Assembly and articulated panel, for thermal insulation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11231237-B2
Application number	US-201615753755-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 19, 2016
Priority date	Aug 20, 2015
Publication date	Jan 25, 2022
Grant date	Jan 25, 2022

Abstract

An assembly having a structure provided with an interior volume in which is present for example at least one fluid capable of circulating in said volume and under the action of circulation means. Thermally insulating elements of VIP construction are arranged around a layer containing a PCM and extending around the peripheral wall that surrounds the volume. Protrusions fixed to the peripheral wall delimit spaces in which the thermally insulating elements are positioned. A sleeve extends around the protrusions and the insulating elements.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A modular assembly comprising:
a plurality of structures configured as a plurality of stacked modules, each structure comprising a peripheral wall and having an interior volume, at least some of the plurality of structures containing a plurality of elements for storing and releasing a thermal energy by latent heat,
at least one of a refrigerant fluid and a heat transfer fluid capable of circulating in at least some of the interior volumes under the action of circulation means, in a thermal exchange with the elements for storing and releasing a thermal energy,
thermally insulating elements arranged around the respective peripheral walls, and
a plurality of retaining protrusions and/or retaining spacers, each of the plurality of retaining protrusions and/or retaining spacers extending away from the interior volume from a respective external corner of a respective peripheral wall,
wherein:
at least some of the thermally insulating elements are contained in a plurality of pockets under vacuum, each of the plurality of pockets arranged laterally around at least a portion of at least one peripheral wall and between two of said retaining protrusions or two of said retaining spacers extending from the at least one peripheral wall,
the modular assembly further comprises fixing means to fix the plurality of stacked modules outside the respective interior volumes, so that the respective interior volumes are in a fluid-tight relationship with respect to each other, and
the plurality of elements for storing and releasing a thermal energy are arranged in a patternless manner in the internal volumes.

2. The modular assembly of claim 1 , wherein said a plurality of pockets under vacuum are joined by intermediate portions where two successive pockets can be articulated with one another, and the plurality of pockets and said intermediate portions together define an articulated panel that can be closed on itself.

3. The modular assembly of claim 2 , wherein:
at least some of the intermediate articulating portions comprise:
a tubular part defined by a thermally insulating winding or by a portion enclosing a porous thermally insulating material in a tubular chamber under vacuum, and
two parts of flexible sheets, each interposed between said tubular part and one of said plurality of pockets, and
the protrusions comprise clamps for engaging said tubular parts.

4. The modular assembly of claim 1 defining a unit for storing and releasing thermal energy comprising:
a plurality of modules each comprising one said plurality of structures, each which comprise:
said plurality of elements for storing and releasing said thermal energy, which are individualised elements including at least one PCM,
a body comprising:
at least one of said interior volume being defined within said peripheral wall of the module and closed on one side by a bottom, while it is open on another side to be able to place within it or remove therefrom said plurality of elements for storing and releasing thermal energy,
at least one connecting passage between the outside of the body and the interior volume, to enable entry and exit of said at least one of the refrigerant and the heat transfer fluid.

5. The modular assembly of claim 1 , wherein the retaining protrusions or retaining spacers are held in place with the peripheral walls by cooperating shapes.

6. The modular assembly of claim 1 , wherein the thermally insulating elements comprise rods arranged in the corners along the plurality of stacked modules.

7. The modular assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of elements for storing and releasing a thermal energy comprises individualised balls.

8. The modular assembly of claim 1 , wherein the thermally insulating elements comprise blocks and the protrusions comprise lugs for engaging said blocks.

9. The modular assembly of claim 8 , wherein the engagements with the blocks comprise cooperating shapes.

10. The modular assembly of claim 1 , wherein other of the thermally insulating elements than said at least some of the thermally insulating elements comprise blocks having thermal insulation engaged with at least some of said plurality of pockets under vacuum.

11. The modular assembly of claim 1 , which further comprises at least one layer containing a phase change material (PCM):
arranged in at least one cavity of the respective peripheral walls or around said respective peripheral walls,
and around which are arranged at least some of said thermally insulating elements.

12. The modular assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of elements for storing and releasing a thermal energy include PCM.

13. A modular assembly comprising:
a plurality of structures, individually comprising a peripheral wall and having an interior volume, at least some of the plurality of structures containing a plurality of elements for storing and releasing a thermal energy;
at least one of a refrigerant fluid and a heat transfer fluid capable of circulating in at least some of the interior volumes under the action of circulation means, in a thermal exchange with the plurality of elements for storing and releasing a thermal energy; and
a plurality of thermally insulating elements arranged around the respective peripheral walls, wherein:
the plurality of structures are included in a plurality of stacked modules each comprising one of said plurality of structures, the plurality of stacked modules having corners, and projections extending from the corners of the respective peripheral walls and away from the interior volume,
the plurality of thermally insulating elements comprise:
plates each arranged laterally and around at least a portion of the peripheral wall and between two of the projections, and
in said corners, blocks individually arranged between two of said plates, and,

the modular assembly further comprises:
fixing means to fix the plurality of stacked modules, so that the respective interior volumes are in a fluid-tight relationship with respect to each other,
a first fluid supply pipe to supply simultaneously to a plurality of said interior volumes the at least one of a refrigerant fluid and a heat transfer fluid, and
a first fluid discharge pipe to collect simultaneously from said plurality of said interior volumes the at least one of a refrigerant fluid and a heat transfer fluid.

14. The modular assembly of claim 13 , wherein:
said at least one of a refrigerant fluid and a heat transfer fluid comprises a first fluid and a second fluid, the first fluid being capable of circulating in some of the interior volumes, the second fluid being capable of circulating in others of the interior volumes, in thermal exchange with the plurality of elements for storing and releasing a thermal energy and with the first fluid, with no mixing between the first fluid and the second fluid in the interior volumes,
the first fluid supply pipe is adapted to supply simultaneously to a plurality of said interior volumes the first fluid, and the first fluid discharge pipe is adapted to collect simultaneously from said plurality of said interior volumes the first fluid, and,
the modular assembly further comprises:
a second fluid supply pipe to supply simultaneously to another plurality of said interior volumes the second fluid, and

a second fluid discharge pipe to collect simultaneously from said another plurality of said interior volumes the second fluid.

Assignees

• Hutchinson

Inventors

• Chopard Fabrice
• Bline Paul
• Huillet Cédric
• Chauvet Boris
• Poupa Nadine
• Dominiak Christophe

Classifications

• Y02E60/14

  Thermal energy storage · CPC title

• F24H1/182 Primary

  Insulation · CPC title

• F28D20/023

  the latent heat storage material being enclosed in granular particles or dispersed in a porous, fibrous or cellular structure · CPC title

• F28D20/02

  using latent heat · CPC title

• F28F2280/105

  with hinged connections · CPC title