A heat management system includes an outdoor heat exchanger that exchanges heat between a heat medium and outdoor air, a compressor that compresses the heat medium heat-exchanged by the outdoor heat exchanger, an indoor heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the heat medium compressed by the compressor and the indoor air, and an external device heat exchanger provided between the outdoor heat exchanger and the compressor, that exchanges heat between the heat generated by an external device and the heat medium.

The present invention relates to a system and a process for storing and releasing heat comprising at least one bed of particles (2) for storing heat. The system also comprises, at each end of the fixed bed, a means for thermal regulation of the particles (5).

Moreover, the invention relates to a system and a process for storing and recovering energy by compressed gas utilizing such a system for storing and releasing heat.

A method of pumping a heat transfer fluid in a thermal energy storage system comprising a first thermal energy storage tank connected to a second thermal energy storage tank via a bi-directional flow member. The first and second thermal energy storage tanks are associated with a pressure vessel system comprising a first and second pressure vessel each pressure vessel being partially fillable with an actuating liquid, wherein, the method for pumping comprises: displacing the actuating liquid from the first pressure vessel to the second pressure vessel, thereby creating a pressure difference in the first thermal energy storage tank with respect to the second thermal energy storage tank, and therein displacing the heat transfer fluid via the bi-directional flow member.

A heat storage unit includes: a heat storage material that contains water and high polymers that exhibit hydrophilicity or hydrophobicity depending on a temperature; a heat exchanger that causes heat exchange to be performed between a heating fluid and the heat storage material to heat the heat storage material and store heat in the heat storage material, and causes heat exchange to be performed between a heat utilization fluid and the heat storage material to receive heat from the heat storage material and cause heat to be transferred from the heat storage material; and a container that is filled with the heat storage material and houses the heat exchanger.

Technologies are disclosed herein for a thin heat exchanger through which coolant may be pumped. The heat exchanger may include an envelope and a heat conduction layer provided over the envelope. The envelope may include one or more channels formed therein. The channels formed between the envelope and the conduction layer may extend the length of the heat exchange layer and be configured to carry coolant therethrough. The heat exchange layer may include an inlet manifold on a first end and an outlet manifold on another end opposing the first end. The inlet manifold may allow the flow of coolant into the heat exchange layer and the outlet manifold may allow the removal of the coolant from the heat exchange layer. Coolant flow may be controlled by a suction pump operating under computer control based at least in part on sensor data.

This invention relates to temperature control of rotating shafts or assemblies to ensure proper operation and high reliability. Though it is particularly well suited for cooling high power, compact motors used in automotive applications, it can also be used to dissipate heat efficiently from other rotating assemblies to ensure that their temperatures remain within acceptable limits. The invention achieves this by utilizing a rotating heat pipe that incorporates a solid-liquid phase change material as the heat transfer/transport material. In addition, it comprises a scraped surface heat exchange mechanism at the heat dissipation region to allow for high cooling rates as required.

Systems and methods are provided for generating electricity via a pumped thermal energy storage (PTES) system. A system may include a pump configured to circulate a working fluid within a fluid circuit, wherein the working fluid enters the pump at a first pressure and exits at a second pressure; a first heat exchanger; a second heat exchanger; a turbine positioned between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger, configured to expand a first portion of the working fluid to the first pressure; a heat rejection heat exchanger configured to remove thermal energy from a second portion of the working fluid; a high temperature reservoir connected to the first heat exchanger; and a low temperature reservoir connected to the second heat exchanger.

A thermal energy storage (TES) system includes a plurality of closely packed TES modules, each TES module having a shell enclosing a plurality of sealed tubes that each contain a TES media. A computer-controlled flow control system includes a flow distributor, for example a flow distributor having a plenum configured to receive a heat transfer fluid (HTF), and a plurality of control valves controlled by the computer to controllably distribute the HTF from the plenum to the plurality of TES modules. Sensor data from the TES modules, for example temperature, pressure, and/or flow data, is provided to the computer. In some embodiments the plenum includes two or more compartments with separate HTF flow ports, which may be provided to the controller at different temperatures.

A geothermal heat utilization system includes a heat source well facility, a heat source device having a refrigeration cycle including a compressor, a condenser, an expanded portion, and an evaporator, a primary refrigerant circuit that is connected to a first unit which is one of the condenser and the evaporator of the heat source device, heat exchange being able to be performed between the first unit and the well-side pipe, a secondary refrigerant circuit that is connected to a second unit which is the other of the condenser and the evaporator of the heat source device, heat exchange being able to be performed between the second unit and a load, and a mode switching unit that switches between a cold heat storage operation mode in which the primary refrigerant circuit is connected to the evaporator and the secondary refrigerant circuit is connected to the condenser and a cold heat discharge operation mode in which the primary refrigerant circuit is connected to the condenser and the secondary refrigerant circuit is connected to the evaporator.

A solar collector energy conversion system has a solar collector apparatus adapted to collect sunlight at a collection location and direct it to one or more light transport guides for transporting the sunlight to a conversion location separate from the collection location, and a solar energy conversion apparatus arranged at the conversion location and adapted to receive sunlight transported by the light transport guides and to convert the transported sunlight to an alternative form of energy.