This invention relates to a portable or fixed solar powered heating ventilation air conditioner (HVAC) system. The disclosed invention consists of the following major components. 1) Solar Hot Water Tank/Storage Tank, 2) Solar Generator, 3) Solar HVAC Heat Exchanger Unit, 4) Solar Grill, 5) Wireless Network Energy Monitoring System and 6) Supervisor Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system. Also included is a list of appliances that the HVAC system can be configured to function as: a) refrigerator, b) air purifier/fan, c) pressure cooker, d) drink dispenser, and e) pressurized hot water supply. The HVAC system and above listed appliances is designed to be used in homes, businesses, camping, military, hospitals, FEMA and in developing countries with very little electrical or plumbing infrastructure. The HVAC is capable of supplying all the above mention functions while being powered solely on solar power, solar hot water/fluid or geothermal and a chilled water source, therefore creating a NetZero Energy Machine that required no power from a utility grid when properly sized.

A technique facilitates removal of heat. The technique involves moving a process fluid through a buffer tank which is combined with a heat exchange system. The heat exchange system includes a conduit carrying a coolant fluid which removes excess heat from a heat source. The conduit is routed to the buffer tank so that the cooler process fluid moving through the buffer tank is able to remove heat from the coolant fluid before it is routed back to the heat source for continued heat removal. In a well application, for example, a heat source, e.g. an electric motor, may be located on a transport vehicle and cooled by the coolant fluid. The heat transferred to the coolant fluid from the heat source is removed by routing the coolant fluid through the conduit associated with the buffer tank. This enables the cooler process fluid in the buffer tank to be used in lowering the temperature of the coolant fluid.

Apparatuses for maintaining a solid as a melt (e.g., for storage or transport) may comprise: a closed vessel having an upper section and a lower section; a pool of a heat-receiving fluid located in the lower section; at least one product circulation conduit located in the lower section and at least partially immersed in the pool of the heat-receiving fluid; and a cooling fluid conduit located in the upper section and spaced apart from the pool of the heat-receiving fluid, the cooling fluid conduit being in thermal communication with vapor produced from the heat-receiving fluid; wherein a cooling fluid is present in the cooling fluid conduit.

In one aspect, thermal energy storage systems are described herein. In some embodiments, a thermal energy storage system comprises a thermal energy storage system comprising a container and a heat exchange apparatus disposed within the container. The heat exchange apparatus comprises a tank, a manifold at least partially disposed within the tank, and a phase change material disposed within the tank and in thermal contact with the manifold.

A system for receiving, transferring, and storing solar thermal energy. The system includes a concentrating solar energy collector, a transfer conduit, a thermal storage material, and an insulated container. The insulated container contains the thermal storage material, and the transfer conduit is configured to transfer solar energy collected by the solar energy collector to the thermal storage material through a wall of the insulated container.

In one embodiment, there is provided a device for a vehicle, having: a first interface configured to couple to at least one replaceable fluid container for a vehicle comprising a battery, the first interface comprising at least one fluid port configured to couple to at least one fluid port of the replaceable fluid container; a second interface configured to couple to an engine of the vehicle, the second interface comprising at least one fluid port configured to couple to at least one fluid port of a fluid circulation system of the vehicle; a fluid path coupled to at least one fluid port of the first interface and at least one fluid port of the second interface; and at least one electrical pump configured to be powered and/or driven by the battery of the vehicle and to cause fluid flow.

In one embodiment, there is provided a heat exchanger for equipment, having: at least one phase change material; and at least one heat exchange interface for heat exchange between the phase change material and a fluid flowing within, into and/or from a replaceable fluid container for the equipment, the replaceable fluid container having at least one fluid port adapted to couple to a fluid circulation system of the equipment when the replaceable container is coupled to a dock.

A thermal energy storage system utilizes a high temperature storage segment having flow passages extending through the storage segment whereby a working fluid can extract energy from the storage system for powering conventional downstream equipment. A mixing manifold cooperates with an outlet manifold for reducing the temperature of the working fluid to a temperature safe for the downstream equipment. The mixing manifold, an outlet manifold, an inlet manifold and a support base for the high temperature storage segment, are all of a high temperature tolerant material allowing the high temperature storage segment to operate at temperatures in excess of 1000? C. and preferably to temperatures above 1400? C. The temperature of the working fluid provided to the conventional equipment can be managed to be below a maximum temperature which in many cases may be about 700? C.

A thermal battery includes a heat sink material that remains solid across an operating temperature range (i.e., for all operating modes) of the battery, and a heat conductive material in direct heat transfer relationship with the solid heat sink material. The heat conductive material has a melting point below that of the heat sink material so that in use the heat conductive material is a fluid, for example molten when the heat conductive material is a metal, in the operating temperature range of the battery.

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.