Encapsulated phase change thermal energy storage materials and process
First Claim
1. A concrete or gypsum building construction component having dispersed within the component less than about 75% by weight of a thermal energy storage composite product capable of incorporation within rigid building construction components without causing fracture or damage to the components or product after the product undergoes repeated thermal change cycles, said product comprising:
- (a) an outer shell member having a longest dimension of from about 1/8 inch to about 1 inch and having interior surfaces defining an internal cavity that is adapted to permanently encase a thermal energy storage phase-change composition, said shell being comprised of at least one seamless layer of a wall-forming material that is substantially impermeable to and non-reactive with said phase-change composition or water, the total volume of the wall-forming material being from about 5% to 30% of the volume of said cavity; and
(b) a thermal energy storage phase-change composition permanently disposed within the cavity of the shell, said phase-change composition being capable of existing in solid form, a melted liquid form, or a transition state that includes both the liquid and the solid forms, the composition being present in a quantity such that the total volume of composition whether in the solid form, the liquid form, or the transition state does not exceed the volume of the cavity.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A thermal energy storage composite pellet-shaped product of about 1/8 inch to 1 inch in size, formed of an outer seamless shell member which defines a cavity that permanently encases a phase-change composition, the composition being present in a quantity such that the total volume of the composition, whether in its solid form, liquid form, or both forms as in its transition state, never exceeds the volume of the cavity; and a process for making the product which includes using the phase-change composition in a compacted powder form as cast about which the shell member is formed by roll-coating steps.
101 Citations
54 Claims
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1. A concrete or gypsum building construction component having dispersed within the component less than about 75% by weight of a thermal energy storage composite product capable of incorporation within rigid building construction components without causing fracture or damage to the components or product after the product undergoes repeated thermal change cycles, said product comprising:
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(a) an outer shell member having a longest dimension of from about 1/8 inch to about 1 inch and having interior surfaces defining an internal cavity that is adapted to permanently encase a thermal energy storage phase-change composition, said shell being comprised of at least one seamless layer of a wall-forming material that is substantially impermeable to and non-reactive with said phase-change composition or water, the total volume of the wall-forming material being from about 5% to 30% of the volume of said cavity; and (b) a thermal energy storage phase-change composition permanently disposed within the cavity of the shell, said phase-change composition being capable of existing in solid form, a melted liquid form, or a transition state that includes both the liquid and the solid forms, the composition being present in a quantity such that the total volume of composition whether in the solid form, the liquid form, or the transition state does not exceed the volume of the cavity. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A floor or ceiling building construction component having dispersed therein a thermal energy storage composite product capable of incorporation within rigid building construction components without causing fracture or damage to the components or product after the product undergoes repeated thermal change cycles, said product comprising:
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(a) an outer shell member having a longest dimension of from about 1/8 inch to about 1 inch and having interior surfaces defining an internal cavity that is adapted to permanently encase a thermal energy storage phase-change composition, said shell being comprised of at least one seamless layer of a wall-forming material that is substantially impermeable to and non-reactive with said phase-change composition or water, the total volume of the wall-forming material being from about 5% to 30% of the volume of said cavity; and (b) a thermal energy storage phase-change composition permanently disposed within the cavity of the shell, said phase-change composition being capable of existing in solid form, a melted liquid form, or a transition state that includes both the liquid and the solid forms, the composition being present in a quantity such that the total volume of composition whether in the solid form, the liquid form, or the transition state does not exceed the volume of the cavity. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A process for manufacturing a thermal energy storage phase-change composite product and a construction component therefrom, comprising:
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(a) selecting a thermal energy storage phase-change composition having a phase-change transition temperature within the temperature range of the contemplated environment in which the product is to be used, and maintaining the temperature of the composition below the melting point of the composition, after the composition has been first melted, to provide a solidified thermal energy phase-change composition; (b) converting the solidified thermal energy storage phase-change composition of (a) to a flowable powder to provide a flowable powder composition while maintaining the composition at a temperature below its melting point; (c) compacting and pelletizing the flowable powder composition of (b) to form discrete pellet-shaped compacted powder structures having a longest dimension of from about 1/8 inch to about 1 inch and a shortest dimension of at least about 1/8 inch while maintaining a temperature below the melting point of the composition, the degree of compacting being controlled to provide compacted powder structures of sufficient integrity to withstand coating with a wall-forming material as well as an apparent solid density that is less than or equal to the liquid density of the phase-change composition; (d) coating each of the compacted powder compositions with a curable liquid wall-forming material comprising from about 5% to 30% by weight of the product based upon the final cured weight of the wall-forming material, while maintaining a temperature below the melting point of the composition, said wall-forming material when in a cured state being nonreactive with and substantially impermeable to both the phase-change composition and water; (e) curing the liquid wall-forming material on each of the compacted powder compositions to form a permanent seamless shell, that is substantially impermeable to and non-reactive with both the phase-change composition and water, which encapsulates each of the compacted powder compositions to provide the product;
said product being capable of dispersion throughout rigid building construction components without causing fracture or damage to the components or product upon repeated thermal change cycles of the encapsulated thermal phase-change storage composition; and
then(f) incorporating the encapsulated powder composition product of step (e) within a concrete or gypsum building construction component to provide a component of improved thermal mass that can withstand repeated thermal cycles without causing damage or fracture to the product or component. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. A process for manufacturing a thermal energy storage phase-change composite product and a construction component of improved thermal mass therefrom, comprising
(a) selecting a thermal energy storage phase-change composition having a phase-change transition temperature within the temperature range of the contemplated environment in which the product is to be used; -
(b) melting the composition to provide a liquid composition; (c) maintaining the temperature of the liquid composition at a temperature just above the composition melting point and then forming discrete shaped structures of the composition by agglomerating the composition with agglomerator means to provide structures having a longest dimension of from about 1/8 inch to about 1 inch and a shortest dimension of at least about 1/8 inch and then maintaining the temperature of the structures at a temperature below the melting point of the composition, said agglomerating being controlled to provide structures having an apparent solid density that does not exceed the liquid density of the phase-change composition; (d) coating each of the structures with a curable liquid wall-forming material comprising from about 5% to 30% by weight of the product based upon the final cured weight of the wall-forming material, while maintaining a temperature below the melting point of the composition, said wall-forming material when in a cured state being nonreactive with and impermeable to both the phase-change composition and water; (e) curing the liquid wall-forming material on each of the structures to form a seamless shell, that is substantially impermeable to and non-reactive with both the phase-change composition and water, which encapsulates each of the compacted powder compositions to provide the product;
said product being capable of dispersion throughout rigid building construction components without causing fracture or damage to the components or product upon repeated thermal change cycles of the encapsulated thermal phase-change storage composition; and
then(f) incorporating the encapsulated structure product of step (e) within a concrete or gypsum building construction component to provide a component of improved thermal mass that can withstand repeated thermal cycles without causing damage or fracture to the product or component. - View Dependent Claims (44)
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45. A process for manufacturing a thermal energy storage phase-change composite product and a floor or ceiling construction component therefrom, comprising
(a) selecting a thermal energy storage phase-change composition having a phase-change transition temperature within the temperature range of the contemplated environment in which the product is to be used; -
(b) melting the composition to provide a liquid composition; (c) maintaining the temperature of the liquid composition at a temperature just above the composition melting point and then forming discrete shaped structures of the composition by agglomerating the composition with agglomerator means to provide structures having a longest dimension of from about 1/8 inch to about 1 inch and a shortest dimension of at least about 1/8 inch and then maintaining the temperature of the structures at a temperature below the melting point of the composition, said agglomerating being controlled to provide structures having an apparent solid density that does not exceed the liquid density of the phase-change composition; (d) coating each of the structures with a curable liquid wall-forming material comprising from about 5% to 30% by weight of the product based upon the final cured weight of the wall-forming material, while maintaining a temperature below the melting point of the composition, said wall-forming material when in a cured state being nonreactive with and impermeable to both the phase-change composition and water; (e) curing the liquid wall-forming material on each of the structures to form a seamless shell, that is substantially impermeable to and non-reactive with both the phase-change composition and water, which encapsulates each of the compacted powder compositions to provide the product;
said product being capable of dispersion throughout rigid building construction components without causing fracture or damage to the components or product upon repeated thermal change cycles of the encapsulated thermal phase-change storage composition; and
then(f) incorporating the encapsulated structure product of step (e) within a floor or ceiling building construction component to provide a component having up to 75% by weight of the product. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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Specification