Heat Collector Patents (Class 165/10)
  • Patent number: 10112460
    Abstract: A humidifier supplies humidified air, which is humidified by water desorbed from an adsorbing material, to a humidification object space. The humidifier includes: a heating part that heats air, which is supplied to the adsorbing material; an adsorbing material module that includes the adsorbing material and that desorbs water, which is adsorbed in the adsorbing material, to air heated by the heating part; and a cooling part that cools air humidified by the adsorbing material module. At time of desorption to desorb water from the adsorbing material, the adsorbing material module desorbs water from the adsorbing material to air heated by the heating part, and then the cooling part cools the air to be supplied to the humidification object space as the humidified air. At time of adsorption to adsorb water of air into the adsorbing material, the cooling part cools air, and then water is adsorbed into the adsorbing material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yusuke Komatsubara
  • Patent number: 10107529
    Abstract: A cooling/heating, module configured to cool and heat air includes: first and second cooling/heating sections (20a, 20b), each having a thermoelastic material (21); and an actuator (22) applying tension to the thermoelastic material (21). The actuator (22) is configured to alternately perform the operation of applying tension to the thermoelastic material (21) of the first cooling/heating section (20a) and removing tension from the thermoelastic material (21) of the second cooling/heating section (20b) and the operation of applying tension to the thermoelastic material (21) of the second cooling/heating section (20b) and removing tension from the thermoelastic material (21) of the first cooling/heating section (20a).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Shuji Ikegami, Yukihiro Makino, Kouichi Yasuo, Hyunyoung Kim, Makoto Kojima, Mamoru Okumoto, Chuncheng Piao, Lan Jiang
  • Patent number: 10100740
    Abstract: A plate/fin heat exchanger includes multiple stacked panels defining a curvature. Each of the panels has a first corrugated sheet defining a first set of passages and a second corrugated sheet defining a second set of passages. Each of the corrugated sheets includes multiple aligned corrugations, and the corrugations of the first corrugated sheet are not aligned with the corrugations of the second corrugated sheet. Each of the corrugations has a corrugation height defined as a length of said corrugation tangential to a curvature of the plate/fin heat exchanger, and wherein each of the first corrugated sheets includes axially aligned corrugations defining a wedge shaped radial cross section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Michael R. Thomas
  • Patent number: 10093078
    Abstract: When products to be shipped are temperature-sensitive, it is necessary to maintain a substantially uniform and constant temperature to avoid spoilage. As a result, thermal shields are often placed on top of the products. Many designs for thermal shields have been considered in the past but improvements are still desired. Accordingly, there is provided a multilayer thermal shield (100) comprising a thermally conductive layer (108), and at least one heat exchange fluid circuit (120) coupled to a first surface of the thermally conductive layer, the at least one heat exchange fluid circuit comprising at least one inlet (124) configured to permit the ingress of heat exchange fluid. The thermal shield further comprises an outer insulation layer (104) connected to a first surface of the thermally conductive layer (108) and comprising grooves designed to receive the heat exchange fluid circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: SUNWELL ENGINEERING COMPANY LIMITED
    Inventors: Vladimir Goldstein, Rosa Corey, Cong-Binh Do
  • Patent number: 10088243
    Abstract: This invention provides a thermal energy battery having an insulated tank containing a multitude of densely packed plastic tubes filled with a phase-change material (PCM, such as ice) that changes from solid to liquid and vice-versa. Energy is stored when the PCM transitions from liquid to solid form, and released when the PCM transitions back from solid to liquid form. The tubes are arranged vertically, span the height of a well-insulated tank, and are immersed in heat transfer fluid (HTF) contained within the tank. The HTF is an aqueous solution with a freezing point temperature below the freezing point temperature of the chosen PCM. The HTF remains in liquid form at all times during the operation of the battery. Diffusers located allow the HTF to be extracted uniformly from the tank, pumped and cooled by a liquid chiller situated outside the tank and then and inserted back into the tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: Promethean Power Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Sorin Grama, Matthew H. Dorson, Rebecca Christianson
  • Patent number: 10072896
    Abstract: A modular thermal energy storage system for storing and transferring thermal energy at a wide range of temperatures. The system includes processing control circuitry, heat transfer fluid (HTF), piping, valves, pumps, a thermal energy source, and a reconfigurable thermal energy storage (TES) tank implemented in one or more insulated shipping containers. Different types of replaceable thermal energy storage material in the TES tank can store thermal energy in a range of ?30° F. to temperatures greater than +200° F. The system receives HTF from a customer load and charges the HTF to a desired temperature. Charged HTF in the TES tank transfers thermal energy to and from the storage material. When the stored thermal energy is needed, the system passes a non-charged thermal fluid through the TES tank to draw out the thermal energy through the charged HTF, and transfers the thermal energy to the customer load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: LoCap Energy, LLC
    Inventors: Dexter E. Jacobs, Zachary Sokoloff
  • Patent number: 10054372
    Abstract: A device including first and second heat accumulators, each including thermal energy storage containers. Each container includes an insulating enclosure containing earth crossed by at least one first line for the circulation of a first heat transfer fluid and at least one second line for the circulation of a second heat transfer fluid. For each accumulator, the first lines of the containers are connected in parallel and the second lines of the containers are series-connected. The heating device includes a device for delivering thermal energy to the first heat transfer fluid connected to the first and second accumulators by a first circuit for distributing the first heat transfer fluid capable of selectively circulating the first heat transfer fluid in the first line of each container of the first accumulator or in the first line of each container of the second accumulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Inventor: David Vendeirinho
  • Patent number: 10047729
    Abstract: A concentrating solar power collector plant is provided in which a pressurized solar power receiver with an associated gas turbine and a low-pressure solar power receiver are used together with a common thermal energy storage system. Exhaust from the gas turbine is connected to the thermal energy storage system to deliver residual heat to the thermal energy storage system in addition to that received from the low-pressure solar power receiver. The pressurized solar power receiver may be a separate unit from the low-pressure receiver and at least some heliostats are controlled to redirect reflected solar energy from one solar power receiver to the other. The pressurized solar power receiver may alternatively be combined with the low-pressure receiver in a single unit having a heat receiving part of a high-pressure receiver and a flow passage for heating air between an inlet and an outlet to form the low pressure receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: STELLENBOSCH UNIVERSITY
    Inventor: Lukas Heller
  • Patent number: 10029800
    Abstract: The system comprises at least one evaporator device arranged around a tube inside which a hot fluid flows and, for each evaporator device, a respective conduit connected at its opposite ends to the evaporator device so as to form with the latter a closed circuit containing a two-phase fluid. Each evaporator device comprises a casing, having an inner wall in contact with the respective tube and an outer wall enclosing a cavity with the inner wall, and a separating member of porous material arranged inside the casing so as to divide radially the cavity into an inner cavity, extending between the inner wall and the separating member, and an outer cavity extending between the separating member and the outer wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: Leonardo S.p.A.
    Inventors: Antonio Moscatelli, Gianni Mancuso
  • Patent number: 10017030
    Abstract: A method of efficiently heating a passenger cabin of a vehicle includes heating a first fluid using a fluid heater. The first fluid flows through a thermal storage element to transfer thermal energy to the thermal storage element. The heating of the first fluid and the thermal storage element occurs during a recharging of a rechargeable power source used to power the vehicle. During operation of the vehicle and following discontinuation of the recharging of the rechargeable power source, the thermal energy stored to the thermal storage element is transferred to air to be distributed to the passenger cabin of the vehicle by flowing the first fluid through a first heat exchanger in thermal communication with the air to be distributed to the passenger cabin of the vehicle, thereby extending a range of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: HANON SYSTEMS
    Inventors: Nicos Agathocleous, John Meyer
  • Patent number: 10001327
    Abstract: A heat storing system includes: a heat source that emits heat to a first thermal medium; and a heat storing unit. The heat storing unit includes a heat storing body container housing a heat storing body, and a thermal medium container housing a liquid phase thermal medium. The heat storing body stores or emits heat in accordance with phase change of the heat storing body. The heat storing unit is configured to conduct a cold heat emission mode in which the liquid phase thermal medium and a cooling medium exchange heat in the thermal medium container to evaporate the thermal medium such that cold heat is emitted to the cooling medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takuya Fuse, Yasushi Kouno, Shinya Kasamatsu
  • Patent number: 9984954
    Abstract: A method of forming an on-chip heat sink includes forming a device on a substrate. The method also includes forming a plurality of insulator layers over the device. The method further includes forming a heat sink in at least one of the plurality of insulator layers and proximate to the device. The heat sink includes a reservoir of phase change material having a melting point temperature that is less than an upper limit of a design operating temperature of the chip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Mattias E. Dahlstrom
  • Patent number: 9964022
    Abstract: A system includes a coolant management module that, determines whether an engine of a vehicle is off, determines, in response to a determination that the engine is off, whether a heater associated with the engine is on, receives one of a plurality of engine coolant temperature (ECT) measurements and a respective location associated with the received ECT measurement, and communicates the respective location and an instruction to direct engine coolant flow from the respective location to one of the heater and engine. The system also includes a coolant control module that selectively actuates one or more coolant control valves based on the respective location and the instruction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Eugene V. Gonze, Yue-Ming Chen, Vijay Ramappan, Christopher Harold Knieper
  • Patent number: 9926530
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the use of warmers, or autonomous heat packs, for heating and maintaining a solution on at a suitable temperature, for the period of time required to accomplish a chemical, biochemical or biological reaction, in particular in molecular biology or cell biology applications. Biology kits containing warmers are also part of this invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: LABORATORIES GENEVRIER
    Inventors: Dominique Vacher, Jean-Noel Gouze
  • Patent number: 9925633
    Abstract: The invention relates, on the one hand, to a machine element (6), for example a motor spindle or an electromechanical drive unit, with integrated, internal cooling system (8) and, on the other hand, to a closed cooling circuit (24) with corresponding machine element (6). According to the invention, the cooling takes place with a special coolant (4). The coolant (4) is a dispersion containing at least one Phase Change Material (PCM).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: Step-Tec AG
    Inventors: Lukas Weiss, Simon Zuest, Ludger Josef Fischer, Joerg Worlitschek, Edwin Reinhard
  • Patent number: 9914339
    Abstract: The present technology relates to a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system for a motor vehicle with supplemental thermal storage, the HVAC system having a length greater than a width and disposed with the length parallel to a longitudinal axis of the motor vehicle between the front seats thereof. The HVAC system includes a blower assembly disposed beneath an instrument panel of the motor vehicle or inside an engine compartment. A thermal storage device in thermal communication with air caused to flow through the HVAC system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: HANON SYSTEMS
    Inventor: Lakhi Nandlal Goenka
  • Patent number: 9914865
    Abstract: In one aspect, compositions are described herein. In some embodiments, a composition comprises a phase change material, a hydrophobic sorption material, and a viscosity modifier. In some embodiments, a composition comprises a foam and a latent heat storage material dispersed in the foam, the latent heat storage material comprising a phase change material and a hydrophobic sorption material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: Phase Change Energy Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Reyad I. Sawafta, Najih Naser
  • Patent number: 9901894
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a system for energy recovery and a polymerization plant having such a system comprising a. an exothermic device operating continuously (exothermic device interpreted as any apparatus able to produce heat and transfer it onto another body), b. a cooling device in fluid communication with said exothermic device, c. an endothermic device operating discontinuously (endothermic device interpreted as any apparatus able to receive heat from another body, i.e. to be heated); said system being characterized in that it comprises a device for the accumulation of the energy produced by the exothermic device in fluid communication with the discontinuous endothermic device, the exothermic device operating continuously and the cooling device using a service fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: Versalis S.p.A.
    Inventors: Nicola Fiorotto, Gianni Marchetti, Matteo Gheno
  • Patent number: 9903633
    Abstract: A container for a refrigerating machine has: a storeroom storing a stored objective; a housing chamber housing an evaporator and an evaporator fan and guiding an inside air in the storeroom to flowing back to the storeroom after passing through the evaporator; a first ventilation duct connected to the housing chamber and having a first blower fan and a first heat storage body; a second ventilation duct connected to the housing chamber and having a second blower fan and a second heat storage body; and a controller controlling the first blower fan and the second blower fan. The controller controls the first blower fan and the second blower fan and switches between (i) a mode in which an outside air inflows through the first ventilation duct, and the inside air outflows through the second ventilation duct and (ii) a mode in which an outside air inflows through the second ventilation duct, and the inside air outflows through the first ventilation duct, at a specified time interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takehiro Kurata, Masami Taniguchi
  • Patent number: 9890977
    Abstract: A system comprises the integrated combination of: a condenser having a condenser water path leg extending from a water inlet to a water outlet; a first expansion device; a flash tank economizer; a second expansion device; an evaporator having an evaporator water path leg extending from a water inlet to a water outlet; and a refrigerant flowpath passing sequentially through the condenser, the first expansion device, the economizer, the second expansion device and the evaporator. The flash tank economizer comprises a horizontally elongate body having a first end and a second end. The economizer has an inlet conduit having an outlet. The economizer has a liquid outlet, a vapor outlet, and a medium between the outlet of the inlet conduit and the liquid outlet. A length of the refrigerant flowpath between the first expansion device and the outlet of the inlet conduit is at least 0.5 m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: Carrier Corporation
    Inventors: Hsihua Li, Haiping Ding
  • Patent number: 9894802
    Abstract: Example embodiments disclose a passive system of power and cooling with a liquid metal for a digital system. The passive system may include a digital device operatively coupled to a printed circuit board, a hollow conductive channel body attached to the printed circuit board to circulate the liquid metal to flow within the conductive channel so as to convey electrical power to the digital device during a power loss and transfer heat generated by the digital device, and a tube to deliver the liquid metal in and out of the hollow conductive channel body. A method of operating a liquid metal may involve the use of the passive system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy Americas LLC
    Inventors: Eric Paul Loewen, Weston Matthew Cundiff, Seth Strege
  • Patent number: 9865907
    Abstract: A 3-D “phase change heat exchange” structure and method are used in a rechargeable battery to dissipate heat from surfaces of the battery cells and lower the temperature inside the battery cells. The battery cells are placed inside an enclosure and spaced apart from each other with free spaces in between. A liquid to vapor phase change material (L-V PCM) is provided inside the enclosure. A hydrophilic thin film or wick or fiber structure is provided on the cell surfaces to help form a thin liquid layer of the L-V PCM over cell surfaces. During operation, the L-C PCM is evaporated at the cell surfaces and condenses back to a liquid either on the battery enclosure or in an external heat exchanger, and drips back on top of the cells. The designs extend the battery life and improve the battery performance significantly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Inventor: Xiaodong Xiang
  • Patent number: 9855818
    Abstract: A cool storage material container of an evaporator with a cool storage function includes a container main body portion located within the range of a heat exchange core section in the air-passing direction and an outward projecting portion projecting from the container main body portion. A cool storage material containing portion provided in the cool storage material container has a first containing portion which is present in a region where only the container main body portion is provided, and a second containing portion which extends upward from the first containing portion and is present in a region where the container main body portion and the outward projecting portion are provided. The level of a cool storage material is located within the vertical range of the second containing portion in the case where the cool storage material is in liquid phase at ordinary temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: KEIHIN THERMAL TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naohisa Higashiyama, Osamu Kamoshida
  • Patent number: 9855629
    Abstract: A heat sink includes a connecting member, a first substrate, a second substrate, and a cooling medium. The connecting member is sandwiched between the first substrate and the second substrate, and defines at least one hole passing through the connecting member. Each hole includes a first end and a second end respectively enclosed by the first substrate and the second substrate to define a cavity. The cooling medium is filled in each cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignees: Qi Ding Technology Qinhuangdao Co., Ltd., Zhen Ding Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yu-Cheng Huang
  • Patent number: 9851159
    Abstract: A curved cross-flow heat exchanger including a first flow path for a first fluid stream which is arranged substantially at right angles to a second flow path for a second fluid stream, wherein: the first flow path is confined within one or more heat exchanger sections that bridge between opposite sides of the heat exchanger, the one or more heat exchanger sections having a leading edge positioned in the second flow path, wherein each of the one or more heat exchanger sections is a curved laminated heat exchanger section and comprises a leading edge that is curved in a direction normal to the second flow path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: HS MARSTON AEROSPACE LIMITED
    Inventor: Sean L. Cameron
  • Patent number: 9845566
    Abstract: A clothes treating apparatus includes a cabinet and a drum rotatably installed within the cabinet. The clothes treating apparatus also includes a circulation flow path in which exhaust air discharged from the drum is re-supplied to the drum and a condenser configured to allow the exhaust air and cooling air introduced from an outside of the cabinet to be heat-exchanged. The clothes treating apparatus further includes a cooling flow path configured to guide the cooling air toward the condenser and a blowing fan configured to introduce air from outside of the cabinet to an interior of the cooling flow path. In addition, the clothes treating apparatus includes a discharge opening that discharges cooling air, which has passed through the condenser, to an interior of the cabinet. The rotational shaft of the drum is disposed between the discharge opening and the blowing fan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Seonil Heo, Myoungjong Kim, Junseok Lee
  • Patent number: 9841243
    Abstract: The invention relates to a system for the storage and recovery of thermal energy, using, as its medium, at least one phase change material (solid-liquid) and a sensible heat solid material for storing/recovering the heat obtained from an external source in the form of phase change latent heat and sensible heat. The aforementioned materials are duly housed inside a single tank containing at least two zones which are differentiated by the range of temperatures to which they are subjected, each zone containing a different material. The most common configuration consists of three different zones located inside the tank, namely: a hot zone in the upper part of the tank, enclosing an encapsulated phase change material characterized by a high melting temperature; a cold zone housed in the lower part of the tank, containing a phase change material with a low melting temperature; and a middle zone containing a sensible heat solid material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya
    Inventors: Asensi Oliva Llena, Carlos David Pérez Segarra, Joaquim Rigola Serrano, Jesús Castro González, Carles Oliet Casasayas, Ivette Rodríguez Pérez, Oriol Lehmkuhl Barba, Xavi Trias Miquel, Roser Capdevila Paramio, Ramiro Alba Queipo, Manuel Miguel Ordoño Martínez, Pedro Andrés Galione Klot
  • Patent number: 9834364
    Abstract: Disclosed is a storage tank for molten salts, preferably of the thermocline type. The tank is provided with an insulation on the inside, which is provided by molten salts captured and retained in an appropriate metal structure. The metal structure has openings allowing molten salts to flow into it, and may consist of metal supports that hold elements which allow retaining molten salts, such as a structured packing, metal boxes, or gutter wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignees: Stamicarbon B.V., Enea, Agenzia Nazionale Per Le Nuove Tecnologie, L'energia E Lo Sviluppo Economico Sostenibilie
    Inventors: Adriano Barsi, Fabrizio Fabrizi, Walter Gaggioli, Gaetano Iaquaniello, Luca Rinaldi
  • Patent number: 9839074
    Abstract: A PBN-coated carbon heater is disclosed in which the carbon base body is anisotropic with respect to thermal expansion coefficient such that the maximum-to-minimum coefficient ratio is 1.02 through 1.50 for temperatures between 50 and 800 degree C.; preferably the carbon base body is also anisotropic with respect to electric resistivity such that the maximum-to-minimum resistivity ratio is greater than 1.04 but not greater than 1.51, and the direction in which the resistivity is maximum coincides the direction of the heater pattern in which the electricity runs the longest distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: SHIN-ETSU CHEMICAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Koji Kato, Waichi Yamamura
  • Patent number: 9821630
    Abstract: A thermal energy storage system of a vehicle is disclosed. The thermal energy storage system includes a refrigerant circuit conveying a refrigerant therethrough. The refrigerant circuit includes an evaporator receives a flow of the refrigerant and a flow of air. The thermal energy storage system also includes a coolant circuit conveying a coolant therethrough. The coolant circuit includes a coolant heat exchanger disposed downstream from the evaporator with respect to a direction of the flow of air through the evaporator and an auxiliary heat exchanger receiving a flow of the coolant. The thermal energy storage system further includes a cold storage device in thermal communication with the coolant circuit and a WCAC in fluid communication with the auxiliary heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: HANON SYSTEMS
    Inventor: Lakhi Nandlal Goenka
  • Patent number: 9801967
    Abstract: A method for decontaminating an object disposed in a region. The method includes the steps of: heating the region to a target temperature; introducing steam into the region until a humidity level in the region reaches a target humidity level; introducing a vaporized sterilant into the region until a sterilant concentration in the region reaches a target sterilant concentration; and maintaining the target temperature, the target sterilant concentration and the target humidity level until a predetermine target dose is obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: STERIS INC.
    Inventors: Paul A Wiget, Timothy W Meilander, Iain McVey
  • Patent number: 9803895
    Abstract: A regenerator of a regenerative refrigerator includes: a magnetic regenerator material used for cold storage; and a container that accommodates the magnetic regenerator material. A part of the container that accommodates the magnetic regenerator material includes: a first region that includes a temperature range in which a specific heat of the magnetic regenerator material reaches maximum during an operation of the regenerative refrigerator, and a second region that is in a temperature range different from that of the first region. A cross sectional area of a part of the first region that accommodates the magnetic regenerator material is smaller than a cross sectional area of a part of the second region that accommodates the magnetic regenerator material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: SUMITOMO HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Mingyao Xu
  • Patent number: 9789746
    Abstract: An air-conditioning system which may be included in a motor vehicle may include a single pair of tube-and-plate heat exchangers arranged within a common vacuum enclosure, the heat exchangers selectively coupled with a heat source, a radiator, and an air-conditioning core. During an adsorbing/evaporating mode, coolant may circulate between a first heat exchanger and the radiator and vapor may evaporate from the surface of non-adsorbent-coated plates of the second heat exchanger and be adsorbed at adsorbent-coated plates of the first heat exchanger while coolant circulates between the second heat exchanger and the core. During a desorbing/condensing mode, coolant may circulate between a heat source and the first heat exchanger to effect desorption of vapor from the adsorbent in the first heat exchanger, while melting PCM in the core exchanges heat with air blown through the core to provide cooling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Michael Levin, Furqan Zafar Shaikh, Danrich Henry Demitroff, Lawrence Marshall
  • Patent number: 9755131
    Abstract: Aspects relate to an energy harvesting device adapted for use by an athlete while exercising. The device may utilize a mass of phase-change material to store heat energy, the stored heat energy subsequently converted into electrical energy by one or more thermoelectric generator modules. The energy harvesting device may be integrated into an item of clothing, and such that the mass of phase change material may store heat energy as the item of clothing is laundered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Summer Schneider, Vikram Malhotra, Marcus Ward, Jerry Wiant
  • Patent number: 9752802
    Abstract: A first regenerator of a regenerative refrigerator includes a first regenerator member and a first cylinder accommodating the first regenerator member. A second regenerator includes a second regenerator member and a second cylinder accommodating the second regenerator member and may be connected to a low temperature end of the first regenerator. A gas pipe guides a coolant gas discharged from the first regenerator to a portion in the middle of the second regenerator. The gas pipe may include a plurality of gas relief holes in the middle of the gas pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: SUMITOMO HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Tian Lei, Mingyao Xu
  • Patent number: 9748463
    Abstract: Aspects relate to an energy harvesting device adapted for use by an athlete while exercising. The device may utilize a mass of phase-change material to store heat energy, the stored heat energy subsequently converted into electrical energy by one or more thermoelectric generator modules. The energy harvesting device may be integrated into an item of clothing, and such that the mass of phase change material may store heat energy as the item of clothing is laundered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Summer Schneider, Vikram Malhotra, Marcus Ward, Jerry Wiant
  • Patent number: 9719442
    Abstract: A method for heating fuel upon start-up of a hybrid vehicle combustion engine, in which method temperature of fuel and temperature outside the vehicle are compared against a first threshold below which starting of the vehicle is forbidden, and against a second threshold higher than the first threshold and above which the engine will start without the fuel being heated. The fuel is heated by exchange of heat with a cooling circuit for the vehicle battery when the external temperature is between the two thresholds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: RENAULT s.a.s
    Inventors: David Gerard, Fano Rampanarivo, Pascal Emery
  • Patent number: 9709324
    Abstract: A heat transferring method and system utilizing a parasitic phase-change pump is disclosed. The parasitic phase-change pump is utilized to circulate a working fluid. The method may include: facilitating heat transfer from at least one evaporator to a condenser via the working fluid; receiving and containing the working fluid from the condenser utilizing an expandable MEMS device; controlling and regulating the flow of the working fluid from the expandable MEMS device towards the at least one evaporator utilizing at least one MEMS based directional device, wherein the working fluid flowing from the expandable MEMS device towards at least one evaporator is in liquid phase; and utilizing the working fluid flowing from the expandable MEMS device towards at least one evaporator to facilitate heat transfer for at least one target device located between at least one evaporator and the condenser or between the expandable MEMS device and the evaporator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventors: Qizhou Matthew Yao, Ryan J. Legge
  • Patent number: 9692233
    Abstract: A method for controlling an energy storage system. The same battery system shall support multiple services at the same time. During a planning phase, the multiple services to be provided are determined, based on the market situation and the capabilities of the energy storage system, and prioritized according to predefined criteria. During an operation phase, the power and energy status of the energy storage system is periodically monitored, and compared against the power and energy demands of the multiple services, in order to determine whether at each time instance, the multiple services can indeed be supported at the same time. In case power and/or energy limits are exceeded by the multiple services, at least one service is interrupted to allow the operation of the energy storage system to be within power/energy limits again. The interrupted service(s) is resumed when the power/energy limits are met.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ralf Becker, Marc Neubert, Paul James
  • Patent number: 9682357
    Abstract: A method of controlling the temperature of autothermal microchannel reactors is disclosed. A hierarchical control structure employs a distributed temperature controller including a phase change material and a supervisory control system including the control of one or more inputs into the reactor. The phase change material acts as a fast, distributed controller, and the supervisory controller acts over a longer time horizon to mitigate persistent disturbances. A stochastic optimization method for selecting the phase change layer thickness is employed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: Board of Regents, The University of Texas System
    Inventors: Michael Baldea, Richard Chase Pattison
  • Patent number: 9658004
    Abstract: Heat storage apparatus comprising at least one thermal store (300) comprising a chamber (301) having a gas inlet (306), a gas outlet (307), and a gas-permeable thermal storage media (303) disposed therebetween, the apparatus being configured such that, during operation, the flow path of a gas flowing through the chamber (301) from inlet (306) to outlet (307) for transfer of thermal energy to or from the storage media (303) can be selectively altered in response to the progress of the thermal transfer, thereby enabling the flow path to bypass inactive upstream or downstream regions of the storage media where thermal transfer is complete or minimal, so as to minimize the pressure drop across the storage media. A baffle system (305) in a main flow passageway (312) may be used to control the gas flow path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: Energy Technologies Institute LLP
    Inventors: Jonathan Sebastian Howes, James Macnaghten, Rowland Geoffrey Hunt
  • Patent number: 9648730
    Abstract: Apparatus for thermally cooling a solid state memory unit, such as but not limited to densely packed flash memory storage devices in a data storage system. In some embodiments, a thermally conductive corrugated plate has one or more corrugations. The corrugations are adapted for positioning adjacent at least one solid state memory unit to form one or more channels for a cooling fluid to flow therethrough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: Xyratex Technology Limited
    Inventor: Laurence Harvilchuck
  • Patent number: 9638471
    Abstract: A heat exchanger is provided having a first fluid circuit defining a first volume and configured to permit a first fluid to flow therethrough with a first fluid supply. The heat exchanger includes a second fluid circuit defining a second volume separate from the first volume and sharing at least one common wall with the first enclosed volume, and configured to permit a second fluid to flow therethrough from a second fluid supply. One or more thermal transfer sheets having one or more channels therein are configured in structural and thermal contact with both the first and second fluid circuits, the channels having a thermodynamic fluid disposed therein and configured to transfer heat between the first fluid circuit and the second fluid circuit. A thermal transfer rate through the at least one common wall is less than a thermal transfer rate of the one or more thermal transfer sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mark C. Neumann, Leo J. Veilleux, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9568254
    Abstract: A metal heat transfer plate and heat pipe mounting structure includes a metal heat transfer plate and heat pipes embedded in the metal heat transfer plate in a flush manner. The metal heat transfer plate and heat pipe mounting method includes the steps of punching mounting slots in a metal heat transfer plate, processing each mounting slot into a respective flanged hole, reversely stamping each flanged hole to form top and bottom protruding flanges around each mounting slot, stamping each bottom protruding flange to create an insertion chamber, and press-fitting a flat heat pipe into each mounting slot and then stamping each top protruding flange into a respective deformed top protruding flange to wrap about one respective heat pipe and to keep each deformed top protruding flange flush with the top surface of the metal heat transfer plate and each heat pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Inventor: Tsung-Hsien Huang
  • Patent number: 9526191
    Abstract: A fluid cooled enclosure includes a fluid conduit that provides a fluid coolant path between sides of a housing. Optionally, the fluid conduit can provide bi-directional fluid coolant paths. In another example, an interface block can be provided with a first interface surface engaging an interface surface of a first end portion of the fluid conduit. In another example, a first end portion of the fluid conduit is fabricated with a first material composition and the interface block is fabricated with a second material composition that has a higher thermal conductivity than the first material composition. In further examples, methods of cooling a conduction cooled circuit module comprise the steps of mounting an interface block to a conduction cooled circuit module, mounting the interface block with respect to the fluid conduit, and cooling the electrical circuits of the conduction cooled circuit module by flowing fluid coolant through the fluid conduit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: DY 4 SYSTEMS INC.
    Inventors: Ivan Straznicky, William Edward Ratliff
  • Patent number: 9523539
    Abstract: The present invention is to provide a latent heat storage member which is able to more reliably contribute to a daily peak shift of energy consumption, and a building material provided with the latent heat storage member. A latent heat storage member 20 which is formed by using a material including a latent heat storage material such as paraffin and a gelation agent and is used as a building material, includes an outer side surface 20b arranged on a solar light irradiation side facing the outside, and has a phase change temperature T1 within a temperature range between a lowest temperature Tsmin and a highest temperature Tsmax of the outer side surface 20b in the daytime.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuya Ide, Yuka Utsumi, Yasuyuki Umenaka, Tomohisa Miyatani, Takashi Yamashita, Akio Miyata, Kazuhiro Deguchi
  • Patent number: 9521737
    Abstract: In a power module, a power semiconductor element is mounted on a heat dissipation substrate having a tilted part formed at an end portion thereof, a resin case is arranged so as to surround the power semiconductor element and to contact the heat dissipation substrate, and a cooling fin is arranged so as to contact a surface of the heat dissipation substrate opposite a surface of the heat dissipation substrate on which the power semiconductor element is mounted. The power module includes pressure member contacting the tilted part of the heat dissipation substrate to press the heat dissipation substrate against the cooling fin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Shinichi Izuo, Masaki Taya, Taichi Obara, Nobuya Nishida
  • Patent number: 9488389
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a regenerator configured to transfer heat to a fluid and to absorb heat from the fluid as the fluid flows between a warm end and a cold end of a cryocooler. The regenerator includes an anisotropic thermal layer configured to reduce a flow of heat axially along the regenerator and to spread the absorbed heat radially or laterally in a plane of the anisotropic thermal layer. The anisotropic thermal layer includes at least one allotropic form of carbon. The anisotropic thermal layer could have a higher radial or lateral thermal conductivity and a lower axial thermal conductivity. The anisotropic thermal layer could include carbon nanotubes and/or graphene. The regenerator could include multiple anisotropic thermal layers that divide the regenerator into multiple segments, where the anisotropic thermal layers are configured to reduce heat transfer between adjacent segments of the regenerator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: Theodore J. Conrad, Michael J. Ellis, Lowell A. Bellis, James R. Chow, Brian R. Schaefer, Troy T. Matsuoka
  • Patent number: 9457436
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a cryogenic regenerator includes the steps of supplying helium gas to a metallic helium gas sealing tube having a front end portion and a rear end portion that are open to replace air within the tube; sealing the rear end portion of the helium gas sealing tube; cooling the helium gas sealing tube and filling additional helium gas into the cooled helium gas sealing tube from a helium gas supplying unit; sealing the front end portion of the helium gas sealing tube after the helium gas sealing tube is filled with the additional helium gas; and winding the helium gas sealing tube into a coil structure around a core material to fabricate a helium gas sealing tube wound structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: SUMITOMO HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Tatsuo Koizumi
  • Patent number: 9440216
    Abstract: Mass transfer packing with a minimal surface or a triply periodic minimal surface which enables significantly improved performance for separation and mixing applications particularly with respect to distillation, liquid-liquid contacting, and heat exchange applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: GEOSEPAA LLC
    Inventor: Robert C. Ryan