Patent ID: 7500309

Claim:
Process for producing a thermal accumulator having a plurality of carrier elements which are charged with a thermal storage medium, and a heat exchanger through which a heat transfer medium is flowable in heat exchange relationship to said thermal storage medium, said process comprising the steps of: a) fabricating of the carrier elements and charging of the carrier elements with a thermal storage medium, wherein fabrication of the carrier elements comprises cutting to size and stacking a plurality of graphite carrier material plates, b) fabricating a heat exchanger comprised of at least one serpentine hollow section, and c) joining of the carrier elements and the heat exchanger by the following steps: c1) applying force for elastic enlargement of a space between legs of at least one loop of the at least one serpentine hollow section; c2) arranging at least one carrier element in the enlarged space between the legs of the at least one loop of the at least one serpentine hollow section, and c3) releasing the applied force.