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 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.

Devices that incorporate phase change materials in containment vessels promote conduction of thermal energy between the phase change materials within the containment vessels and the surrounding air. In some embodiments, the containment vessels are transparent to enable visual awareness of the operation and functionality of the PCMs. In some embodiments, the containment vessels are design to passively promote air flow across the surfaces of the containment vessels. In some embodiments, the containment vessels include embedded structures to promote the conduction of thermal energy to and from the interior of the containment vessel. In some of these embodiments, the intent is to target the location of crystal ‘seeds’ and control crystal growth, thus gaining greater control over thermal transfer.

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.

Synergistic Energy Ecosystem using a co-generation system and method wherein waste energy from waste heat producers within an enclosure including an electric generator is reclaimed to supply heat to the cold end of a heat pump within the enclosure for optimized use in space heating a habitat and to the management of the distribution of electricity from the generator so as to supply electricity to the habitat and to neighbouring habitats when efficient, cost-effective or required to do so by distribution policies managing the energy eco-system.

The invention comprises at least one gas compressor, at least one compressed gas storage, at least one expander for expanding the compressed gas for generating energy, and at least one heat storage, wherein the heat storage comprises a staged arrangement at least two fixed beds of heat storage particles and at least one discontinuity in a thermal gradient located between two adjacent beds.

A cooling circuit comprising a liquid circulation path and arranged on the path: in series, an engine and a radiator, mounted on a first branch in parallel between the inlet and outlet of the radiator, a store-exchanger containing at least one volume: enclosing elements for storing and releasing thermal energy, involving a phase change material PCM, placed in a heat exchange relationship with said liquid, and around which are arranged at least one first layer containing a PCM and one second layer containing a porous thermally insulating material, and valves so positioned as to direct the circulation of the liquid arriving from the engine toward the radiator and/or the store-exchanger.

This present disclosure provides a vessel assembly for use in temperature sensitive shipping that can maintain a payload temperature across a range of temperatures. Importantly, the vessel assembly of the present disclosure reduces the overall packaging materials used in a shipper box and prevents the “wrong” mixture of PCM-containing vessels from being used.

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.