Thermal storage heat exchanger structures employing phase change materials

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10267569-B2
Application number	US-201615225624-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 1, 2016
Priority date	Aug 1, 2016
Publication date	Apr 23, 2019
Grant date	Apr 23, 2019

Abstract

A heat exchanger includes at least one conduit configured to carry a working fluid. The heat exchanger also includes a plurality of chambers in proximity to the at least one conduit, each chamber configured to contain a phase change material (PCM) that expands upon freezing. The at least one conduit and the plurality of chambers are thermally coupled for transfer of thermal energy between the working fluid and the PCM in each chamber. One wall of each chamber is formed of a compliant layer configured to deform to increase a volume of the chamber as the PCM expands upon freezing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A heat exchanger comprising:
a plurality of conduits, each configured to carry a working fluid;
a plurality of first chambers in proximity to the plurality of conduits, each first chamber corresponding to one of the conduits, each first chamber configured to contain a phase change material (PCM) that expands upon freezing; and
a plurality of second chambers in proximity to the plurality of first chambers, each second chamber corresponding to one of the first chambers, each second chamber configured to contain the PCM,
wherein the plurality of conduits and the plurality of first and second chambers are thermally coupled for transfer of thermal energy between the working fluid and the PCM in the chambers, and
wherein each first chamber and corresponding second chamber have a common wall that is formed of a compliant layer configured to deform to increase a volume of each chamber as the PCM expands upon freezing.

2. The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein:
the first chambers are arranged in a first row of adjacent chambers and the second chambers are arranged in a second row of adjacent chambers, and
the compliant layer is disposed between the first row and the second row.

3. The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the compliant layer comprises rubber, foam rubber, latex, or polyurethane.

4. The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the PCM comprises ice/water.

5. The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the compliant layer comprises a solid layer of elastomeric material.

6. The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the compliant layer comprises two or more metallic foil layers spaced apart from each other.

7. The heat exchanger of claim 2 , the heat exchanger further comprising:
a plurality of metallic fins, each fin forming a wall between two of the adjacent chambers, the metallic fins configured to promote the transfer of thermal energy between the working fluid and the PCM.

8. The heat exchanger of claim 7 , wherein the conduits, the chambers, the compliant layer, and the metallic fins together form a single heat exchanger layer, the heat exchanger comprising two or more substantially identical heat exchanger layers.

9. A system comprising:
at least one heat source;
at least one heat sink; and
a heat exchanger configured to receive thermal energy from the at least one heat source and provide thermal energy to the at least one heat sink, the heat exchanger comprising:
a plurality of conduits, each configured to carry a working fluid;
a plurality of first chambers in proximity to the plurality of conduits, each first chamber corresponding to one of the conduits, each first chamber configured to contain a phase change material (PCM) that expands upon freezing; and
a plurality of second chambers in proximity to the plurality of first chambers, each second chamber corresponding to one of the first chambers, each second chamber configured to contain the PCM,
wherein the plurality of conduits and the plurality of first and second chambers are thermally coupled for transfer of thermal energy between the working fluid and the PCM in the chambers, and
wherein each first chamber and corresponding second chamber have a common wall that is formed of a compliant layer configured to deform to increase a volume of each chamber as the PCM expands upon freezing.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein:
the first chambers are arranged in a first row of adjacent chambers and the second chambers are arranged in a second row of adjacent chambers, and
the compliant layer is disposed between the first row and the second row.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the PCM comprises ice/water.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the compliant layer comprises a solid layer of elastomeric material.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the compliant layer comprises two or more metallic foil layers spaced apart from each other.

14. The system of claim 10 , the heat exchanger further comprising:
a plurality of metallic fins, each fin forming a wall between two of the adjacent chambers, the metallic fins configured to promote the transfer of thermal energy between the working fluid and the PCM.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the conduits, the chambers, the compliant layer, and the metallic fins together form a single heat exchanger layer, the heat exchanger comprising two or more substantially identical heat exchanger layers.

16. The system of claim 9 , wherein the system is disposed in a land, sea, air, or space vehicle.

17. A method comprising:
moving a working fluid through a plurality of conduits in a heat exchanger; and
transferring thermal energy from a phase change material (PCM) to the working fluid, the PCM disposed in each of a plurality of first chambers proximate to and thermally coupled to the plurality of conduits, the PCM also disposed in each of a plurality of second chambers proximate to and thermally coupled to the plurality of first chambers, each first chamber corresponding to one of the conduits, each second chamber corresponding to one of the first chambers, the PCM configured to expand upon freezing,
wherein each first chamber and corresponding second chamber have a common wall that is formed of a compliant layer configured to deform to increase a volume of each chamber as the PCM expands upon freezing.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the compliant layer comprises one of:
a solid layer of elastomeric material, or
two or more metallic foil layers spaced apart from each other.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the compliant layer comprises rubber, foam rubber, latex, or polyurethane.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein the PCM comprises ice/water.

Assignees

• Raytheon Co

Inventors

• Altman David
• Maniscalco Nicholas Ian
• Balducci Jonathan
• Sole Joshua D
• Bustamante John G
• Rodriguez Christian O

Classifications

• F28D2020/0091

  flexible · CPC title

• F28D2021/0021

  for aircrafts or cosmonautics · CPC title

• F28D15/00 Primary

  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 title

• F28F23/00

  Features relating to the use of intermediate heat-exchange materials, e.g. selection of compositions (heat-transfer, heat-exchange or heat-storage materials C09K5/00) · CPC title

• F28D20/021 Primary

  the latent heat storage material and the heat-exchanging means being enclosed in one container (F28D20/023 - F28D20/028 take precedence) · CPC title