Method of cooling or heating a means of transport and a means of transport

• US 20060169277A1
• Filed: 07/16/2004
• Published: 08/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Navigant Netherlands BV (Guidehouse LLP)
• Original Assignee: Navigant Netherlands BV (Guidehouse LLP)
• Inventors: Van der Waart, Anne-Sophie, Opdam, Joannes Jozef Gerardus
• Granted Patent: US 7,740,053 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 126/400
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00492 comprising regenerative heating or cooling means, e.g. heat accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 16/00 Devices using a combination of a cooling mode associated with refrigerating machinery with a cooling mode not associated with refrigerating machinery
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 17/02 for circulating liquids, e.g. brine
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 3/06 Movable containers

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of maintaining a space in a means of transport, such as a vehicle, at a desired temperature. The vehicle is provided with a storage tank containing a medium having a suitable temperature. According to the invention the storage tank is part of the transport means, the storage tank possesses an inlet opening for increasing the capacity for maintaining the space at the desired temperature, and is this achieved i) by feeding through the inlet opening a regenerating medium-comprising liquid and, after heat exchange between the regenerating medium and the medium, discharging the regenerating medium-comprising liquid; or ii) by via the inlet opening replacing the medium in the storage tank comprising liquid with medium-comprising liquid having a greater capacity of maintaining the space at the desired temperature.

Claims

1. A method of maintaining a space in a means of transport at a desired temperature, which means of transport is in an environment whose ambient temperature is different from the desired temperature, wherein the means of transport possesses a storage tank containing a medium having a third temperature, which temperature is selected such that the desired temperature lies between the third temperature and the ambient temperature, wherein during transport heat exchange takes place between the storage tank and the space for maintaining the space of the transport means at the desired temperature during transport with the result of a medium having a reduced capacity for maintaining the space at the desired temperature, and when the means of transport stands still, the capacity for maintaining the space at the desired temperature is increased with the aid of a device that does not form part of the means of transport, wherein the medium in the storage tank comprises solid elements with which the storage tank is filled, the solid elements having capacity to maintain the space at the desired temperature, and wherein the storage tank possesses an inlet opening for increasing the capacity of maintaining the space at the desired temperature, and wherein this is achieved by feeding through the inlet opening a regenerating medium-comprising liquid to surround the solid elements and, after heat exchange between the regenerating medium and the solid elements, discharging the regenerating medium-comprising liquid.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein as the medium a phase change material is used.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein at least 50% of the regenerating liquid medium surrounding the solid elements is removed from the storage tank and the remaining medium is used for maintaining the space at the desired temperature.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the remaining liquid medium is used as medium for maintaining the space at the desired temperature by circulating it in a heat exchanging relationship with that space, wherein the medium after exchanging heat with the space is introduced into the storage tank at the top and allowed to flow downward along the solid elements.

5. A method according to claim 3, wherein a further medium is used as medium by circulating it in the space in a heat-exchanging relationship with that space, with the remaining liquid medium being pumped from the bottom of the storage tank upward in order to be brought in contact with the solid elements in the top of the storage tank, and the further medium after heat exchange with the space at the bottom of the storage tank is brought into a heat-exchanging relationship with the liquid medium that flowed downward over the solid elements.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein between the device for increasing the capacity of maintaining the space at a desired temperature and the transport means a buffer vat is provided.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the transport means is an electric vehicle and the space being heated is the space for the passengers.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the space is a space to be cooled, the transport means possesses a storage tank containing a medium with a low temperature, cold is withdrawn from the medium in order to maintain the space of the transport means at a desired temperature during transport which results in a medium having a reduced cooling capacity, and during standstill of the transport means the cooling capacity is increased with the aid of a cooling device, which is not part of the transport means, the storage tank is part of the transport means, the storage tank possesses an inlet opening for increasing the cooling capacity, and the cooling capacity is increased by i) feeding a cooling medium through the inlet opening and discharging heated cooling medium, with the cooling medium having a lower temperature than the medium in the storage tank;

or ii) the medium in the storage tank is replaced via the inlet opening with medium having a greater cooling capacity.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the medium is a slurry comprised of ice and an agent lowering the freezing point.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein the inlet opening is provided outside the space and the capacity of maintaining the space at the desired temperature is improved without opening the space.

11. A transport means having a space that can be cooled by using a storage tank in which a medium can be contained and means are present for conducting the cold to the space, wherein the transport means possesses a storage tank which is connected therewith having an inlet opening, said storage tank being filled with solid elements and the inlet opening allowing a regenerating medium-comprising liquid to surround the solid elements.

12. A transport means according to claim 11, wherein the inlet opening is accessible for increasing the capacity of maintaining the space at a desired temperature without opening the space to be cooled.

13. An electric vehicle having a heatable space, wherein the vehicle possesses a storage tank connected therewith, said storage tank being filled with solid elements and said storage tank having an inlet opening allowing a regenerating medium-comprising liquid to surround the solid elements, and means are present for conducting heat to the space.

14. An electric vehicle according to claim 13, wherein the storage tank has an inlet opening that is accessible for increasing the capacity of maintaining the space at the desired temperature without opening the space to be heated.