Heat exchanger device comprising a tubing for receiving and delivering a heat transfer fluid; a phase-change material, PCM, encompassing said tubing; a plurality of cells receiving the phase-change material, PCM, such that the flow of the heat transfer fluid in said tubing causes each cell PCM to change phase gradually in the direction of the inlet to the outlet. The cells may be closed cells or open cells, the tubing may comprise fins and the exchanger may comprise an external tank for containing the PCM. The heat exchanger may comprise a second tubing for receiving and delivering a second heat transfer fluid, wherein the second tubing is connected to the PCM cells and/or to the fins of the first tubing, such that heat is transferred between the first tubing and the second tubing as each cell PCM gradually changes phase.

A temperature regulation and management system is provide that has an inner wall and an outer wall forming a space for accommodating a phase change material (PCM) with the space between the walls, in one or both of the walls, or a combination of such locations. The inner wall is in contact with an object that requires temperature regulation within a specified operating range, such as a vehicle battery pack. The inner wall and the outer wall are both formed from sheet molding compound (SMC), or the outer wall if formed of a filled polyurethane.

The invention relates to a system for the storage and recovery of thermal energy, using, as its medium, at least one phase change material (solid-liquid) and a sensible heat solid material for storing/recovering the heat obtained from an external source in the form of phase change latent heat and sensible heat. The aforementioned materials are duly housed inside a single tank containing at least two zones which are differentiated by the range of temperatures to which they are subjected, each zone containing a different material. The most common configuration consists of three different zones located inside the tank, namely: a hot zone in the upper part of the tank, enclosing an encapsulated phase change material characterized by a high melting temperature; a cold zone housed in the lower part of the tank, containing a phase change material with a low melting temperature; and a middle zone containing a sensible heat solid material.

An air-permeable carrier includes at least one temperature adjusting unit and a carrier body having a plurality of pores. The temperature adjusting unit includes an adhesive and a plurality of phase change microcapsules. The temperature adjusting unit is distributed and fixedly embedded within the carrier body by an adhesive-dispensing injection process, such that the temperature adjusting unit is filled in at least one of the pores in a partial region of the carrier body to form at least one temperature adjusting region at a position corresponding and proximate to the temperature adjusting unit. Each horizontal distance or vertical distance between any two adjacent temperature adjusting units can be substantially the same or different, so that when a user leans against the carrier, phase change microcapsules can be communicated with air from the surrounding environment through the pores to achieve the effect of heat adjustment.

A microcapsule, in particular of spherical shape, having a hollow capsule core encased by a capsule shell, characterized in that the capsule shell is at least partially made of hydrated cementitious material. A method for the production of a microcapsule includes the steps of: a) preparing of a suspension of particulate cementitious material in a solvent b) preparing a dispersion by mixing the suspension of step a) with an immiscible fluid so that (i) the suspension is present as a dispersed phase in the fluid as a dispersion medium or that (ii) the fluid is present as the dispersed phase in the suspension as the dispersion medium, such that the particulate material of the suspension adsorbs at least partially at a phase boundary between the fluid and the suspension, and c) allowing the particulate material adsorbed at the phase boundary to hydrate with the formation of an individual microcapsule.

A system including modular units of packaged phase change material; means to secure the modular units of packaged phase change material to a roof of a structure; and wherein the phase change material being packaged in an infrared reflective and ultraviolet stable material. A housing may also be used to retain the modular units of packaged phase change material. The phase change material serves to reduce the energy load of the structure.

A refrigerator includes a cabinet, a first inner case that defines a freezing compartment, a second inner case that defines a refrigerating compartment, a thermal siphon unit that is configured to carry a working fluid for heat transfer and that has a closed loop shape that includes a first part arranged at an outer side of the first inner case and a second part arranged at an outer side of the second inner case, and a cool air storage unit arranged in a space partitioned in the first inner case. The cool air storage unit is configured to accommodate cool air of the freezing compartment and transfer the cool air to the first part of the thermal siphon unit arranged outside of the first inner case.

An improved process of making a benefit agent delivery particle and an improved microcapsule made by such process are disclosed. The process comprises the steps of providing a first composition of water phase 1, water phase 2, water phase 3 and an oil phase, where a water phase multifunctional (meth)acrylate monomer is selected to have a hydrophilicity index of least 25, or even at least 30 and the oil phase multifunctional (meth)acrylate monomer has a hydrophilicity index of 25 or less, or even 20 or less. The water phases comprise water, initiator, a water-soluble or dispersible amine(meth)acrylate or hydroxyl(meth)acrylate, a multifunctional (meth)acrylate and one water phase comprises water, carboxyalkyl(meth)acrylate and a base or quaternary ammonium acrylate. Water phases are combined to prereact the hydroxy- or amine(meth)acrylate and the multifunctional (meth)acrylate to form a multifunctional hydroxyl-amine(meth)acrylate pre-polymer. The pre-polymer is combined with the remaining water phase and an emulsion is formed by emulsifying under high shear agitation, an oil phase comprising a multifunctional (meth)acrylate monomer and a benefit agent core material thereby forming a wall surrounding the benefit agent core material.

Disclosed is a composition including controlled release particles, wherein each of the controlled release particles includes: (a) a core including at least one hydrophobic active ingredient; and (b) a wall at least partially surrounding the core and including the reaction products of: (i) an organofunctional silane; (ii) an epoxy; (iii) an amine; (iv) an isocyanate; (v) an epoxide curing agent; wherein the controlled release particles are effective to retain the at least one hydrophobic active ingredient upon exposure to water and effective to release the at least one hydrophobic active ingredient in response to friction. A method for preparing the composition is also disclosed.

A modular thermal energy storage system for storing and transferring thermal energy at a wide range of temperatures. The system includes processing control circuitry, heat transfer fluid (HTF), piping, valves, pumps, a thermal energy source, and a reconfigurable thermal energy storage (TES) tank implemented in one or more insulated shipping containers. Different types of replaceable thermal energy storage material in the TES tank can store thermal energy in a range of −30° F. to temperatures greater than +200° F. The system receives HTF from a customer load and charges the HTF to a desired temperature. Charged HTF in the TES tank transfers thermal energy to and from the storage material. When the stored thermal energy is needed, the system passes a non-charged thermal fluid through the TES tank to draw out the thermal energy through the charged HTF, and transfers the thermal energy to the customer load.