CLIMATE CONTROL SYSTEM
A climate control system includes a closed vessel containing a phase change material for absorbing heat from or emitting heat to an environment in which the system is intended to be arranged. The closed vessel also contains a solid heat conducting medium for facilitating heat transfer within the vessel.
This application is a continuation of International Application No. PCT/GB2014/051147, filed Apr. 11, 2014, which claims the benefit of GB Application No. GB 1306625.3, filed Apr. 11, 2013. Each of the above-referenced patent applications is incorporated by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a climate control system, and in particular, to a climate control system that incorporates a phase change material.
2. Description of the Related Technology
Climate control systems for maintaining the temperature of internal spaces, including living spaces and work spaces, at a comfortable level are well-known.
In typical cooling air conditioning systems, a refrigerant undergoes an actively driven vapor compression cycle consisting of four main phases:
compression;
condensation;
expansion; and
evaporation.
The energy used in operating the vapor compression cycle in such systems is considerable. Aside from the financial cost associated with providing the energy to run active climate control systems of this type, there are significant environmental considerations surrounding their use. In 2000, 5% of non-domestic UK building energy was consumed by cooling and ventilation equipment and this figure has been rising since. However, for health reasons, it is important that the climate inside buildings is maintained at a comfortable level so it is clear that a need for climate control systems remains in spite of their drawbacks.
In order to reduce the energy costs of operating climate control systems, it has been proposed to use passive rather than active climate control systems. One such example is the ILKATHERM ceiling product manufactured by ILKAZELL Isoliertechnik GmbH and described in the European patent application published as EP 2039844. This product comprises a pre-fabricated ceiling tile with a layer of gypsum impregnated with a phase change material. Phase change materials have a high latent heat capacity, which enables them to absorb or emit a considerable amount of heat as they change state. The phase change materials that are most suitable for passively maintaining human comfort levels change from the solid to the liquid phase within a temperature range of around 20-30° C. An example of such a phase change material is Micronal®, which is used in the ILKAZELL product and comprises small amounts of paraffin wax encapsulated in microscopic acrylic glass balls.
As the temperature in a room containing an ILKAZELL ceiling tile rises, the wax within the acrylic glass balls in the ceiling tile starts to change state from a solid to a liquid, absorbing heat from the room in the process. In reverse, as the room cools, the wax changes back from a liquid to a solid, emitting heat into the room in the process.
As an alternative to the ILKAZELL ceiling tile product, a similar product, also manufactured by ILKAZELL, and in the form of a sail that hangs within a space to be cooled is also available. ILKAZELL wall boards of a similar composition are also available.
In addition to the energy savings that can be achieved from using passive climate control systems, such as the ILKAZELL products, a key benefit of such systems is that they do not require servicing.
However, a significant disadvantage of the ILKAZELL products is their limited passive thermal and cooling capacity, which is due partly to a restriction on the amount of Micronal® material that can be incorporated into the products by virtue of the limit on the overall individual product volume, but also to the limitation on the number of products that can usefully be provided in a given internal space, the physical dimensions of the target space being an obvious limiting factor.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a more effective passive climate control system than prior art passive climate control systems.
SUMMARYIn accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a climate control system comprising a closed vessel comprising a phase change material for absorbing heat from or emitting heat to an environment in which the system is intended to be arranged; and a solid heat conducting medium for facilitating heat transfer within the vessel and the solid heat conducting medium is in the form of a random packing.
One benefit of using a phase change material in climate control systems is that phase change materials are effective in removing heat from or emitting heat to their surrounding environment in a passive manner, which both conserves energy and enables the provision of a simple climate control system that does not require regular servicing. In addition, containing the phase change material in a closed vessel offers flexibility in the amount of phase change material that can be employed in a climate control system, in contrast in particular to prior art products in which phase change material is impregnated in small amounts through an existing item. However, phase change materials are not inherently good conductors of heat; therefore, where they are used in relatively large quantities, it is important to ensure that heat is conducted through them to produce a relatively even temperature distribution and heat transfer profile throughout. This is a key benefit of combining a heat conducting medium with a phase change material in a closed vessel, and it improves the ability of the system to absorb heat from or emit heat to its surrounding environment, particularly over longer periods.
In an embodiment of the invention, the solid heat conducting medium is discrete from the phase change material. This has the advantage of allowing the heat conducting medium to be separated from the phase change material, should it be necessary to replace or renew one of these substances only. In contrast, where phase change materials are impregnated within substrates of substances, when either the phase change material or the substrate is not performing effectively, the whole product requires replacement, rather than just one of the functional components.
In a further embodiment of the invention, the solid heat conducting medium is in particulate form. A heat conducting medium in particulate form ensures that it is in contact with the phase change material over a relatively large surface area, with the result that it is able to conduct heat more effectively through the phase change material than it might otherwise do.
Preferably, the vessel is in the form of a cylindrical tube because such a configuration is easy to manufacture. Cylindrical tubes are also readily available commercially and allow air to flow freely around their circumference. However, the vessel could have any alternative configuration, such as a box or a tube with a triangular or square cross-section.
In another embodiment of the invention, the vessel has fins around its outer surface. The fins improve heat transfer between the vessel and the surrounding environment by virtue of the increased surface area that they provide on an interface between the vessel and the surrounding environment. The fins can be incorporated on the vessel surface by any suitable means. For example, a sleeve carrying fins could be fitted around an outer surface of the vessel.
In a yet further embodiment of the invention, the vessel is made of metal to further improve heat transfer between the vessel and its surrounding environment. Aluminum is a particularly preferred metal due to its favorable malleability, heat conductivity, rigidity and strength characteristics.
It is preferred that the outer surface of the vessel (including any fins arranged thereon) be anodized so that the absorptance and emissivity of the outer surface is increased. Similarly, at least a part of the vessel can be painted to improve absorptance and emissivity.
Preferably, the vessel is configured to be located directly within the space to be cooled. One benefit of locating the vessel directly in the environment it is intended to cool is that it allows the vessel to act passively to remove heat from the environment. A further benefit of locating the climate control system directly within the space to be cooled, rather than integrating it within the walls, floor or ceiling surrounding that space is that it mitigates any restriction that the internal surface area of the space might place on the ability to install the climate control system. For example, if a climate control system is intended to be incorporated into a wall of the environment to be cooled, the system can only be as big as the relevant wall. By locating the climate control system directly within the environment to be cooled so that it does not simply form part of the environment's boundary provides greater flexibility in the space available for housing the climate control system.
In a further embodiment of the invention, the heat conducting medium is in the form of Lessing rings or Raschig rings. This type of heat conducting medium has been found to be particularly effective due to its ability to penetrate the phase change material and expose a large amount of the phase change material to the heat conducting medium, which greatly improves heat transfer and temperature distribution throughout the phase change material. Raschig rings, in particular, were found to have a relatively large void volume. The void volume produced by the rings is determined by the diameter, length and gauge of the individual rings and can be varied by varying one or more of these dimensions. Furthermore, both Les sing rings and Raschig rings are easily pourable into the vessel to form a lattice structure within its internal surface. Where the Raschig or Lessing rings are made of aluminum, which is preferred, they have favorable heat conducting properties and in addition, the lattice formed by the rings within the internal surface of the vessel is sufficiently rigid to be self-supporting.
As an example alternative heat conducting medium, however, heat-conducting fins on an internal surface of the vessel could serve to conduct heat through the phase change material. Such fins would, preferably, be made of metal, which is a good heat conductor.
In a further embodiment of the invention, the phase change material changes state at a peak melt temperature within the range of 18 to 26 degrees centigrade. A key advantage to using a phase change material of this nature is that it changes state, and would, therefore, be able to passively cool or heat its surrounding environment at a temperature that is generally considered to be comfortable for humans.
Preferably, the phase change material is a mixture of paraffin and hydrated salt. Paraffin demonstrates non-corrosive characteristics and long life. Heptadecane is an example of a particularly preferred paraffin because it has an appropriate melt temperature for effecting climate control for humans and a relatively high energy density. In addition, it has a latent heat capacity that is focused around its peak melt temperature, which makes it very effective at passive heating or cooling. Hydrated salt has the advantage that is has favorable fire safety characteristics. A particularly preferred hydrated salt is Na2CrO4•10H2O.
It is preferred that in a mixture of paraffin and hydrated salt, hydrated salt forms a higher proportion of the mixture by volume than paraffin, preferably at least 90% of the mixture by volume.
In another embodiment of the invention, at least an internal surface of the vessel is coated with a resin for preventing corrosion. In a yet further embodiment of the invention, at least an external surface of the heat conducting medium is coated with a resin for preventing corrosion. The benefit of providing corrosion resistance is that it increases the useful life of the climate control system. A corrosion-resistant resin coating is a practical and inexpensive way of achieving corrosion resistance.
Preferably, the climate control system further comprises an active cooling or heating apparatus. The advantage of incorporating an active cooling or heating apparatus in the system is that there is capacity for supplementing the passive climate control system in the event that passive climate control is not sufficiently effective in certain situations, for example, on very hot days, or in environments where equipment is generating an unusually high ambient temperature. This provides a flexible system that can operate over a broad range of environmental conditions. A further benefit of using an active cooling or heating apparatus in the system is that overnight heat emission into the environment can be guaranteed.
In an embodiment of the invention, a plurality of vessels is included in the system. This provides the advantage of increasing climate control capacity in the environment in which climate is to be controlled. Effectively, the climate control system in accordance with this embodiment of the invention is modular, permitting as many vessels to be used as are required.
In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, a method of controlling climate within an environment comprises arranging a closed vessel containing a phase change material and a solid heat conducting medium in the environment and permitting the vessel to passively control the climate within the environment.
Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of embodiments of the invention, given by way of example only, which is made with reference to the accompanying drawings.
The climate control system described herein comprises a closed vessel containing a phase change material for absorbing heat from or emitting heat to an environment in which the system is intended to be arranged; and a solid heat conducting medium for facilitating heat transfer within the vessel.
Phase change materials can passively remove heat from or emit heat to their surrounding environment as they change state due to their high latent heat capacity. However, phase change materials are not inherently good conductors of heat; therefore, heat is not easily distributed through phase change materials. In order to improve heat dissipation through phase change materials, and to produce a relatively even temperature distribution throughout, the present climate control system combines a heat conducting medium with a phase change material in a closed vessel.
The finned tube 2 has a substantially smooth and even inner surface and an outer surface on which a plurality of fins 5 is formed. The fins 5 can be formed by machining a wall of a thick-walled hollow cylinder. Alternatively, the finned tube 2 can be formed of a tube with a finned sleeve mounted on its outer surface. A further way of incorporating fins 5 into an outer surface of the tube 2 would be to mount and attach a series of individual solid rings on the outer surface of the tube. Although it is also possible to include a tube without fins on its outer surface, it will be appreciated that the heat absorption/dissipation characteristics of such a tube would be reduced by the effect that the omission of the fins would have on the overall outer surface area of the tube.
The finned tube 2 is preferably made of metal. Forming the finned tube 2 of metal enhances its heat conducting ability. Aluminum is particularly preferred as a material from which to form the finned tube 2 but other metals are also envisaged, including steel and copper.
The outer metallic surface of the finned tube 2 can also be anodized to increase the absorptance and emissivity of the surface. Anodisation also has the effect of rendering the outer surface more sorbent, which can be beneficial if the surface is to be dyed. For example, an outer surface of the vessel can be dyed black using paint in order to improve its emittance and absorptance further or it can be dyed white to better suit the environment in which it is to be located.
The solid heat conducting medium inside the finned tube 1 is preferably in the form of a random packing 6, such as Raschig rings or Lessing rings.
As an alternative to using a random packing as a heat conducting medium, a number of heat conducting fins 7 could be attached or integrally formed on an inner surface of the finned tube 2 in a spoke configuration across the cross-section of the tube 2, as shown in
Graphite fibers could be a further alternative heat conducting medium.
In order to avoid corrosion that might result from the phase change material that is arranged inside the finned tube 2, an inner surface of the tube 2 may be coated with a protective resin. Similarly, the surfaces of the heat conducting medium can also be coated with the same protective resin. A suitable resin for this purpose would be that used by Rubitherm GmbH.
The phase change material selected for use in the climate control system is essential to satisfactory functioning of the system. Firstly, a phase change material must be selected that changes state within a temperature range in which climate control is required. Usually, a comfortable ambient temperature is considered to be in the range from around 20° C. to around 25° C. Once the temperature drops to around 18° C., it is likely that it will be desirable to heat the environment to bring it back to around 20° C. Similarly, once the ambient temperature rises to above 25° C., it is likely to be necessary to cool the environment to bring its temperature back down to a comfortable level. It will be appreciated, therefore, that a phase change material that changes state in the range of 18° C. to 26° C. is preferred.
One suitable phase change material is a mixture of paraffin and hydrated salt; heptadecane is a suitable paraffin because it changes state from a solid to a liquid at 22° C. and has a narrow phase transition zone, so that its ability to absorb or emit heat during phase change is efficient. Paraffin, generally, is non-corrosive, which is beneficial for the service life of the finned tube 2 in which it is located. Furthermore, paraffin itself has an extremely high life cycle due to an ability to maintain its thermophysical properties over time.
A possible disadvantage of paraffin is that it is highly flammable and thus presents a challenge in terms of managing risk to health and safety. However, the fact that the paraffin is contained within a closed vessel mitigates this element of risk to a large extent. In addition, the use of a hydrated salt, which is not flammable, can mitigate the risk associated with using paraffin. A hydrated salt, such as Na2CrO4·10H2O would be particularly suitable for this application. One limitation of using hydrated salts is that they can be corrosive. However, if the finned tube 2 and the heat conducting medium 6 or 7 is coated with a protective resin, as outlined above, such corrosion can be avoided.
The mixture of paraffin and hydrated salt includes a higher proportion of hydrated salt than paraffin by volume. The hydrated salt content of the mixture can be as high as 95% by volume, for example.
The phase change material inside the finned tube 2 is preferably discrete from the heat conducting medium. This has the advantage of allowing replacement of the phase change material or the heat conducting medium separately. For example, should a random packing heat conducting medium 6 degrade over time, it can simply be separated from the phase change material in the vessel and replaced with a new random packing heat conducting medium 6. Prior art systems that use phase change materials include a substrate that is impregnated with a phase change material; it is not practical to separate the phase change material from its substrate material so if one element of the composite product degrades, the whole product needs to be replaced.
Before use, the finned tube 2 is equipped with a heat conducting medium, for example, by attaching heat conducting fins 7 to its internal surface (if they are not already formed on the internal surface of the tube 2) or by filling the tube with the random packing 6 or other suitable solid heat conducting medium. Preferably, an air pocket would be retained at one end of the finned tube 2 in order to allow for expansion of the phase change material and heat conducting medium during phase change. However, expansion and contraction could be accommodated in a different way, for example, by including a flexible component in the vessel that could itself expand and contract in response to expansion and contraction of the phase change material and heat conducting medium. One of the end caps 4 of the finned tube 2 should be removed to provide an open end of the finned tube 2 to facilitate the filling process. Following insertion of the heat conducting medium 6 or 7, the phase change medium in liquid form is poured into the finned tube 2 around the heat conducting medium 6 or 7, so that the air pocket remains. It will be appreciated that it is likely to be necessary to heat the phase change material to a degree to ensure that it is fully in a liquid state before pouring it into the finned tube 2 but it should subsequently cool down to the ambient temperature and solidify. Once both the heat conducting medium 6 or 7 and the phase change material have been arranged in the finned tube 2, the end cap 4 that was previously removed can be attached to the open end of the finned tube 2, either permanently by welding or removably by means of mechanical fasteners, such as bolts. The climate control system 1 can then be installed in an environment in which it is to be operated. Preferably, the climate control system 1 will have attachment means, such as at least one mounting bracket, for fixing it to a surface, for example, to a wall or ceiling, within the environment where climate control is required so that the system 1 can be wholly located within that environment. The pipe 3 that extends through the finned tube 2 must also be connected at each of its ends to a heat transfer fluid transport system in the environment; this could include a pipe network within the environment, a heat transfer fluid reservoir and also a pump (not shown) for pumping the heat transfer fluid around the pipe network.
In practice, it is likely that several finned tubes 2 will be included in the environment in which the climate is to be controlled. The finned tubes 2 can be arranged in an array 8, as shown in
Since the finned tube 2 or the array 8 of finned tubes is intended to be located directly in the environment in which the climate is to be controlled, it is important that they are aesthetically pleasing. It is possible, for example, that the finned tubes 2 could be coated in colored dye or paint (other than black dye, as suggested above). Similarly, the shape of the finned tubes 2 could be other than cylindrical. An alternative configuration of finned tube in the form of a tube with a triangular cross-section is shown in
In use, as the temperature in the environment rises, the phase change material inside the finned tube 2 starts to warm up. When the phase change material reaches its melting point it changes phase from a solid to a liquid, thereby absorbing heat from the environment in which the climate control system is located and reducing the ambient temperature of that environment. Various features of the system enhance heat transfer from the environment and through the finned tube 2. In particular, the fins 5 increase the surface area of the tube that is exposed to the environment, thus improving heat transfer between the environment and the finned tube 2. Within the finned tube 2, the heat conducting medium 6 or 7 ensures that heat is conducted through the phase change material in the finned tube 2 to be evenly distributed throughout. Without the heat conducting medium, it is likely that only part of the phase change material would be sufficiently exposed to heat from the surrounding environment to change state from a solid to a liquid. It is important that as much of the phase change material changes state as possible so that the climate control system 1 operates effectively by absorbing a maximum amount of heat from the surrounding environment.
In the event that the change of state of the phase change material from a solid to a liquid is insufficient to absorb all of the excess heat from the surrounding environment, a sensor, such as a thermostat arranged within the environment (not shown) will detect that this is the case and send a signal to initiate operation of an active cooling apparatus (not shown) within the climate control system. In addition or as an alternative, a thermometer or a series of thermometers within the vessel could detect whether all of the phase change material in the vessel had changed state and respond by initiating operation of the active cooling apparatus in the event that it had. The active cooling apparatus may use a pump (not shown) to pump a heat transfer fluid from a heat sink such as a chiller or a night sky cooling panel through the pipe 3 of the climate control system. The heat transfer fluid is preferably chilled water because this is an inexpensive, easy substance with which to work but it could equally be an alternative heat transfer fluid, such as a slurry containing a phase change material.
Pumping a heat transfer fluid through the pipe 3 serves to cool the phase change material so that it can absorb further heat from the surrounding environment.
Once the ambient temperature drops and it is perceptible that active cooling is no longer required, the active cooling apparatus can be de-activated. When the temperature drops further (or there is an initial drop in the case where active cooling was not employed at all), for example, because it is night-time or because certain heat generating equipment is no longer being used in the environment, the phase change material starts to re-solidify and emit heat into the environment.
Although the discussion above focuses primarily on operating the climate control system as a cooling system 1, it could also be used as a heating system by operating in reverse. As the temperature in the surrounding environment cools, the phase change material would start to freeze, releasing heat into the surrounding environment. Once the phase change material was completely frozen, if it was detected that the surrounding environment needed to be heated further, an active heating apparatus could pump a hot fluid, such as hot water, from a storage reservoir, where the fluid could be heated, through the pipe 3 of the climate control system. The passage of the hot fluid through the pipe 3 would serve to heat the phase change material, providing further capacity for it to emit heat to the surrounding environment.
Once the environment was sufficiently warm, if an active heating apparatus had been deployed, that could be switched off. Alternatively, if there was no active heating or in addition, if active heating had been switched off and the environment warmed up to an acceptable temperature, the phase change material would melt again, thus absorbing heat from the environment.
It will be appreciated that the climate control system essentially cycles through freezing and melting of the phase change material in response to temperature changes in the surrounding environment, thereby passively controlling the environment temperature as far as possible. To the extent that further heating or cooling is required, an active heating and/or cooling apparatus can be used supplementally.
The above embodiments are to be understood as illustrative examples of the invention. Further embodiments of the invention are envisaged. For example, it is possible that an active cooling and/or heating apparatus would be omitted from the climate control system 1 so that the system would operate entirely passively. Active heating and cooling assemblies could be combined in a single unit that would selectively heat or chill the heat transfer fluid. There may be a storage reservoir for storing the heat transfer fluid and for heating it or cooling it before it is passed through the pipe network.
It would be possible to integrate the climate control system described herein with a ventilation system for the environment. This would permit heat to be discharged to circulate cool night air within the environment, for example.
It is envisaged that the system could be programmed to automatically actively discharge heat at a certain time of night when the temperature in the environment was expected to be sufficiently low to be capable of absorbing the discharged heat.
It is not essential for the tube 2 to have fins 5 on its outer surface. Instead it could have a substantially smooth profile.
The finned tube 2 does not have to be made from metal; any other suitable non-metallic material with satisfactory thermal characteristics could be used as an alternative. It will be appreciated, however, that non-metallic materials that are good thermal insulators will not be appropriate for the finned tube 2, as such materials would prevent heat transfer from the surrounding environment to the phase change material.
The pipe 3 does not have to be arranged substantially centrally within the finned tube 2 and could be eccentrically arranged therein. Furthermore, more than one pipe could be arranged within the finned tube 2.
Rather than being wholly located in the environment in which climate is being controlled, the climate control system 1 could be only partially exposed to the environment. For example, the system 1 could be mounted in the ceiling, floor or wall of a space in which the climate is to be controlled so that only a portion of its external surface is in the space. The system 1 could be contained within a separate closable unit in the environment in which the climate is being controlled, so that the system could effectively be shut off from the environment, for example, by closing shutters or doors on the unit, when required.
Rather than using a combination of hydrated salt and paraffin, the phase change material could comprise only hydrated salt or only paraffin, or any other suitable phase change material. It will be appreciated that in certain circumstances the selected phase change material may comprise a shape-stabilized material, which would mean that it may not need to be enclosed within a vessel, although health and safety constraints regarding direct exposure of the environment to the phase change material will also need to be taken into account. Furthermore, encapsulating the phase change material within a vessel has the advantage of permitting easier handling and cleaning of the system and also providing increased strength and rigidity.
It is to be understood that any feature described in relation to any one embodiment may be used alone, or in combination with other features described, and may also be used in combination with one or more features of any other of the embodiments, or any combination of any other of the embodiments. Furthermore, equivalents and modifications not described above may also be employed without departing from the scope of the invention, which is defined in the accompanying claims.
Claims
1. A climate control system comprising:
- a closed vessel, the closed vessel including:
- a phase change material for absorbing heat from or emitting heat to an environment in which the system is intended to be arranged; and
- a solid heat conducting medium for facilitating heat transfer within the vessel, wherein the solid heat conducting medium is in the form of a random packing.
2. The climate control system of claim 1, wherein the solid heat conducting medium is discrete from the phase change material.
3. The climate control system of claim 1, wherein the solid heat conducting medium is in particulate form.
4. The climate control system of claim 1, wherein the vessel is in the form of a cylindrical tube.
5. The climate control system of claim 1, wherein the vessel is in the form of a tube with a triangular or square cross-section.
6. The climate control system of claim 1, wherein the vessel has fins around its outer surface.
7. The climate control system of claim 6, wherein the fins are arranged on a sleeve that is configured to fit around the outer surface of the vessel.
8. The climate control system of claim 1, wherein the vessel is made of metal.
9. The climate control system of claim 1, wherein the vessel is made of aluminum.
10. The climate control system of claim 8, wherein at least an outer surface of the vessel is anodized.
11. The climate control system of claim 9, wherein at least an outer surface of the vessel is anodized.
12. The climate control system of claim 1, wherein at least a part of the vessel is colored.
13. The climate control system of claim 1, wherein the vessel is configured to be located directly within the space to be cooled.
14. The climate control system of claim 1, wherein the random packing comprises Lessing rings.
15. The climate control system of claim 1, wherein the random packing comprises Raschig rings.
16. The climate control system of claim 1, wherein the heat conducting medium is made of metal.
17. The climate control system of claim 1, wherein a characteristic of the phase change material is that it changes state at a peak melt temperature within the range of 18° C. to 26° C.
18. The climate control system of claim 1, wherein the phase change material is a mixture of paraffin and hydrated salt.
19. The climate control system of claim 18, wherein the paraffin is heptadecane.
20. The climate control system of claim 18, wherein the hydrated salt is Na2CrO4•10H2O.11
21. The climate control system of claim 1, wherein the phase change material is a hydrated salt.
22. The climate control system of claim 1, wherein the phase change material is paraffin.
23. The climate control system of claim 1, wherein at least an internal surface of the vessel is coated with a resin for preventing corrosion.
24. The climate control system of claim 1, wherein at least an external surface of the heat conducting medium is coated with a resin for preventing corrosion.
25. The climate control system of claim 1, further comprising an active cooling and/or heating apparatus.
26. The climate control system of claim 25, wherein the active cooling and/or heating apparatus comprises a pipe that is configured to carry a heat transfer fluid through the vessel.
27. The climate control system of claim 26, wherein the heat transfer fluid is water.
28. The climate control system of claim 26, wherein the active cooling and/or heating apparatus additionally includes a pump to pump the heat transfer fluid through the pipe.
29. The climate control system of claim 27, wherein the active cooling and/or heating apparatus additionally includes a pump to pump the heat transfer fluid through the pipe.
30. The climate control system of claim 1, wherein a plurality of vessels is included in the system.
31. A building comprising a climate control system, wherein the climate control system comprises:
- a closed vessel, wherein the closed vessel comprises:
- a phase change material for absorbing heat from or emitting heat to an environment in which the system is intended to be arranged; and
- a solid heat conducting medium for facilitating heat transfer within the vessel, wherein the solid heat conducting medium is in the form of a random packing.
32. The building of claim 31, wherein the climate control system is located directly within a space in which climate is to be controlled.
33. The building of claim 32, wherein the climate control system is located partially in a wall, floor or ceiling of the building.
34. A method of controlling climate within an environment comprising:
- arranging a closed vessel comprising a phase change material and a solid heat conducting medium in the environment; and
- permitting the vessel to passively control the climate within the environment, wherein the solid heat conducting medium is in the form of a random packing.
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 9, 2015
Publication Date: Feb 4, 2016
Inventors: Gideon SUSMAN (Los Angeles, CA), Zahir DEHOUCHE (Uxbridge), William COUCH (Uxbridge)
Application Number: 14/879,806
