The present disclosure is directed to materials that can be used in a heat storage and transfer, and an improved method for storing thermal energy which includes a high heat capacity thermal energy storage system using pumped or flowing metallic phase change materials (MPCs). Heat is added by pumping a cold fluid of MPCs mixed with a fluid media such as a molten glass and/or salt from a tank through a heat exchanger, solar receiver, or electrical heater cell and returning the heated fluid to a tank, or solid MPCs can be transported physically, or via gas transport such as entrained flow or a circulating fluid bed. In the heat exchanger, heat can optionally be transferred directly to a counterflowing gas or other fluid, or indirectly through heat exchanger walls to a working fluid, which can be steam, CO.sub.2 or sCO.sub.2, He, H.sub.2, process gas, and/or heat transfer fluid. The MPCs (encapsulated MPCs, non-coated MPCs) are solid-liquid and/or solid-solid phase change particles, salts, metals, or other compounds with a melting point between the hot and cold fluid temperatures, and can optionally include high heat capacity, and/or energy absorbing (IR and divisible) nanoparticles.

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.

The heat sink is a body or block of solid-phase gallium having a plurality of sealed cavities defined therein containing an unencapsulated phase change material (other than gallium). The solid-phase gallium may be disposed in a container having at least one open face (contact face) adapted for direct contact with the heat source requiring cooling so that the interface between the heat source and the heat sink includes a region of melted gallium for improved heat transfer. Heat from the heat source is rapidly conducted through the region of melted gallium, then through solid-phase gallium, and is absorbed by the phase change material in the cavities without significant change in temperature, maintaining viability of the heat sink. The heat sink may include inclined tubes through the solid-phase body of gallium, the tubes being open at opposite ends for passage of a cooling medium, such as air or cold water.

To provide heat exchanger elements which allow the creation of Enthalpy exchangers whereby the efficiency of sensible energy exchange and latent energy exchange can be varied and controlled and especially improved, a method for the production of heat exchanger elements is provided including a) producing a plate element with defined outer dimensions and corrugations in the area within a border, b) perforating the plate in predefined areas and in predefined dimensions, c) filling the perforations with a polymer with latent energy recovery capability and d) curing the polymer.

Nanostructured phase change materials (PCMs) which are heterogeneous materials having at least two phases, at least one of the phases having at least one of its dimensions in the nanoscale, and comprising a first agent that undergoes an endothermic phase transition at a desired temperature and a second agent that assists in maintaining a nanostructure, are provided. There are also provided methods for manufacturing such PCMs, and applications thereof for providing thermoregulatory coatings and articles containing such coatings for use in a wide range of applications, such as cooling textiles, wipes, packaging, films, walls and building materials.

The present invention relates to a tube with a reservoir of phase-change material (1) comprising: two flow plates (3) configured to be assembled with one another, at least one reservoir plate (5) being configured to be assembled onto an external face of one of the two flow plates (3) so as to form housings,
said tube with a reservoir of phase-change material (1) further comprising a filling duct (200), said filling duct (200) being formed, on the one hand, by a filling spout (201) of the reservoir plate (5) towards the outside and, on the other hand, by the external face of one of the two flow plates (3), said filling duct (200) further comprising a plug (210), said filling duct (200) and said plug (210) being contained within a volume of width smaller than or equal to the width of the tube with a reservoir of phase-change material (1) and of height less than or equal to the height of the housings.

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.

Methods and system for operating a thermal storage device of a vehicle system are provided. In one example, a method comprises determining a state of charge of the thermal battery based on an accurate estimation of a melting temperature of one or more phase change materials (PCMs) at a specific aggregate pressure inside the thermal storage device. Variation in melting temperature of the PCM may be minimized by reducing pressure variation inside the thermal storage device by regulating a position of one or more pressure relief valves of the thermal storage device.

A method is disclosed for the operation of a mixing container of a latent heat storage unit, whereby a heat storage fluid changes between a liquid phase and a solid phase, and has a higher density than a heat transfer fluid. In this method, by virtue of the geometry of the mixing container as well as the flow path of the heat storage fluid and the heat transfer fluid through the mixing container, the solid and the liquid heat storage fluids are concentrated after being mixed with the heat transfer fluid and they are subsequently separated from the heat transfer fluid at a boundary layer and withdrawn from the heat storage fluid by a flow induced below the boundary layer in the direction of an ice reservoir via a pipeline, and subsequently, the liquid heat storage fluid is separated from the solid heat storage fluid in the ice reservoir.

The heat sink with opposed elements providing a temperature gradient has first and second thermally conductive elements disposed diametrically opposite each other on opposite sides of a chamber filled with a thermally conductive phase change material (PCM). The first and second thermally conductive elements ascend vertically from a thermoconductive base of the PCM chamber, which is adapted for mounting on the case of a heat source, such as an electronic component that generates heat or has heat applied thereto from its surroundings during operation. The first thermally conductive element is maintained hotter than the second thermally conductive element to provide a temperature gradient across the PCM chamber. The PCM melts as heat is absorbed. Convection currents are induced in the melting PCM that facilitate heat absorption from the heat source while maintaining the heat sink at a relatively low temperature by dissipation of heat through the second thermally conductive element.