COLD ENERGY STORAGE

• US 20190316816A1
• Filed: 04/12/2019
• Published: 10/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2018
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Enersion Inc.
• Original Assignee: Enersion Inc.
• Inventors: Montazeri, Hanif, Hou, Jingyuan, Singh, Arshan, Lashkari, Bahman, Krishnamurthy, Vignesh
• Application Number:
  US16/382,980
• Publication Number:
  US 20190316816A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3825 rigid container being in the form of a box, tray or like container with one or more containers located inside the external container
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 17/08 the absorbent or adsorbent being a solid, e.g. salt F25B17/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 39/026 specially adapted for sorption type systems
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 3/02 using ice, e.g. ice-boxes
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 31/00 Other cooling or freezing apparatus

Abstract

Disclosed is a cold storage container able to keep its contents cool for long periods without using electricity by using the phenomenon of adsorption. An adsorbent material placed in a conductive material above an insulated vacuum chamber adsorbs water vapor from the melting ice surrounding or above a cold chamber where contents are kept cold. This generates continuous evaporation which cools the water and therefore the contents of the cold chamber.

Claims

1. A cold storage box comprising:

a container for containing contents to be kept cool;

an evaporator chamber having thermally insulated walls surrounding the container and defining a space between the container and the chamber; and

an adsorber unit located above the evaporator chamber, the adsorber unit including adsorbent material, a mesh retaining the adsorbent material while permitting the adsorbent material to be exposed to vapor from the evaporator chamber, and a thermally conductive surface on a top or surrounding sides of the desorber unit.

2. The cold storage box of claim 1 wherein the container is made of thermally conductive metal.

3. The cold storage box of claim 1 wherein the space surrounding the container holds ice.

4. The cold storage box of claim 1 wherein the space surrounding the container holds a refrigerant.

5. The cold storage box of claim 1 comprising a valve for evacuating air from the chamber.

6. The cold storage box of claim 1 wherein the space is enclosed within insulating side walls and an insulating base.

7. The cold storage box of claim 1 wherein the chamber has a hatch on one face for removal and insertion of contents.

8. The cold storage box of claim 1 wherein the hatch is accessible through one of the side walls.

9. The cold storage box of claim 1 wherein the adsorber unit is detachable from the box for regenerating the adsorbent material within the absorber unit.

10. The cold storage box of claim 1 wherein the adsorber unit includes multiple adsorbents having different adsorbent properties.

11. The cold storage box of claim 1 further comprising a vapor-permeable membrane located between the evaporator chamber and the adsorber unit.

12. The cold storage box of claim 1 further comprising sliding sheets located between the evaporator chamber and the adsorber unit to control an amount of area of the adsorbent unit that is exposed to the vapor.

13. A cold storage box comprising:

a container for containing contents to be kept cool;

an evaporator chamber having thermally insulated walls surrounding the container and defining a space between the container and the chamber; and

an adsorber unit located above the evaporator chamber, the adsorber unit including adsorbent material and a thermally conductive surface on a top or surrounding sides of the desorber unit wherein the adsorbent material is plasma sprayed onto the conductive surface.