A heat exchanger incorporates a metal hydride heat exchanger and mitigates the fluid mixing process, and thus greatly improves the heat transfer efficiency and heat recovery processes. The metal hydride heat exchanger has a container for the metal hydride that has a large aspect ratio. A plurality of high aspect container for the metal hydride may be coupled with a manifold.

A structural body includes a refrigerant between a first plate and a second plate. A circulation structural part between the first and second plates includes a reservoir portion provided on a first plate side. In the circulation structural part, the refrigerant from the reservoir portion which has evaporated due to heat of the first plate side reaches a second plate side, condenses on the second plate side and is returned to the reservoir portion again. A temperature sensitive mechanism is in a first state when a temperature of the first plate side is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature to allow refrigerant circulation, and is in a second state different from the first state when the temperature is lower than the predetermined temperature to prohibit the refrigerant circulation.

There is provided a system for energy storage comprising: a fluidized bed apparatus with an energy storage material, wherein the energy storage material is provided in volumes coated with an outer layer of solid particles of a different material, wherein the volumes have a largest size in the interval 1-1000 μm and wherein the solid particles (5) have a largest size in the interval 1-500 nm. Advantages of the system include that structural changes in the energy storage material over time are minimized so that the energy storage material can be used over many cycles without any noticeable impairment. The heat transfer to and from the energy storage material is improved. The system can further be used for CO.sub.2 capture.

In one aspect, thermal management units are described herein which, in some embodiments, offer one or more advantages compared to other units for managing or controlling thermal energy. In particular, units and systems described herein incorporate one or more phase change materials (PCMs), such as one or more PCMs having a certain phase transition temperature, latent heat, and/or phase transition type. The PCMs are contained in equipment housing with the application of various components to provide management or controlling of thermal energy.

The present invention discloses a heat exchanger system for thermochemical storage and release. The system comprises a thermal exchange circuit with a heat exchanger fluid, the circuit further in thermal connection with a thermochemical module. The thermochemical module comprises a thermochemical material that stores and releases heat by a thermochemical exchange process under release or binding of a sorbate. The thermochemical module comprises a compartment structure that compartments the thermochemical material and further comprises a channel structure. This provides an exchange of the sorbate and the thermochemical material via the channel structure to the compartment structure. A method for the preparation of the compartment structure is also described. In this method, the thermochemical material is brought in a liquid phase and inserted in the compartment structure, while keeping the channel structure free from the liquid phase; and subsequently dried.

A copolymerized polycarbonate resin having, at least, a constituent unit (A) and a constituent unit (B). The constituent unit (A) is derived from a dihydroxy compound. The carbonate constituent unit (B) is derived from a polyoxyalkylene glycol. A weight ratio of the constituent unit (B) derived from a polyoxyalkylene glycol to a weight of the copolymerized polycarbonate resin is preferably more than 20 wt % and 99 wt % or less.

Thermal energy battery, comprising: an evaporator-condenser thermal energy storage (ec-TES), with an end for vapor and an end for liquid, comprising one-phase stationary material storing at least 70% of the thermal energy stored within the ec-TES, a storage tank for vapor and liquid (ST), with a vapor part at a higher elevation and a liquid part at a lower elevation, a vapor line, arranged to the vapor end of the ec-TES, for inlet and outlet of vapor, a liquid line arranged between the liquid end of the ec-TES and the liquid part of the ST, a tank vapor line arranged from the vapor part of the ST to the vapor line or the vapor end of the ec-TES, and an evaporation control valve (CV6) in the tank vapor line.

Some embodiments of the disclosure provide an ultra-low temperature phase change gel including a phase change matrix, a temperature regulator and a nucleating agent. In some embodiments, the phase change matrix is used as a host material for phase change to store and release cooling capacity, the temperature regulator is used for regulating the phase change temperature of the phase change matrix, and the nucleating agent is used for reducing a supercooling degree of the phase change matrix. The phase change matrix includes a temperature control material and water. The temperature control material includes sodium silicate, dipotassium hydrogen phosphate and aluminum sulfate, and the temperature regulator comprises polyethylene glycol. The nucleating agent includes a composite material formed by free radical polymerization of a reaction monomer and a macroinitiator. The composite material includes polyacrylic acid grafted with silica hybrid nano particles.

The invention provides a system for energy distribution that uses liquid carbon dioxide as a working fluid. Evaporation of the carbon dioxide provides cooling, and compression of the carbon dioxide gas back to the liquid state provides heat. The amount of heat transferred at both stages is sufficient to provide environmental heating and cooling. Waste thermal energy from a power plant, in the form of hot water, is fed into the system and used to drive the overall process. An underground thermal energy storage system is used to store energy flowing into the system that is in excess of the current demand.

A heat storage device including a metal layer containing a protrusion-and-recess-shaped object, in which the protrusion-and-recess-shaped object has an average height of 100 nm or more and 1,000 nm or less.