Heat storage system

• US 10,502,117 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2015
• Issued: 12/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Fuse, Takuya, Kasamatsu, Shinya, Kono, Yasushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ciric, Ljiljana V.
• Application Number:
  US15/329,617
• Publication Number:
  US 20170218825A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,615 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00492 comprising regenerative heating or cooling means, e.g. heat accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00499 Heat or cold storage without phase change including solid bodies, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/92 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2610/10 the substance being heated, e.g. by heating tank or supply line of the added substance
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/20 specially adapted for catalytic conversion F01N3/22 takes precedence; Methods of operation or control of catalytic converters
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/206 Adding periodically or continuously substances to exhaust gases for promoting purification, e.g. catalytic material in liquid form, NOx reducing agents F01N3/2066 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/24 characterised by constructional aspects of converting apparatus filtering in combination with catalytic reactors F01N3/035
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 5/02 the devices using heat
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2060/04 Lubricant cooler
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 3/20 Cooling circuits not specific to a single part of engine or machine F01P3/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 17/02 using rigid bodies, e.g. of porous material
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 20/0056 using solid heat storage material F28D20/0052 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 20/02 using latent heat
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 2020/0078 Heat exchanger arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 2021/008 for vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 21/081 Heat exchange elements made from metals or metal alloys
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 7/02 Blocks traversed by passages for heat-exchange media F28D7/0008 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/14 Thermal energy storage

Abstract

A heat storage system has a heat source that generates heat and releases the heat to a first heat medium and a heat storage body that stores heat. The heat storage body changes to a first phase in a solid state when a temperature of the heat storage body is lower than or equal to a phase transition temperature, and changes to a second phase in a solid state when a temperature of the heat storage body exceeds the phase transition temperature. The heat storage body stores or releases heat due to a phase transition between the first phase and the second phase. A mode of operation of the heat storage body is switchable between a heat storage mode in which the heat storage body stores heat of the first heat medium and a heat release mode in which the heat storage body releases the heat stored in the heat storage body to a heat transfer target.

Claims

1. A heat storage system comprising:

a heat source that is operable to generate heat and release the heat to a first heat medium;

a heat storage body that is operable to store the heat released from the heat source via the first heat medium; and

a flow passage through which the first heat medium can flow between the heat source and the heat storage body, wherein

the heat storage body is operable to change to a first phase in a solid state when a temperature of the heat storage body is lower than or equal to a phase transition temperature, and is operable to change to a second phase in a solid state when a temperature of the heat storage body exceeds the phase transition temperature,

the heat storage body is operable to store or release heat due to a phase transition between the first phase and the second phase, and

wherein a mode of operation of the heat storage body is switchable between a heat storage mode in which the heat storage body stores heat of the first heat medium and a heat release mode in which the heat storage body releases the heat stored in the heat storage body to a heat transfer target.

2. The heat storage system according to claim 1, the heat storage system being disposed in a vehicle, wherein

the heat source is an energy converter that is operable to release heat to the first heat medium when converting an energy supplied from outside of the vehicle into driving energy for running the vehicle.

3. The heat storage system according to claim 2, wherein

the first heat medium is a liquid that can receive heat from or supply heat to the energy converter.

4. The heat storage system according to claim 2, wherein

the first heat medium is a gas that can be discharged from the energy converter.

5. The heat storage system according to claim 3, wherein

the heat transfer target is the energy converter, and

the heat storage body is configured to release heat stored in the heat storage body to the energy converter through the first heat medium in the heat release mode.

6. The heat storage system according to claim 3, wherein

the heat transfer target is a heating target other than the energy converter,

the vehicle has a second heat medium passage in which a second heat medium for receiving or supplying heat between the heat storage body may flow, and

the heat storage body is operable to release heat stored in the heat storage body to the heating target through the second heat medium in the heat release mode.

7. The heat storage system according to claim 4, wherein

the heat transfer target is a heating target other than the energy converter, and

the heat storage body is operable to release heat stored in the heat storage body to the heating target through the first heat medium in the heat release mode.

8. The heat storage system according to claim 4, wherein

the heat transfer target is the energy converter,

the vehicle has a second heat medium passage in which a second heat medium for receiving or supplying heat between each of the heat storage body and the energy converter may flow,

the second heat medium passage is provided separately from a first heat medium passage in which the first heat medium may flow,

the heat storage body is operable to store heat of the first heat medium in the heat storage mode, and

the heat storage body is operable to release the heat stored in the heat storage body to the energy converter through the second heat medium in the heat release mode.

9. The heat storage system according to claim 1, wherein

the heat storage body has

a heat storage layer that is made of a strongly correlated electron system compound and

a high heat conductivity layer that is made of a material having a greater heat conductivity relative to the heat storage layer.

10. The heat storage system according to claim 1, wherein

the heat storage body is configured by a compound that includes a strongly correlated electron system compound and an inorganic compound.

11. The heat storage system according to claim 1, wherein

the heat storage body has

a heat storage layer that is made of a strongly correlated electron system compound and

a heat transfer part that is operable to increase a heat transfer area transferring heat between the heat storage layer.

12. The heat storage system according to claim 1, wherein

the heat storage body includes a heat storage material that is operable to store the heat released from the heat source via the first heat medium,

the heat storage material of the heat storage body is operable to change to the first phase in a solid state when a temperature of the heat storage material is lower than or equal to the phase transition temperature, and change to the second phase in a solid state when a temperature of the heat storage material exceeds the phase transition temperature,

the heat storage body includes a body portion made of the heat storage material,

the body portion has a rectangular cuboid shape, and

the body portion includes multiple holes through which the first heat medium may pass.