Patent ID: 9671171
Date: 2017-06-06
CPC Classifications: C09K,F24D,F24H,F24S,F28C,F28D,F28F,Y02E

Claim:
1. A system comprising: a heat exchange/storage apparatus including: a chamber; a heat input device that contains and introduces a heat transfer fluid HTF into the chamber where a surface of said input device in said chamber is in contact with a liquid-gas phase change heat exchange material disposed in a lower portion of said chamber; a thermal storage medium disposed within said chamber and having defined thermal storage surfaces where the thermal storage medium includes a solid-to-liquid phase change material (PCM) contained within a plurality of secondary containers wherein the PCM has a transition temperature within a temperature range such that the liquid-gas heat exchange material in vapor form external to said secondary containers condenses into liquid upon contact with said secondary containers to release latent heat into said solid-to-liquid phase change material; a heat output device associated with the chamber, wherein the heat output device contains a working fluid (WF) and includes heat output device surfaces within an upper portion of the chamber; a circulation plumbing system disposed to during a charging cycle, deliver a vapor form of said heat transfer fluid HTF into said input device, and transfer heat from said input device into a liquid form of said heat exchange material converting said heat exchange material from a liquid to a vapor which condenses on the plurality of secondary containers and transfers heat into said thermal storage medium and in doing so converts back into a liquid form; and during a discharging cycle, pass a liquid form of said heat exchange material from the lower portion of said chamber outside said chamber and then back into an upper portion of said chamber and via a showerhead or dripping device to deliver said liquid heat exchange material to a surface of said thermal storage medium to convert said heat exchange material to a vapor that rises in said chamber and contacts and condenses on a surface of said heat output device transferring heat to said working fluid in said heat output device, and then falling back down in said chamber to be heated again by said phase change material or cycled again outside said chamber; and a control system that controls pressure in the chamber.