Lockheed Martin Corporation

Rolls-royce North American Technologies Inc.

Equilibar, LLC

Eugene Charles Jansen

Nicholas John Nagurny

Eric Sean Donovan

Scott Morris Maurer

Natalie B Levings

Robert James Howard

Michael R Eller

Stephen Lee Bailey

Jeffrey Dean Jennings

Trevor J Owen

Ryan Matthew Heffner

Michael Head

Craig English

Tim Unton

Jared D Gilbert

Jeffrey Wen-Yu Chen

Kevin Patrick Miller

Chandrakant B Panchal

Derek Matthew Beckner

Randy J Brown

Benjamin S Balbir

Duy N Pham

Cathleen Needham

Doug Hillson

Nader Maharmeh

Ryan Young

A thermal battery system includes a vessel comprising a phase change material and a gas; a heat exchanger configured to transfer heat to and/or from the phase change material; a temperature sensor configured to detect an indication of a temperature of the gas; a pressure sensor configured to detect an indication of a pressure of the gas; and a processor configured to determine a state of charge of the thermal battery system from the indication of the pressure and the indication of the temperature of the gas.

Methods and systems for measuring state of charge of a phase change material thermal battery

A diaphragm pressure regulator includes: a body defining a process surface and including: an exhaust port having a discharge opening, and at least one vent void interconnecting the process surface and the exhaust port; and an inlet port, and at least one process void communicating with the process surface and the inlet port; a reference housing including a cavity defining a reference surface and a reference port in fluid communication with the cavity; and a diaphragm disposed between the body and the reference housing, the diaphragm movable between a first position engaged with the vent voids, and a second position wherein the membrane is not engaged with at least one of the vent voids, wherein a dome is defined between the cavity and the reference side of the diaphragm; and wherein the reference housing includes a sump configured to segregate liquid from the reference side of the diaphragm.

Dome-loaded back pressure regulator with setpoint pressure energized by process fluid

A fluid storage tank can be configured to store a cooling fluid in a liquid state and a gas state. A first heat exchanger can be configured to release heat into the fluid storage tank. A second heat exchanger can be disposed fluidly downstream of the fluid storage tank and configured to exchange heat between the cooling fluid and a heat load. A pressure control device can be disposed fluidly downstream of the second heat exchanger. One of the first cooling fluid that has been heated by the second heat exchanger or a second cooling fluid different than the first cooling fluid can pass through the first heat exchanger and thereby heat upstream first cooling fluid resident in the fluid storage tank.

Two-phase thermal pump

A cooling apparatus includes a first fluid flowpath and a second fluid flowpath. The first fluid flowpath includes a subcooler having a first side in fluid communication with the first fluid flowpath; a flow control valve; a primary evaporator assembly including at least one evaporator configured to be disposed in thermal communication with a heat load; and a pressure regulator operable to control a saturation pressure within the at least one evaporator. The second fluid flowpath is in fluid communication with a second side of the subcooler.

Method and apparatus for isothermal cooling

A thermal battery system may be provided comprising: a vessel comprising a phase change material and a gas; a heat exchanger configured to transfer heat to and/or from the phase change material; a temperature sensor configured to detect an indication of a temperature of the gas; a pressure sensor configured to detect an indication of a pressure of the gas; and a processor configured to determine a state of charge of the thermal battery system from the indication of the pressure and the indication of the temperature of the gas.

A cooling apparatus includes: a first fluid flowpath including the following elements, in downstream flow sequence: a subcooler having a first side in fluid communication with the first fluid flowpath and a second side configured to be disposed in thermal communication with a source of cooling fluid; a flow control valve; a primary evaporator assembly including at least one primary evaporator configured to be disposed in thermal communication with a primary heat load; and a pressure regulator operable to maintain a refrigerant saturation pressure within the primary evaporator at a predetermined set point.

A fluid storage tank can be configured to store a cooling fluid in a liquid state and a gas state. A first heat exchanger can be configured to release heat into the fluid storage tank. A second heat exchanger can be disposed fluidly downstream of the fluid storage tank and configured to exchange heat between the cooling fluid and a heat load. A pressure control device can be disposed fluidly downstream of the second heat exchanger. The first heat exchanger can be fluidly downstream of the second heat exchanger such that cooling fluid, after being heated in the second heat exchanger, passes through the first heat exchanger and thereby heats upstream cooling fluid resident in the fluid storage tank.

A heat exchange device comprising phase change material-impregnated heat conductive foam disposed between fluid stream channels in a heat exchanger element.

Heat exchange using phase change material

A cooling apparatus includes: a first fluid flowpath including the following elements, in downstream flow sequence: a separator vessel; a subcooler having a first side in fluid communication with the first fluid flowpath and a second side configured to be disposed in thermal communication with a cold sink; a flow control valve; a primary evaporator assembly including at least one primary evaporator configured to be disposed in thermal communication with a primary heat load; and a pressure regulator operable to maintain a refrigerant saturation pressure within the primary evaporator at a predetermined set point.

A method of operating a thermal system including at least a compressor, a condenser, a flow control valve, and at least one heat exchanger connected in a closed fluid loop charged with refrigerant. The method includes: regulating refrigerant pressure at a selected point within the fluid loop using a pressure regulating apparatus including: a main pressure regulator including a dome in fluid communication with a diaphragm that seals directly against at least one process void and at least one vent void; and a pilot pressure regulator in fluid communication with the dome so as to provide fluid thereto at a setpoint pressure. The setpoint pressure is maintained by the pilot pressure regulator utilizing refrigerant tapped from the fluid loop The refrigerant is tapped from a point upstream of the main pressure regulator and tapped refrigerant is returned to the fluid loop downstream of the main pressure regulator.

Methods and systems for recuperated superheat return are provided. A coolant is supplied in a vapor state to a compressor. The coolant compressed by the compressor is cooled with a gas cooler. The coolant cooled by the gas cooler is supplied to an inlet of a high pressure side of a recuperator. The coolant from an outlet of the high pressure side of the recuperator is supplied to a portion of a coolant circuit. The coolant is supplied back from the portion of the coolant circuit to an inlet of a low pressure side of the recuperator. The coolant in the low pressure side of the recuperator is heated with thermal energy transferred by the recuperator from the coolant in the high pressure side of the recuperator. The coolant in the vapor state from an outlet of the low pressure side of the recuperator is supplied to the compressor.

Recuperated superheat return trans-critical vapor compression system

A heat transfer system for high transient heat loads includes a fluid, a heat exchanger; a compressor downstream of the heat exchanger outlet; a condenser downstream of the compressor outlet, and a thermal energy storage (TES) section downstream of the condenser outlet and upstream of the heat exchanger. The TES section may include a first pressure regulating valve downstream of a TES unit; and a second pressure regulating valve upstream of the first pressure regulating valve.

Method for reducing condenser size and power on a heat rejection system

A thermal system may comprise a reservoir, a first fluid flowpath, and a second fluid flowpath. The first fluid flowpath may start at the reservoir and return to the reservoir. The first fluid flowpath may comprise, in a direction of the fluid flow, a first side of a sub-cooler, a liquid pump, a first side of a pre-heater, and a first side of an evaporator. The second fluid flowpath may start at the reservoir and return to the reservoir. The second fluid flowpath may comprise, in a direction of a fluid flow, a pressure regulator, a vapor compressor, a first side of a condenser, and an expansion value.

Mechanically pumped system for direct control of two-phase isothermal evaporation

A continuous reinforced cold water pipe (CWP) for an Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) system is formed from a sequential series of molded pipe sections, which are formed from a series of rigid frame sections and a curable material to form the continuous reinforced CWP. Each molded pipe section is formed by moving a rigid frame section into a mold, enclosing at least a portion of the rigid frame section in the curable material, and curing the curable material. As each molded pipe section is moved out of the mold, the next sequential rigid frame section, which is connected to the previous rigid frame section, is moved into the mold. The cycle is repeated as many times as required to form the continuous reinforced CWP having a desired length.

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Stafford, VA, United States of America

Eugene Charles Jansen