A thermal barrier for helping maintain a temperature in a volumes and/or at least one internal structural component surrounded by said barrier. The barrier comprises a first component containing at least one phase change material (PCM) that changes its state at a first temperature, a second component containing a PCM that changes its state at a second temperature which is different from the first temperature, and a third, thermally insulating component that is disposed between the first and second components containing a PCM or outside the second component.

A cold energy storage evaporator is used in a vehicle refrigeration cycle device configured to cool a vehicle compartment. The cold energy storage evaporator includes a refrigerant tube through which a refrigerant flows, and a cold energy storage member that is in close contact with the refrigerant tube, the cold energy container accommodating therein a cold energy storage member configured to freeze due to heat absorption by the refrigerant. A melting point of the cold energy storage member is higher than 11 degrees Celsius.

The invention relates to a phase-change material reservoir 9 for a heat exchanger of an air-conditioning installation of a vehicle, the reservoir 9 being arranged between two reservoir plates 10a, 10b and having filling means 14, characterized in that the filling means 14 include at least one tube 15 delimiting a filling channel 19 arranged outside the reservoir 9against a first plate 10a of the reservoir 9.

A heat exchanger assembly is provided. The heat exchanger assembly may comprise a hot layer disposed between at least two cold layers. The hot layer may comprise a hot layer fin disposed within a hot layer closure bar. The hot layer closure bar may comprise a parting sheet support coupled to a frame. The parting sheet support may be configured to support a parting sheet while also allowing a fluid flow through the hot layer. The parting sheet support may comprise fluid channels configured to allow the fluid flow through the parting sheet support.

A storage evaporator for an air conditioning system in a vehicle is provided that includes phase change material-containing tubes arranged side-by-side in contact with refrigerant-containing tubes. The storage evaporator includes an upper coolant tank, a lower coolant tank, refrigerant-containing tubes fluidly connecting said tanks; and phase change material-containing tubes provided in contact with said refrigerant tubes. The refrigerant tubes have flat sides and the phase change material-containing tubes have flat sides. The flat sides of the refrigerant tubes are attached to the flat sides of said phase change material-containing tubes. The phase change material may be any of several materials and may an eutectic, a salt hydrate, and an organic material. In operation, cold energy is stored in the phase change material when the air conditioning compressor is in its On position. This cold energy is released from the phase change material when the compressor is in its Off position.

A heat sink includes a core body. The core body defines a coolant plenum, sealed first and second chambers, and first and second coolant conduits. The sealed first and second chambers each house a phase change material. The first and second coolant conduits are separated from one another by the coolant plenum and are in fluid communication with the coolant plenum for transferring heat between coolant flowing through the core body and the phase change material.

A storage evaporator for an air conditioning system in a vehicle is includes phase change material-containing tubes arranged side-by-side in contact with refrigerant-containing tubes. The storage evaporator includes an upper coolant tank, a lower coolant tank, refrigerant-containing tubes fluidly the connecting tanks, and phase change material-containing tubes provided in contact with the refrigerant tubes. The refrigerant tubes have flat sides and the phase change material-containing tubes have flat sides. The flat sides of the refrigerant tubes are attached to the flat sides of the phase change material-containing tubes. The phase change material may be any of several materials and may an eutectic, a salt hydrate, and an organic material. In operation, cold energy is stored in the phase change material when the air conditioning compressor is in its on position. This cold energy is released from the phase change material when the compressor is in its off position.

A vapor chamber that emits a non-uniform radiative heat flux. The vapor chamber may have a convection cavity that contains a working fluid and outer surfaces that have two or more emissivity regions to dissipate heat from the working fluid at non-uniform levels of radiative heat flux. The non-uniform levels of radiative heat flux may result from exposure to emissivity decreasing surface treatments and/or emissivity increasing surface treatments. The vapor chamber may be utilized in thermal management systems to protect heat-sensitive components from thermal radiation that results from heat being dissipated from a heat source. For example, the vapor chamber may be oriented with respect to a heat-sensitive component so that thermal radiation is emitted at a higher radiative heat flux away from the heat-sensitive component than towards the heat-sensitive component.

A body for cooling and heating formed from a mixture of a porous medium and a phase change material whereby at least some of the phase change material is absorbed within the pore structure of the porous medium.

According to an embodiment of the disclosure, an encapsulated phase change material (PCM) heat sink is provided. The encapsulated PCM heat sink includes a lower shell, an upper shell, an encapsulated phase change material, and an internal matrix. The internal matrix includes a space that is configured to receive the encapsulated phase change material. Thermal energy is transferrable between the encapsulated phase change material and at least one of the lower shell and the upper shell. For a particular embodiment, the upper shell is coupled to the lower shell at room temperature and room pressure.