Ut-battelle, Inc.

Joseph D Rendall

Kyle R Gluesenkamp

Kashif Nawaz

Jerald A Atchley

Keju An

Jamieson Brechtl

Anthony C Gehl

Mingkan Zhang

Jian Sun

Xiaoli Liu

William E Asher

Ahmed F Elatar

A medium for energy storage includes a plurality of capsules. Each capsule contains a phase changing material (PCM) configured to undergo a liquid-solid phase transition at a solidification temperature, T. The PCM undergoes a relative volume change due to the phase transition. A shell is filled with the PCM. The shell contains a first heat-conducting material, and is configured to comply to the relative volume change. The relative volume change is configured to cause a buoyancy force, which acts on the capsule when the capsule is disposed in water at a water temperature, T, to be larger than the capsule's weight for T>T, and equal to or smaller than the capsule's weight for T<T. The Tcan be within ±5° F. of a design water temperature Tat the outlet of a water tank. The capsule can be neutrally buoyant in water at T.

Density controlled phase-changing material (PCM) spheres for increased heating power and optimal delivery temperature in hot-water tanks

A diffuser for a water heater fill tubes having a tube wall with an outside diameter. The diffuser includes an elongated flexible diffuser body for positioning at the outlet end of the fill tube. The diffuser body has a sealing end for sealing with an outside surface of the fill tube wall closest to the inlet end of the fill tube, and an open end for positioning at an end closest to the outlet end of the fill tube. The open end has a diameter larger than an outside diameter of the tube wall, thereby creating an diffuser water outlet opening between the diffuser body and the tube wall for redirecting radial water flow emanating from the fill tube water outlet opening(s) toward the diffuser outlet opening. A fill tube assembly for a water heater, a water heater, and a method for heating water are also disclosed.

Hydraulically opened cone vertical tube diffuser with slanted anti-siphon hole

Growing community of inventors

Oak Ridge, TN, United States of America

Joseph D Rendall