The present disclosure is directed to materials that can be used in a heat storage and transfer, and an improved method for storing thermal energy which includes a high heat capacity thermal energy storage system using pumped or flowing metallic phase change materials (MPCs). Heat is added by pumping a cold fluid of MPCs mixed with a fluid media such as a molten glass and/or salt from a tank through a heat exchanger, solar receiver, or electrical heater cell and returning the heated fluid to a tank, or solid MPCs can be transported physically, or via gas transport such as entrained flow or a circulating fluid bed. In the heat exchanger, heat can optionally be transferred directly to a counterflowing gas or other fluid, or indirectly through heat exchanger walls to a working fluid, which can be steam, CO.sub.2 or sCO.sub.2, He, H.sub.2, process gas, and/or heat transfer fluid. The MPCs (encapsulated MPCs, non-coated MPCs) are solid-liquid and/or solid-solid phase change particles, salts, metals, or other compounds with a melting point between the hot and cold fluid temperatures, and can optionally include high heat capacity, and/or energy absorbing (IR and divisible) nanoparticles.

A thermal management apparatus and method of use, such as in a battery pack or electronic device. A thermally responsive material is disposed between two surfaces, wherein the thermally responsive material changes upon heating, to increase a thermal conductance between the two surfaces. The thermally responsive material is offset from one of the surfaces and expands upon heating to connect the two surfaces. The thermally responsive material is a phase change composite including a phase change material selected from a paraffin wax, a hydrated salt, and combinations thereof.

An element for an easily scalable thermal energy storage, distinctive in that the element includes an outer shell being a combined casting form and reinforcement, a solid thermal storage medium in the form of hardened concrete, which concrete has been cast and hardened into said outer shell. A method for building and use of the element is also disclosed.

The invention relates to a sensible heat storage apparatus that comprises a core material that can be heated to a high temperature while it has been placed in a heat transfer fluid that absorbs essentially all the heat that is lost by any heat leakages from the core material. Accordingly, there is a very low, or almost absent overall heat loss, even though the sensible heat storage apparatus can store heat at a very high temperature. The gist of the invention is further that the high amount of heat can gradually be transferred to the HTF, which heat can in turn be put to use for domestic applications (e.g. domestic hot water and/or space heating) or for steam generation.

The invention relates to a sensible heat storage apparatus that comprises a core material that can be heated to a high temperature while it has been placed in a heat transfer fluid that absorbs essentially all the heat that is lost by any heat leakages from the core material. Accordingly, there is a very low, or almost absent overall heat loss, even though the sensible heat storage apparatus can store heat at a very high temperature. The gist of the invention is further that the high amount of heat can gradually be transferred to the HTF, which heat can in turn be put to use for domestic applications (e.g. domestic hot water and/or space heating) or for steam generation.

A measuring system for automatically determining and/or monitoring the quality of a liquid or viscous foodstuff, including a housing with an interior space for a product container for the foodstuff, the product container has a product space for the foodstuff and a lid provided with a probe with a thermometer, a heating and cooling device for the interior space, a sensor device for determining a non-temperature quality-related parameter value of the foodstuff, and a control unit designed to control the measuring system, measure, store, process and/or export the measured parameter values, and to control the heating and/or the cooling system according to a desired time-temperature program. The cooling system includes a cold buffer, a cooler for the cold buffer, and a separate refrigerant circuit. The cold buffer includes a buffer holder with a phase-transition material, wherein the refrigerant circuit includes a cooling circuit with a pump.

The invention relates to a method for maintaining the temperature of fluid media in pipes even in the event of an interruption of the fluid media flow. In a first step, a heat reservoir layer (1) is produced comprising a latent heat reservoir material (2) and a matrix material (3). In a second step, the heat reservoir layer (1) is either arranged around a pipe (4) and subsequently encased with a heat damping material (5) or the heat reservoir layer (1) is brought into contact with heat damping material (5), whereby a heat reservoir damper composite (51) is obtained, and the pipe (4) is then encased with the heat reservoir damper composite (51) such that the heat reservoir layer (1) of the heat reservoir damper composite (51) lies between the pipe (4) and the heat damping material (5) of the heat reservoir damping composite (51).

A store (1) for thermal energy, the store comprising: a housing (5) defining an internal chamber having an inlet and an outlet; and a plurality of receptacles (7) provided within the internal chamber and spaced from one another so that heat transfer fluid can flow over and around the receptacles (7) as the fluid moves from the inlet to the outlet; wherein each said receptacle (7) defines an internal cavity (9) for the storage of phase change material (PCM) so that thermal energy can transfer between the stored PCM material and the heat transfer fluid as the fluid passes over and between the receptacles.

A store (1) for thermal energy, the store comprising: a housing (5) defining an internal chamber having an inlet and an outlet; and a plurality of receptacles (7) provided within the internal chamber and spaced from one another so that heat transfer fluid can flow over and around the receptacles (7) as the fluid moves from the inlet to the outlet; wherein each said receptacle (7) defines an internal cavity (9) for the storage of phase change material (PCM) so that thermal energy can transfer between the stored PCM material and the heat transfer fluid as the fluid passes over and between the receptacles.

A climate-control system may include a first working fluid circuit, a second working fluid circuit and a storage tank. The first working fluid circuit includes a first compressor and a first heat exchanger in fluid communication with the first compressor. The second working fluid circuit includes a second compressor and a second heat exchanger in fluid communication with the second compressor. The storage tank contains a phase-change material. The first working fluid circuit and the second working fluid circuit are thermally coupled with the phase-change material contained in the storage tank.