A heat storage apparatus according to the present disclosure includes a heat storage material and a member. The heat storage material forms a clathrate hydrate by cooling. The member has a surface with a plurality of holes. In the case that the lattice constant of the clathrate hydrate is denoted by L and the outside diameter of a cage included in the clathrate hydrate is denoted by D, the plurality of holes are spaced at intervals of 1L to 10L, and each of the plurality of holes has a hole diameter of 1D to 20D.

Method and system for maintaining temperature-sensitive materials within a target temperature range for an extended time. In one embodiment, the system keeps materials within a temperature range of +2 C. to +8 C. and includes an insulated container, a product box, ice packs, and organic phase-change material (PCM) packs. The ice packs are preconditioned to a very low temperature, such as 20 C. The organic PCM packs do not require preconditioning and may be kept at room temperature. In use, the frozen ice packs and the warm organic PCM packs may be loaded into the insulated container, together with a payload in the product box. Preferably, the frozen ice packs are sandwiched between a pair of organic PCM packs on each face of the product box. The masses of ice and organic PCM are selected so that, upon thermal equilibration, the ice and organic PCM are within the target temperature range.

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.

An apparatus includes multiple layers of phase-stable material, where adjacent layers of the phase-stable material are separated by multiple spaces. The apparatus also includes liquid phase change material in the spaces between the adjacent layers of the phase-stable material. The liquid phase change material is configured to become gaseous phase change material based on thermal energy absorbed by the liquid phase change material. The apparatus further includes at least one release configured to block passage of the liquid phase change material out of the spaces between the adjacent layers of the phase-stable material. The at least one release is also configured to allow passage of the gaseous phase change material out of the spaces between the adjacent layers of the phase-stable material.

The heat sink with condensing fins and phase change material is formed from a thermally conductive housing, an internal chamber, and a body of liquid phase change material. The thermally conductive housing has a first wall and an opposed second wall and forms an internal chamber. The first wall of the thermally conductive housing is adapted to be in direct contact with one or more heat sources. The body of liquid phase change material is disposed within the internal chamber. The second wall of the thermally conductive housing is adapted to form a plurality of condensing fins. The plurality of condensing fins may contain at least one high thermal conductivity rod. In some embodiments, a high thermal conductivity medium, such as gallium, is disposed within the internal chamber in direct contact with the first wall of the thermally conductive housing.

Thermal management systems are described herein. A thermal management system includes components of a computing device. The computing device includes a heat generating component and a heat spreader physically connected to the heat generating component. The heat spreader includes a first surface and a second surface. The second surface is closer to the heat generating component than the first surface is to the heat generating component. The computing device also includes a layer of phase change material on at least a portion of the first surface, the second surface, or the first surface and the second surface of the heat spreader.

The invention relates to thermal management aimed at maintaining the temperature inside a space. The proposed assembly includes the space and a device arranged around same, placed in an outdoor environment exposed to a non-constant temperature and including at least one thermally insulating element inserted between the inner space and the outdoor environment and, from the inside towards the outside: an inner heat-storage element made of PCM material and an outer thermal barrier containing several PCMs. The invention also includes a cooling unit for provisionally providing, in the inner space, a charge fluid, at least at a temperature that is different from those of the temperature to be maintained, in heat transfer with the PCM of the inner element, so as to store thermal energy.

A thermal energy storage unit is disclosed. The system comprising: a tube having at least one inlet and at least one outlet for a first fluid; a plurality of plate-shaped or box-shaped capsules having a second fluid therein, wherein the plurality of capsules is arranged inside the tube to form a plurality of stacks of capsules; wherein: the first fluid is a heat transfer fluid for exchanging heat with the second fluid; the second fluid is a phase-change medium; wherein a plurality of defined narrow flow paths for the first fluid is provided between the capsules. The defined flow paths increase the efficiency of the system.

A thermal energy storage apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus may include a base and fluid flow plates which cooperate with the base to define a cavity; a phase change material contained within the cavity; an external seed crystal reservoir trigger assembly at least partially positioned within the phase change material; and end plates which cooperate with the fluid flow plates to define fluid flow channels. The apparatus may include a housing that holds a heat exchanger and phase change material. Inlet and outlet ports allow for the ingress and egress of a heat exchange fluid into the fluid flow channels or heat exchanger. In operation, actuation of the external seed crystal reservoir trigger assembly to an open state induces solidification of at least a portion of the phase change material from a supercooled liquid state to a solid state, releasing thermal energy, allowing for the transfer of thermal energy across the fluid flow plates or heat exchanger from the phase change material to the heat exchange fluid.

The present invention relates to a heat exchanger enhancing heat exchange efficiency between a heating medium and combustion heat of a burner, the heat exchanger being provided with a heat exchange unit having heating medium flow channels through which a heating medium flows and combustion gas flow channels through which combustion gas combusted in the burner flows to be alternately formed and adjacent to each other in spaces between a plurality of plates, wherein the heat exchange unit comprises: a sensible heat unit which surrounds the outer side of a combustion chamber, is formed of one side area of the plates, and heats the heating medium by using sensible heat of combustion gas generated by the combustion of the burner; and a latent heat unit which is formed of the other side area of the plates, and heats the heating medium by using latent heat of water vapor included in combustion gas that has finished undergoing heat exchange in the sensible heat unit, wherein the heating medium flow channels of the sensible heat unit have guide units formed thereon for inducing the heating medium to flow towards the center of the combustion chamber.