Method and apparatus for thermal storage using heat pipes

• US 20080104971A1
• Filed: 11/03/2006
• Published: 05/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ACME Energy, Inc.
• Original Assignee: LS Energy Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: Sami, Samuel M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,891,575 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/78
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00364 for caravans or trailers
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/005 Regenerative cooling means, e.g. cold accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 5/0017 using cold storage bodies, e.g. ice
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2400/24 Storage receiver heat
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 15/00 Heat-exchange apparatus with the intermediate heat-transfer medium in closed tubes passing into or through the conduit walls ; Heat-exchange apparatus employing intermediate heat-transfer medium or bodies F28D17/00, F28D19/00, F28D20/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 15/0275 Arrangements for coupling heat-pipes together or with other structures, e.g. with base blocks; Heat pipe cores
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 20/003 using thermochemical reactions
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 20/0034 using liquid heat storage material
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/14 Thermal energy storage

Abstract

A thermal storage and transfer system includes a cooling system and method using ice or other frozen material with heat pipes to produce a cool airstream. Preferably, the ice is disposed in a container with the condensers and evaporators of the heat pipes respectively inside and outside the container. A fan blows air across the evaporator sections through a duct to circulate within an enclosed airspace to be cooled. A separate refrigeration system which may be used to independently cool the airspace also freezes water or another liquid to produce the ice or other frozen material in the container. The cooling system is broadly applicable, including use on motor vehicles to provide cooling for several hours when the vehicle engine is off. A heating system includes an adsorbent heat exchanger for extracting heat from exhaust gases of an engine and heating an enclosed airspace.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a container;

material inside the container having a freezing point no higher than 5.0°

C. at atmospheric pressure; and

a plurality of heat pipes having respective condenser sections disposed inside the container and respective evaporator sections disposed outside the container.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a first airstream conduit in which the evaporator sections are disposed.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising an enclosed airspace;

and an inlet and an outlet of the conduit each in communication with the airspace.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 further comprising a de-humidifier communicating with the airspace.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 further comprising a second airstream conduit which communicates with the enclosed airspace;

a fuel-powered engine;

an exhaust duct connected to the engine;

a first heat exchanger comprising an adsorbent material disposed inside the exhaust duct;

a second heat exchanger disposed in the second airstream conduit; and

a coolant-receiving conduit extending from the first heat exchanger to the second heat exchanger.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an air blower operationally connected to the evaporator sections and adapted for moving air across the evaporator sections.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising a recirculation loop in which the evaporator sections and air blower are disposed so that the air blower is adapted for recirculating air around the recirculation loop.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a refrigeration system comprising a first portion disposed outside the container and a second portion disposed inside the container adapted for cooling the material.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising a fuel-powered engine for powering the refrigeration system.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising a mobile vehicle;

and an engine on the vehicle for powering the refrigeration system and for powering travel of the vehicle.

11. A method comprising the steps of:

cooling respective condenser sections of a plurality of heat pipes with frozen material having a freezing point at or below 5.0°

C. at atmospheric pressure; and

passing air across respective evaporator sections of the heat pipes to cool the air.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of circulating the air from the evaporator sections within an enclosed airspace.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising the steps extracting thermal energy from exhaust gases of a fuel-powered engine with an adsorbent material;

heating air with the extracted thermal energy; and

moving the heated air into the enclosed airspace.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of cooling air in the enclosed airspace with a refrigeration system which is operable independently of the step of passing.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of freezing liquid material with the refrigeration system to form the frozen material.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of powering the refrigeration system with an engine which powers travel of a vehicle carrying the material and heat pipes.

17. The method of claim 11 further comprising the steps of transferring sufficient heat from the air to the frozen material via the heat pipes to melt a portion of the frozen material to form liquid material;

re-freezing the liquid material to form re-frozen material; and

wherein the step of cooling comprises the step of cooling the condenser sections with the re-frozen material.

18. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of freezing liquid material to form the frozen material during travel of a vehicle carrying the material and heat pipes.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of operating an engine to power the travel of the vehicle;

and wherein the step of passing comprises the step of passing the air across the evaporator sections when the vehicle is not traveling and the engine is not operating.

20. The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of circulating the air from the evaporator sections within a passenger compartment on the vehicle.