The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 30, 2025
Filed:
Aug. 18, 2022
Ut-battelle, Llc, Oak Ridge, TN (US);
Joseph D. Rendall, Oak Ridge, TN (US);
Kashif Nawaz, Knoxville, TN (US);
William E. Asher, Chicago, IL (US);
Ahmed F. Elatar, Knoxville, TN (US);
Jian Sun, Knoxville, TN (US);
Jamieson Brechtl, Knoxville, TN (US);
Xiaoli Liu, Knoxville, TN (US);
Keju An, Knoxville, TN (US);
Mingkan Zhang, Knoxville, TN (US);
UT-BATTELLE, LLC, Oak Ridge, TN (US);
Abstract
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.