Thermal control system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11320212-B2
Application number	US-201916980946-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2019
Priority date	Mar 15, 2018
Publication date	May 3, 2022
Grant date	May 3, 2022

Abstract

A thermal control system with new phase change material (PCM) formulations that are able to maintain the system interior in a temperature range of, for example, −15 to −40° C., for a tunable working period from several hours to approximately half a day, is provided. The composition includes the inorganic and organic materials. The inorganic materials include the inorganic salts and various functional additives; while the organic materials include fatty acids, hydrocarbons and various nanostructures.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A thermal control system comprising an inorganic phase change material and an organic phase change material, wherein:
the organic phase change material and the inorganic phase change material are present at a ratio in a range of 1:1 by weight to 1:5 by weight; and
the inorganic phase change material comprises a salt and a first additive, wherein the first additive is selected from the group consisting of carbon-based fiber, fumed silica, porous silica, aerogel, and glass sphere.

2. The thermal control system according to claim 1 , wherein the inorganic phase change material and the organic phase change material are physically mixed with each other, or wherein the inorganic phase change material forms a first layer and the organic phase change material forms a second layer, whereby the first layer and the second layer are physically distinct from each other.

3. The thermal control system according to claim 1 , wherein the organic phase change material and the inorganic phase change material are independently present at a thickness in the range of 5 mm to 3 cm.

4. The thermal control system according to claim 1 , wherein the first layer and the second layer are separated by a layer of fluid or are in direct contact with each other, or wherein the first layer is the inner layer and the second layer is the outer layer, or the first layer is the outer layer and the second layer is the inner layer, relative to an item to be cooled, wherein the inner layer at least partially surrounds the item to be cooled, and the outer layer at least partially surrounds the inner layer, and wherein the outer layer and inner layer are of the same temperature or the outer layer is of a relatively lower temperature than the inner layer.

5. The thermal control system according to claim 1 , wherein the salt comprises a first metal selected from group 1, group 2, group 7, group 8, group 9, group 10, group 12, or group 13 of the Periodic Table of Elements, and an anion, and wherein the first additive is a nano-sized material, a micro-sized material, or a mixture thereof, or wherein the thermal conductivity of the first additive is in the range of about 0.005 W/(m*K) to about 0.07 W/(m*K).

6. The thermal control system according to claim 5 , wherein the inorganic phase change material comprises 5 wt. % to 35 wt. % salt.

7. The thermal control system according to claim 5 , wherein the inorganic phase change material comprises:
about 70 wt. % to about 80 wt. % water;
about 15 wt. % to about 25 wt. % CaCl 2 .6H 2 O;
about 3 wt. % to about 4 wt. % NaCl;
about 0.2 wt. % to about 0.7 wt. % porous silica microstructure; and
about 0.5 wt. % to about 1.5 wt. % carbon fiber nanostructure,
such that the total wt. % of each component adds to 100 wt. %.

8. The thermal control system according to claim 1 , wherein the organic phase change material comprises a hydrocarbon and a second additive, wherein the hydrocarbon is an optionally functionalized aliphatic and wherein the second additive is a nano-sized material, a micro-sized material, or a mixture thereof, or wherein the thermal conductivity of the second additive is in the range of about 20 W/(m*K) to 50 W/(m*K).

9. The thermal control system according to claim 8 , wherein the organic phase change material comprises about 50 wt. % to about 98 wt. % hydrocarbon.

10. The thermal control system according to claim 8 , wherein the organic phase change material comprises:
about 65 wt. % to about 75 wt. % C 11 H 24 hydrocarbon;
about 15 wt. % to about 25 wt. % C 12 H 26 hydrocarbon;
about 2.5 wt. % to about 7.5 wt. % C 13 H 28 hydrocarbon;
about 1.5 wt. % to about 2.5 wt. % carbon nanotube; and
about 2.5 wt. % to about 3.5 wt. % copper nanoparticle,
such that the total wt. % of each component adds to 100 wt. %.

11. The thermal control system according to claim 8 , wherein the organic phase change material comprises:
about 5 wt. % to about 15 wt. % hydrocarbon selected from the group consisting of C 10 H 22 , C 11 H 24 , and C 14 H 30 ;
about 25 wt. % to about 35 wt. % C 12 H 26 hydrocarbon;
about 55 wt. % to about 65 wt. % C 13 H 28 hydrocarbon; and
about 0.5 wt. % to about 2 wt. % carbon nanostructure;
such that the total wt. % of each component adds to 100 wt. %.

12. The thermal control system according to claim 1 comprising:
about 35 wt. % to about 40 wt. % water;
about 7.5 wt. % to about 12.5 wt. % CaCl 2 .6H 2 O;
about 1.5 wt. % to about 2 wt. % NaCl;
about 0.1 wt. % to about 0.35 wt. % porous silica microstructure;
about 0.25 wt. % to about 0.75 wt. % carbon fiber nanostructure,
about 32.5 wt. % to about 37.5 wt. % C 11 H 24 hydrocarbon;
about 7.5 wt. % to about 12.5 wt. % C 12 H 26 hydrocarbon;
about 1.25 wt. % to about 3.75 wt. % C 13 H 28 hydrocarbon;
about 0.75 wt. % to about 1.25 wt. % carbon nanotube; and
about 1.25 wt. % to about 1.75 wt. % copper nanoparticle,
such that the total wt. % of each component adds to 100 wt. %.

13. The thermal control system according to claim 1 comprising:
about 35 wt. % to about 40 wt. % water;
about 7.5 wt. % to about 12.5 wt. % CaCl 2 .6H 2 O;
about 1.5 wt. % to about 2 wt. % NaCl;
about 0.1 wt. % to about 0.35 wt. % porous silica microstructure;
about 0.25 wt. % to about 0.75 wt. % carbon fiber nanostructure,
about 2.5 wt. % to about 7.5 wt. % hydrocarbon selected from the group consisting of C 10 H 22 , C 11 H 24 and C 14 H 30 ;
about 12.5 wt. % to about 17.5 wt. % C 12 H 26 hydrocarbon;
about 27.5 wt. % to about 32.5 wt. % C 13 H 28 hydrocarbon; and
about 0.25 wt. % to about 1 wt. % carbon nanostructure,
such that the total wt. % of each component adds to 100 wt. %.

14. The thermal control system according to claim 1 , further comprising a thermally insulating material at least partially surrounding the inorganic phase change material and the organic phase change material.

15. The thermal control system according to claim 14 , comprising an inner thermally insulating material which at least partially surrounds the inorganic and organic phase change material, and an outer thermally insulating material which at least partially surrounds the inner phase change material.

16. A method of preparing a thermal control system, the method comprising a step of contacting an inorganic phase change material with an organic phase change material, wherein:
the organic phase change material and the inorganic phase change material are present at a ratio in a range of 1:1 by weight to 1:5 by weight; and
the inorganic phase change material comprises a salt and a first additive, wherein the first additive is selected from the group consisting of carbon-based fiber, fumed silica, porous silica, aerogel, and glass sphere.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the contacting step results in direct contact between the inorganic phase change material and the organic phase change material, or wherein the contacting step comprises the step of bringing the inorganic phase change material and the organic phase change material together with a layer of fluid in between.

18. The method according to claim 16 , further comprising a step of at least partially surrounding an item to be cooled with the inorganic phase change material and the organic phase change material, or further comprising a step of at least partially surrounding the inorganic phase change material and the organic phase change material with a thermally insulating material.

19. A method for maintaining a temperature of an item, the method c

Assignees

• Agency Science Tech & Res

Inventors

• Zhu Qiang
• Soo Xiang Yun Debbie
• Tang Tao
• Wang Suxi
• Xu Jianwei

Classifications

• B32B2262/101

  Glass fibres · CPC title

• B32B7/02

  Physical, chemical or physicochemical properties · CPC title

• B32B2307/302

  Conductive · CPC title

• B32B2264/102

  Oxide or hydroxide · CPC title

• B32B2307/724

  Permeability to gases, adsorption · CPC title