demand times when energy may be more expensive.
Claims16
A method for providing reduced energy consumption of a cooling unit for cooling at least a first space, the cooling unit having at least a compressor, for compressing a working fluid, a condenser and an evaporator, the method comprising:
- transferring at least first heat from said working fluid to a second fluid;
- placing said second fluid in thermal communication with a first change-of-phase heat storage material having a first temperature whereby at least some of said first change-of-phase material changes from a first phase to a second phase and absorbs latent heat, and wherein said first phase is substantially solid and said second phase is substantially liquid;
- transferring heat from said change-of-phase material to the ambient air whereby at least some of said change-of-phase material changes phase from said second phase to said first phase and releases latent heat.
An apparatus adapted to reduce energy consumption of a cooling unit for cooling at least a first space, the cooling unit having a compressor, for compressing a working fluid, a condenser and an evaporator operably interconnected in a first closed loop, comprising:
- a means for transferring a heat energy from the working fluid circulating in said first closed loop to a second fluid circulating in a second closed loop;
- means for transferring at least first heat from said second fluid to a first change-of-phase heat storage material having a first temperature, whereby at least some of said first change-of-phase material changes from a substantially solid first phase to a substantially liquid second phase and absorbs latent heat;
- means for transferring heat from said change-of-phase material to an ambient air, whereby at least some of said change-of-phase material changes phase from said substantially liquid second phase to said substantially solid first phase and releases latent heat.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.