Sunamp Limited

Voxar Limited

Andrew John Bissell

David Oliver

Santokh Singh Gataora

Maurizio Zaglio

Colin Richard Pulham

John Field

Ian Poole

Pavlos Papageorgiou

Andrew William McCahey

Emily Jane Goddard

Kate Fisher

Gylen Odling

Kieran Doak

Jonathan Nicholson

Andrew William Mccahey

There is herein defined phase change material (PCM) battery designs which are heated. More particularly, there is described integrally and/or internally located heating devices (e.g. electrical heating devices) in a range of heat batteries containing PCM. In particular, there is described a PCM heat battery comprising: a PCM enclosure capable of holding PCM; PCM located in the enclosure; an electronic control system for the PCM heat battery; a heating device located in the PCM heat battery; wherein the heating device is capable of heating and/or charging the PCM.

Internally heated phase change material heat batteries

There is disclosed herein metal nitrate hydrates as phase change materials (PCMs). More particularly, there is disclosed herein metal nitrate hydrate PCMs containing group II metal nitrates as nucleation agents. A further disclosure herein is the combination of multiple chemical species in the PCM formulation which act together to induce nucleation of metal nitrate PCMs. Furthermore, physical mechanisms by which nucleation of metal nitrate hydrate based PCMs and crystallisation rate increased are disclosed.

Metal nitrate based compositions for use as phase change materials

The present invention describes a vapour compression apparatus wherein an intermediary located heat battery is capable of releasing charge (i.e. discharging) and/or charging and thereby controlling the temperature of a heat source or heat sink temperature in a vapour compression cycle. More particularly, the present invention describes vapour compression apparatus wherein an intermediary located heat battery comprising Phase change material (PCM) is capable of releasing charge (i.e. discharging) energy and/or charging and thereby controlling the temperature of a heat source and/or heat sink temperature in a vapour compression cycle in a range of refrigeration and/or heating systems including: air conditioning in both domestic and industrial uses; transportation of food/materials in vehicles, trains, air, etc. The present invention also relates to a methodology for selecting phase change materials (PCMs) and/or refrigerants for a vapour compression apparatus.

Vapour compression apparatus

There are herein described energy storage systems. More particularly there are provided thermal energy storage systems comprising battery assemblies containing phase change materials and a monitoring system therefor. In addition there are provided thermal stores comprising battery assemblies having integral control means for management of the thermal energy provided by the battery assembly.

Heat battery assemblies and monitoring system therefor

There is herein described a heat battery design for horizontal and vertical planes and a heat battery using a separate volume compensator. In particular, there is described an improved heat battery design which overcomes the problem of over-pressurisation within a battery cell during use.

Heat battery

The present invention relates to phase-change materials (PCM) which store and release thermal energy by undergoing melt/crystallisation cycles. More particularly, there is described a thermal storage system where sub-cooled phase change material (PCM) is nucleated via a controlled thermal region(s).

Active crystallisation control in phase change material thermal storage systems

There is herein described energy storage systems. More particularly, there is herein described thermal energy storage systems and use of energy storable material such as phase change material in the provision of heating and/or cooling systems in, for example, domestic dwellings.

Energy storage systems

There is provided a thermal energy storage system suitable for use with systems adapted to transfer heat from at least one heat source to at least one heat sink (heat transfer system), comprising at least one thermal energy storage unit. There is additionally provided a thermal energy storage system for use with a heat pump, or vapour compression refrigeration systems, a method of defrosting evaporators without affecting the energy delivered in the condenser before the defrosting cycle, and system architecture for defrosting evaporators in heat pumps or in vapour compression refrigeration systems.

Phase change material-based enhancement for reversed-cycle defrosting in vapour compression refrigeration systems

The present invention provides an energy storage system () for a use with a boiler (). The energy storage system () comprises a plurality of thermal energy storage banks (). Each thermal energy storage bank () comprises phase changeable material having a predetermined phase transformation temperature. The energy storage system () also includes an extraction device () configured to recover waste energy from the boiler (). The extraction device () is operable to extract waste energy from the boiler () and feed that energy to at least one () of the thermal energy storage banks (). A controller () is arranged, in use, to activate the extraction device () in response to operation of the boiler ().

Energy storage system

There are herein described phase change materials containing sodium acetate trihydrate having improved homogeneity, a process for the preparation of said materials, and their utility in phase change systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to the use of phase change compositions comprising sodium acetate trihydrate, at least one alkali soluble polymer for inhibition of sodium acetate anhydrous crystal formation in sodium acetatetrihydrate containing phase change materials, and at least one sodium acetate trihydrate nucleation promoter, and, if a lower phase change temperature is required, at least one melting point depressing agent.

Phase change compositions

There are herein described phase change materials containing sodium acetate trihydrate having improved homogeneity, a process for the preparation of said materials, and their utility in phase change systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to the use of phase change compositions comprising sodium acetate trihydrate, at least one alkali soluble polymer for inhibition of sodium acetate anhydrous crystal formation in sodium acetate trihydrate containing phase change materials, and at least one sodium acetate trihydrate nucleation promoter, and, if a lower phase change temperature is required, at least one melting point depressing agent.

There is herein described a phase change material (PCM) for use in energy storage systems. More particularly, there is described a phase change material comprising Strontium Bromide and a Metal Halide that is optimal to storing heat in about the 76&#xb0; C. to 88&#xb0; C. temperature range.

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Lothian, United Kingdom

Andrew John Bissell