THERMAL STORAGE DEVICE

• US 20100000707A1
• Filed: 10/24/2007
• Published: 01/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation), TRAD Company Limited (T. RAD (Vietnam) Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation), TRAD Company Limited (T. RAD (Vietnam) Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Tsubone, Kenji, Narita, Kouji, Fukuzawa, Masataka, Hashi, Seiichi, Tsukahara, Masahito
• Application Number:
  US12/445,522
• Publication Number:
  US 20100000707A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 165/10
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 20/00 Heat storage plants or apparatus in general; Regenerative heat-exchange apparatus not covered by groups F28D17/00 or F28D19/00
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 9/0263 by varying the geometry or cross-section of header box
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/14 Thermal energy storage

Abstract

A thermal storage device having a plurality of tube-like first thermal medium branch pipes (5) into which a first thermal medium (3) flows and a thermal storage material (1) provided on the outer peripheries of the first thermal medium branch pipes (5) is characterized by including a first header (6) that communicates with the upper portions of the first thermal medium branch pipes (5) and allows the first thermal medium (3) to flow therethrough, a first upper reservoir (7) that communicates with the first header (6) and stores the first thermal medium (3), and a first inlet (8) that communicates with the first upper reservoir (7) and allows the first thermal medium (3) to flow therethrough. The first upper reservoir (7) is formed in a direction intersecting with the direction of streamline of the first inlet (8).

Claims

1. A thermal storage device comprising:

a plurality of tube-like first thermal medium branch pipes into which a first thermal medium flows;

a thermal storage material provided on the outer peripheries of the first thermal medium branch pipes;

a first header that communicates with upper portions of the first thermal medium branch pipes and allows the first thermal medium to flow therethrough;

a first upper reservoir that communicates with the first header and stores the first thermal medium; and

a first inlet that communicates with the first upper reservoir and allows the first thermal medium to flow therethrough,

wherein the first upper reservoir is formed in a direction intersecting with a direction of streamline of the first inlet,

the first header is provided above a lower face of the first upper reservoir, and

the first upper reservoir is perpendicular to or inclined downwards relative to a lower face of the first header.

3. The thermal storage device according to claim 1, wherein

the first upper reservoir has a bottom face that is inclined upwards from a lower portion of the upper reservoir.

4. The thermal storage device according to claim 3, wherein

a cross-sectional area of the first upper reservoir when cut in a direction parallel to a lower face of the first header is smaller in a lower portion of the first upper reservoir than in an upper portion thereof, and the cross-sectional area increases from the lower portion toward the upper portion.

5. The thermal storage device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of second thermal medium branch pipes through which a second thermal medium flows;

a second header that communicates with upper portions of the second thermal medium branch pipes and allows the second thermal medium to flow therethrough;

a second upper reservoir that communicates with the second header, and stores the second thermal medium; and

a second outlet that communicates with the second upper reservoir and allows the second thermal medium to flow therethrough,

wherein the thermal storage material is provided on the outer peripheries of the second thermal medium branch pipes, and the second upper reservoir is formed in a direction intersecting with a direction of streamline of the second outlet, while the first upper reservoir and the second upper reservoir are in contact with each other.

6. The thermal storage device according to claim 5, wherein the first header and the second header are in contact with each other.

7. The thermal storage device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of first plate-like tubes that are arranged in parallel with each other to extend in a vertical direction of the thermal storage device, wherein

the first thermal medium branch pipes are disposed in the vertical direction of the first plate-like tubes.

8. The thermal storage device according to claim 5, further comprising:

a plurality of second plate-like tubes that are arranged In parallel with each other to extend in a vertical direction of the thermal storage device, wherein

the second thermal medium branch pipes are disposed in a vertical direction of the second plate-like tubes.

9. The thermal storage device according to claim 8, further comprising:

a plurality of first plate-like tubes that are arranged in parallel with each other to extend in the vertical direction of the thermal storage device, wherein

the first thermal medium branch pipes are disposed in a vertical direction of the first plate-like tubes, and

the first plate-like tubes and the second plate-like tubes are arranged in parallel with each other so as to be perpendicular to an inlet/outlet-side side face of the thermal storage device in which the first inlet and the second outlet are provided.

10. The thermal storage device according to claim 9, wherein

each of the first plate-like tubes and the second plate-like tubes is formed by joining two heat transfer plates to each other;

and

the first thermal medium branch pipes and the second thermal medium branch pipes are inserted through grooves formed in mating faces of the two heat transfer plates.

11. The thermal storage device according to claim 9, further comprising:

a second footer that communicates with lower portions of the second thermal medium branch pipes and allows the second thermal medium to flow therethrough;

a second lower reservoir that communicates with the second footer, and stores the second thermal medium;

wherein

the first plate-like tubes extend through at least one of the second upper reservoir and the second lower reservoir, and at least one hole is formed in the first plate-like tubes.

12. The thermal storage device according to claim 9, further comprising:

a second footer that communicates with lower portions of the second thermal medium branch pipes and allows the second thermal medium to flow therethrough;

a second lower reservoir that communicates with the second footer, and stores the second thermal medium;

wherein

the second plate-like tubes extend through at least one of the second upper reservoir and the second lower reservoir, and at least one hole is formed in the second plate-like tubes.

13. The thermal storage device according to claim 11, wherein

the second plate-like tubes extend through at least one of the second upper reservoir and the second lower reservoir, and at least one hole is formed in the second plate-like tubes.

14. The thermal storage device according to claim 1, wherein the first thermal medium comprises brine, and the second thermal medium comprises a coolant.

15. A circulation system comprising:

the thermal storage device according to claim 1; and

a heat exchanger, wherein

the first thermal medium circulates between the thermal storage device and the heat exchanger.

16. The circulation system according to claim 15, further comprising:

a compressor;

a condenser;

a receiver tank; and

an expansion valve, wherein

the second thermal medium circulates between the thermal storage device and the compressor, and the condenser, the receiver tank and the expansion valve are connected in the order of description between the compressor and the thermal storage device.

2. A thermal storage device comprising:

a plurality of tube-like first thermal medium branch pipes into which a first thermal medium flows;

a thermal storage material provided on the outer peripheries of the first thermal medium branch pipes;

a first header that communicates with upper portions of the first thermal medium branch pipes and allows the first thermal medium to flow therethrough;

a first upper reservoir that communicates with the first header and stores the first thermal medium; and

a first inlet that communicates with the first upper reservoir and allows the first thermal medium to flow therethrough,

the first upper reservoir is formed in the upper part of the thermal storage device and in a direction intersecting with a direction of streamline of the first inlet, and

the first header is disposed in the upper part of the thermal storage device above a lower face of the first upper reservoir and the first upper reservoir is located in one side portion of the thermal storage device.

17. The thermal storage device according to claim 2, wherein

the first upper reservoir has a bottom face that is inclined upwards from a lower portion of the upper reservoir.

18. The thermal storage device according to claim 2, further comprising:

a plurality of second thermal medium branch pipes through which a second thermal medium flows;

a second header that communicates with upper portions of the second thermal medium branch pipes and allows the second thermal medium to flow therethrough;

a second upper reservoir that communicates with the second header, and stores the second thermal medium; and

a second outlet that communicates with the second upper reservoir and allows the second thermal medium to flow therethrough,

wherein the thermal storage material is provided on the outer peripheries of the second thermal medium branch pipes, and the second upper reservoir is formed in a direction intersecting with a direction of streamline of the second outlet, while the first upper reservoir and the second upper reservoir are in contact with each other.

19. The thermal storage device according to claim 2, further comprising:

a plurality of first plate-like tubes that are arranged in parallel with each other to extend in a vertical direction of the thermal storage device, wherein

the first thermal medium branch pipes are disposed in the vertical direction of the first plate-like tubes.

20. The thermal storage device according to claim 2, wherein the first thermal medium comprises brine, and the second thermal medium comprises a coolant.

21. A circulation system comprising:

the thermal storage device according to claim 2; and

a heat exchanger, wherein

the first thermal medium circulates between the thermal storage device and the heat exchanger.