Thermal storage system for a vehicle
First Claim
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1. A thermal storage system for cooling and/or heating a passenger compartment or engine of a vehicle, comprising:
- first heat exchange means for heat exchange with air supplied to the passenger compartment of the vehicle and being arranged for fluid communication with the vehicle engine;
thermal storage means for storing thermal energy, said thermal storage means being arranged for fluid communication with said first heat exchange means for storing of thermal energy therefrom;
second heat exchange means for supplying cooled air to said passenger compartment of the vehicle and being positioned upstream of said first heat exchange means; and
fluid control means for selectively establishing fluid circulation between said first heat exchange means and a selected one of said thermal storage means and the vehicle engine;
whereby said first heat exchange means is capable of selective heating or cooling of said air supplied to the passenger compartment by exchange of heat or cool energy from fluid circulating from said engine or said thermal storage means respectively, and can additionally charge said thermal storage means with cool energy by heat exchange with cooled air from said second heat exchange means.
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Abstract
A thermal storage system for cooling and/or heating the passenger compartment of a vehicle has a heat exchanger arranged for fluid communication with a vehicle engine. The thermal storage system also has thermal energy storage means for storing thermal cooling and/or heating and being in fluid communication with the first heat exchanger on the vehicle. The thermal storage system further has fluid control means for controlling the flow of fluid from the heat exchanger selectively between the thermal storage means and the vehicle engine.
97 Citations
46 Claims
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1. A thermal storage system for cooling and/or heating a passenger compartment or engine of a vehicle, comprising:
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first heat exchange means for heat exchange with air supplied to the passenger compartment of the vehicle and being arranged for fluid communication with the vehicle engine; thermal storage means for storing thermal energy, said thermal storage means being arranged for fluid communication with said first heat exchange means for storing of thermal energy therefrom; second heat exchange means for supplying cooled air to said passenger compartment of the vehicle and being positioned upstream of said first heat exchange means; and fluid control means for selectively establishing fluid circulation between said first heat exchange means and a selected one of said thermal storage means and the vehicle engine; whereby said first heat exchange means is capable of selective heating or cooling of said air supplied to the passenger compartment by exchange of heat or cool energy from fluid circulating from said engine or said thermal storage means respectively, and can additionally charge said thermal storage means with cool energy by heat exchange with cooled air from said second heat exchange means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A thermal storage system for cooling and/or heating the passenger compartment or engine of a vehicle, comprising:
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a heater coil being arranged for heat exchange with air supplied to the passenger compartment of the vehicle and being arranged for selective fluid communication with coolant fluid circulating through the vehicle engine; thermal storage means for storing thermal energy, said thermal storage means being arranged for selective fluid communication with said heater coil for storing of thermal energy therefrom and discharge of thermal energy thereto; and a heat exchanger upstream from said heater coil for supplying cooled air to said heater coil so that cool thermal energy is stored in said thermal storage means. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A thermal storage system adapted to be connected to a vehicle for cooling and heating a passenger compartment thereof, comprising:
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thermal storage means for storing cooling and/or heating, said thermal storage means adapted to be fluidly connected to and provide fluid communication with an existing heater coil disposed within an air duct of the vehicle downstream from an existing heat exchanger disposed within said air duct and arranged for cooling air within said duct so that cool thermal energy can be received by said heating coil for storage in said thermal storage means; and fluid control means adapted for selectively establishing fluid circulation between the heat exchanger and said thermal storage means or the vehicle engine. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. A method of cooling and heating a passenger compartment or engine of a vehicle, comprising the steps of:
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transporting air across a first heat exchanger from a second heat exchanger upstream of the first heat exchanger for supply to the passenger compartment of the vehicle, the first heat exchanger being arranged for fluid communication with fluid circulating through the engine of the vehicle and the second heat exchanger being arranged to receive fluid from an air conditioning system of the vehicle; circulating fluid between the first heat exchanger and a thermal storage reservoir in fluid communication with the first heat exchanger for storing thermal energy from the fluid in the reservoir when said air conditioning system provides cooled fluid to the second heat exchanger; circulating fluid between said first heat exchanger and the engine for heating of the air transported to the passenger compartment; and selectively releasing the stored energy to the fluid so as to provide cool thermal energy to the passenger compartment or engine of the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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Specification