The present disclosure relates to thermochemical heat storage units. The teachings thereof may be embodied in systems and methods for operating, including charging and discharging, a thermochemical heat storage unit. For example, a method for operating a thermochemical heat storage unit may include: producing a first steam and feeding it to a heat exchanger; partially condensing the steam with release of its thermal energy, in the heat exchanger; subsequently pressurizing water condensed from the steam; feeding the pressurized water to the heat exchanger; evaporating the water into a second steam; and storing at least a portion of the second steam in a steam storage unit.

Provided is a heat transfer device comprising: a housing; a regenerator; a first heat exchanger; and a second heat exchanger.

A capillary-driven heat transfer device is adapted to extract heat from a heat source and release this heat to a cold source using a two-phase working fluid. The device includes an evaporator having a microporous mass performing capillary pumping of fluid in the liquid phase, a condenser, a reservoir having an inner chamber and an inlet and/or outlet port, a vapor communication circuit, connecting the outlet of the evaporator to the inlet of the condenser, a liquid communication circuit, and a non-return device arranged between the inner chamber of the reservoir and the microporous mass of the evaporator, and arranged to prevent liquid present in the evaporator from moving to the inner chamber of the reservoir.

A capillary-driven heat transfer device is adapted to extract heat from a heat source and release this heat to a cold source using a two-phase working fluid. The device includes an evaporator having a microporous mass performing capillary pumping of fluid in the liquid phase, a condenser, a reservoir having an inner chamber and an inlet and/or outlet port, a vapor communication circuit, connecting the outlet of the evaporator to the inlet of the condenser, a liquid communication circuit, and a non-return device arranged between the inner chamber of the reservoir and the microporous mass of the evaporator, and arranged to prevent liquid present in the evaporator from moving to the inner chamber of the reservoir.

A cooling apparatus includes: an evaporator in which a coolant is housed and that evaporates the coolant; a condenser that condenses the coolant evaporated by the evaporator; a pathway section that includes a vapor path and a liquid path each placing the inside of the evaporator and the inside of the condenser in communication with each other, and that circulates the coolant between the evaporator and the condenser; a valve that is provided to at least one path out of the vapor path or the liquid path; and a pressure regulation section that increases an opening amount of the valve according to an increase in pressure inside the evaporator.

The present invention provides a vehicle (100) comprising: a body (4) having a skin; a heat source (12); and a thermal management system. The thermal management system comprises: a heat pipe (14) comprising: an evaporator end (close to 12) and a condenser end (close to heat exchanger 22a, 22b); a vapour arranged to flow from the evaporator end to the condenser end; and a working fluid arranged to flow from the condenser end to the evaporator end, wherein the heat pipe (14) is arranged such that the evaporator end is arranged in proximity to the heat source to absorb heat from the heat source; and one or more heat exchangers arranged in proximity to the condenser end and integrated with the skin. The present invention also provides a method of managing temperature in a vehicle.

The present invention provides a vehicle (100) comprising: a body (4) having a skin; a heat source (12); and a thermal management system. The thermal management system comprises: a heat pipe (14) comprising: an evaporator end (close to 12) and a condenser end (close to heat exchanger 22a, 22b); a vapour arranged to flow from the evaporator end to the condenser end; and a working fluid arranged to flow from the condenser end to the evaporator end, wherein the heat pipe (14) is arranged such that the evaporator end is arranged in proximity to the heat source to absorb heat from the heat source; and one or more heat exchangers arranged in proximity to the condenser end and integrated with the skin. The present invention also provides a method of managing temperature in a vehicle.

This cooling device (100) is a compressor for performing cooling by utilizing latent heat of vaporization without a compressor and is provided with a liquid feeding unit (10) for feeding a refrigerant, an evaporator (20) for evaporating the fed refrigerant, a condenser (30) for condensing the evaporated refrigerant, and a controller (50) for controlling the flow rate of the refrigerant. The controller is configured to determine whether or not dryout has occurred based on the temperature of the evaporator and the refrigerant temperature of the evaporator, the dryout being defined as a state in which a gas-phase refrigerant is in contact with an inner surface of a refrigerant flow path of the evaporator.

This cooling device (100) is a compressor for performing cooling by utilizing latent heat of vaporization without a compressor and is provided with a liquid feeding unit (10) for feeding a refrigerant, an evaporator (20) for evaporating the fed refrigerant, a condenser (30) for condensing the evaporated refrigerant, and a controller (50) for controlling the flow rate of the refrigerant. The controller is configured to determine whether or not dryout has occurred based on the temperature of the evaporator and the refrigerant temperature of the evaporator, the dryout being defined as a state in which a gas-phase refrigerant is in contact with an inner surface of a refrigerant flow path of the evaporator.

In one aspect the invention provides a heat transfer apparatus which includes a transmitter object which defines an external collection surface and an internal transmission surface. Also provided is a receiver object displaced from the transmitter object, the receiver object defining an internal receiving surface and an external heat delivery surface. A thermal conduit is provided which incorporates at least one side wall connected between the transmitter object and receiver object, this at least one side wall spanning the distance between the transmitter object and receiver object and enclosing a volume between the transmitter and receiver objects. This side wall or walls enclose the internal transmission surface of the transmitter object and the internal receiving surface of the receiver object. The transmitter object, receiver object and thermal conduit are configured to promote heat transfer predominantly towards the receiver object.