Patent Application
20180283726
The application relates to a phase change material (PCM) module assembly and particularly to a PCM module heat exchanger assembly with a rotating PCM tube container.
Phase change materials (PCM) have been used in heating ventilation and cooling (HVAC) applications. PCM modules have been incorporated into hybrid HVAC systems and traditional HVAC heating and air conditioning apparatus.
According to one aspect, a phase change material (PCM) module heat exchanger assembly includes a multi-section PCM container rotatingly supported about a center long axis of the multi-section PCM container, or a multi-section PCM container where one or more sections are slidingly mounted to the multi-section PCM container. A plurality of rotatably or slidingly selected PCM sections are disposed within the multi-section PCM container. Each section of the plurality of rotatably or slidingly selected PCM sections is selectably insertable into an air flow. At least one section of the plurality of rotatably or slidingly selected PCM sections includes at least one or more tubes filled with a PCM and adapted for an airflow over the at least one or more tubes filled with a PCM, or at least one or more tubes defining a volume between outer surfaces of the tubes, the volume filled with a PCM and adapted for an airflow through each of the at least one or more tubes.
In one embodiment, at least one section of the multi-section PCM container includes a heating PCM having a first PCM melting temperature, and another section includes a cooling PCM having a second PCM melting temperature.
In another embodiment, the multi-section PCM container includes a shape selected from the group consisting of cylindrical, triangular, square, rectangular, elliptical, and polygonal.
In yet another embodiment, the multi-section PCM container includes at least a heating section and an air conditioning section.
In yet another embodiment, the at least one or more tubes are disposed lengthwise substantially parallel to the center long axis.
In yet another embodiment, each tube of the at least one or more tubes in a tube sheet at about either end of the multi-section PCM container.
In yet another embodiment, each tube of the at least one or more tubes terminates in a header at about either end of the multi-section PCM container.
In yet another embodiment, the header includes in interior void fillable with a PCM in a liquid state, and each tube is fluidly coupled to the header.
In yet another embodiment, at least one tube includes a tube of a cross section selected from the group consisting of triangular, square, rectangular, elliptical, and polygonal.
In yet another embodiment, at least one tube includes a flat rectangular tube.
In yet another embodiment, each tube of the at least one or more tubes extends radially from a center portion of the multi-section PCM container and about perpendicular to the center long axis and extends to about an inner wall surface of an outer cylindrical wall of the multi-section PCM container, or to a cylindrical tube sheet disposed about at an inner surface of the outer cylindrical wall.
In yet another embodiment, each tube of the at least one or more tubes includes a bend radius and each tube terminates in a tube header or tube sheet bar which extends from a center of the multi-section PCM container perpendicular to the center long axis.
In yet another embodiment, at least two nested tubes include different bend radii.
In yet another embodiment, at least one stack of tubes is disposed in at least one tube rack which is disposed a section of the multi-section PCM container.
In yet another embodiment, the PCM module heat exchanger assembly is a component of a building heating, ventilation, or air conditioning (HVAC) system.
In yet another embodiment, the PCM module heat exchanger assembly includes a plurality of ductwork couplings, wherein a first set of ductwork fluidly couples air flow to and from a building heating, ventilation, or air conditioning (HVAC) ductwork, a second set of ductwork fluidly coupled to a different ductwork of a building wherein the different ductwork of a building fluidly couples air flow to and from an outside air exterior to the building, and wherein when a first section of the multi-section PCM container is fluidly coupled to the building HVAC ductwork, a second section of the multi-section PCM container is fluidly coupled to the outside air.
In yet another embodiment, the multi-section PCM container includes a plurality of wedge shaped sections disposed in a disk.
In yet another embodiment, the multi-section PCM container includes a heating PCM section having a first melting point temperature and a different cooling PCM section having a second melting point temperature. During a daytime, the different cooling PCM section is discharged by a phase change from solid to liquid, and the heating PCM section is concurrently charged by a phase transition from solid to liquid. During a nighttime, the heating PCM section is discharged by a phase change from liquid to solid, and the different cooling PCM section is concurrently charged by a phase transition from liquid to solid.
According to another aspect, a method of placing one of a group of two or more PCM sections into a building's heating, ventilation, or air conditioning (HVAC) ductwork including the steps of: providing a phase change material (PCM) module heat exchanger assembly including a multi-section PCM container having at least one heating PCM section and at least one cooling PCM section, the PCM module heat exchanger assembly supported adjacent to a HVAC ductwork; selecting a section of the multi-section PCM container based on a HVAC system mode of operation as a selected section; and rotating or sliding the selected section of the multi-section PCM container into an airflow of the HVAC ductwork to move an interior temperature towards a set point temperature at least in part by an exchange of heat energy between an airflow in the HVAC ductwork and a PCM disposed within the selected section of the multi-section PCM container.
According to another aspect, a method to harvest heating or cooling capacity for later use includes providing a multi-section PCM container including a heating PCM section having a first melting point temperature and a different cooling PCM section having a second melting point temperature; during a daytime, discharging the different cooling PCM section by a phase change from solid to liquid to cool a building air, and concurrently charging the heating PCM section by a phase transition from solid to liquid by use of a warm outside air; and during a nighttime, discharging the heating PCM section by a phase change from liquid to solid to warm a building air, and concurrently charging the different cooling PCM section by a phase transition from liquid to solid by use of a cool outside air.
The foregoing and other aspects, features, and advantages of the application will become more apparent from the following description and from the claims.
The features of the application can be better understood with reference to the drawings described below, and the claims. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead generally being placed upon illustrating the principles described herein. In the drawings, like numerals are used to indicate like parts throughout the various views.
As described hereinabove, phase change materials (PCM) have been used in heating ventilation and cooling (HVAC) applications. For example, PCM modules have been incorporated into HVAC systems.
PCM materials are typically chosen for an HVAC heating or air conditioning application. Unfortunately, for reasons such as, for example, melting temperature, there is no single optimal PCM material choice for both heating and cooling applications.
There is a need for a PCM heat exchanger which can operate with optimized efficiency for both nighttime storage, where the PCM cool night air pre-conditioning is used later for day time air pre-conditioning, and for day time heat storage, where the PCM warm daytime pre-conditioning is used later for night time heating.
To harvest heating or cooling capacity for later use, a new PCM heat exchanger structure includes two or more PCM sections, each of which can be rotated (or otherwise mechanically translated) into an HVAC duct as needed for a more efficient use of PCM enhanced heating or air conditioning.
In some embodiments, to harvest heating or cooling capacity for later use, the sections of the new PCM heat exchanger structure can operate concurrently. For example, at night, the PCM heat exchanger structure can use the cooler outside air temperature to freeze (change phase) the cooling PCM to use to later the next day to cool the building air during the following warm daytime. Also at night, at the same time, having used the earlier hot outside daytime air temperature to liquefy (change phase) the heating PCM to use the heating PCM to concurrently heat the building during the cooler night temperature. Thus, during the day the cooling PCM can be “discharged” during the day to cool the building, while at the same time, the heating PCM is concurrently being “charged” for use at night to heat the building air.
Similarly, during the day, the PCM heat exchanger structure can use the warmer daytime outside air temperature to liquefy (change phase) of the heating PCM to use to later warm the building air during the following cool nighttime. And, then also during the day, at the same time, having used the earlier cool outside nighttime air temperature to solidify (change phase), to use the cooling PCM concurrently to cool the building during the warmer daytime temperature. Thus, at night the heating PCM can be “discharged” at night to warm the building, while at the same time, the cooling PCM is concurrently being “charged” for use the next day for air conditioning.
Concurrent operation can be achieved, for example, by two separate ductwork, where a first ductwork directs building air to a first PCM section of the PCM heat exchanger structure and a second ductwork, concurrently directs outside air to a second PCM section of the PCM heat exchanger structure.
The description which follows begins with various embodiments of PCM heat exchanger and PCM section structures. Any of those structures can be used in a single duct, or in a concurrent structure with two or more separate airflows (typically building air and outside air). An exemplary concurrent HVAC application with separate building ductwork and outside air ductwork is described with respect to
Phase change material (PCM) module heat exchanger assembly: A phase change material (PCM) module heat exchanger assembly defines a mechanical assembly which can be configured or adapted to be mounted near or adjacent to an airflow where sections of a multi-section PCM container can be rotatingly or slidingly moved into the airflow to condition (e.g. heating or cooling) the air of the airflow. Typically, the PCM module heat exchanger assembly is mounted to a ductwork of a HVAC system.
Multi-section PCM container: A multi-section PCM container includes two or more sections. Each section includes at least one heating or cooling PCM tube, or in some embodiments a blank through which air can flow. Each section can be rotatingly or slidingly inserted into an airflow, typically the air flow of an adjacent HVAC duct. In some embodiments, there can be no sections inserted, a blank section inserted, or a heating or cooling section inserted. In some embodiments, two or more sections, typically either heating or cooling sections, can be simultaneously inserted into the air flow.
A PCM module heat exchanger assembly structure typically includes at least two different sections. One section includes a PCM optimized for a heating PCM application, and another section, includes a PCM optimized for a cooling PCM application. Typically, the differences between the two heating PCM and the cooling PCM are in the melting temperature of the PCM material itself. The at least two different PCMs can have the same composition, varying in proportions of constituent parts to achieve the desired properties, such as melting temperature, or more typically can include two different types of PCM with two different melting temperatures.
Tube: A tube as used hereinbelow includes elongate structures with a hollowed out interior. A tube can be a long rod of about circular cross section. Or, the tube can have any suitable cross section shape, such as, for example, triangular, square, rectangular, or polygonal. In some embodiments, there can be a wide rectangular tube as a flat tube, such as, for example, a rectangular box like structure, which still falls within the definition of a tube as used hereinbelow because, although box like, the length dimension is longer than either of the height and width dimensions.
PCM: PCM are well known in the art. Especially since about 2000, there are many new types of PCM which can be adjusted to have a melting point at any desired temperature, including a range of typical room temperature or building interior temperatures including a range from about 65 degrees F. to about 80 degrees F. Use of such relatively new PCM materials with melting temperatures near the desired operating temperature provide higher efficiencies when compared for example, with legacy phase change HVAC strategies based on the relatively inconvenient water melting temperature of 32 degrees F. and water boiling temperature of 212 degrees F. Also, as compared to use of primary air conditioning refrigerants of the twentieth century, with room temperature melting PCMs, a condenser or evaporator may no longer be required.
Embodiments described hereinbelow use at least one heating PCM and at least one cooling PCM. There can be significant differences between heating and cooling PCMs, such as, for example, the heating and cooling PCM typically (but not necessarily) have different chemical compositions. PCMs are being manufactured by many companies around the world and typically have several different characteristics, such as, for example, latent heat capacity, melting point, density, corrosion, etc.
PCM pre-conditioning: PCM pre-conditioning includes transferring heat energy into a PCM module to store thermal energy for later heating use by melting the PCM to a liquid state. Later, the stored heat energy is extracted from the PCM heat exchanger and the PCM material of the PCM heating module returns in part or in whole to a solid state. PCM pre-conditioning also includes transferring heat energy out of a PCM module so that the PCM contents change into a solid state to remove thermal energy for a cooling use. Later, when the heat energy of interior building air is transferred back into the PCM heat exchanger to cool the building air, the PCM material returns in part or in whole to a liquid state.
Each of the tubes can be cylindrical tubes, or any other suitable shaped elongated structures, such as, for example, a triangular, rectangular, or polygon sided tube, or any combination thereof. It only important that the elongated structure can contain a PCM or an air flow and be able to transfer heat energy across the wall of the elongated structure.
The cylindrical container 105 can be rotated into a ductwork such that the air flow is at some angle to each of the tubes, such as, for example perpendicular to each of the tubes. In other embodiments, the tube sheets can have additional openings to allow ductwork air to flow through each tube sheet to exchange heat energy with the flowing air.
One exemplary PCM filled tube suitable for use in a rotating PCM module assembly as described hereinabove is the TubeICE™ product available from PC Phase Change Material Products limited of Cambridgeshire, U.K. TubeICE™ rod like structures are PCM-filled HDPE tubular design enables them to be stacked effectively in both rectangular and cylindrical tanks. From the TubeICE™ product brochure, TubeICE™ concept is based on custom-made plastic containers filled with our PlusICE Phase Change Materials (PCM) solutions which have operating temperatures between −40° C. (−40° F.) and +117° C. (+243° F.). They can be stacked in either cylindrical/rectangular tanks for atmospheric/pressurized systems for a variety of thermal energy storage applications. TubeICE custom-made HDPE plastic containers are filled with PlusICE PCM solutions and the filling port fully sealed after filling for safe and reliable operation. The self-stacking concept can be applied for both water and air circuits and the gap between each container provides an ideal flow passage with a large heat exchange surface with minimal pressure drop. Each TubeICE™ can be held in place by a tube sheet at either end of a rotating cylinder (or, any suitable rotating shape, such as for example, a rotating rectangular structure divided into two or more lengthwise portions, each portion having elongated tubes (e.g. TubeICE™ cylinders) or any other suitable shapes, such as, for example, elongated triangular, rectangular, or polygon sided tubes. According to the embodiment of
In summary, a phase change material (PCM) module heat exchanger assembly 100 includes a multi-section PCM container 105 rotatingly supported about a center long axis 109 of the multi-section PCM container. A plurality of tubes (101, 103) is disposed within each section (105a, 105b) of the multi-section PCM container 105 such that an air flow flows over the plurality of tubes (101 or 103) of a rotatably selected section (105a or 105b) of the multi-section PCM container 105.
Typically, the rotatable container (e.g. rotating container 105) can be mounted such that either half of the rotating container 105 can be rotated into the air stream of a ventilation ductwork. When rotated in, there can be embodiments where a substantial portion from a rectangular air duct airflow flows between the tubes of the half cylinder (e.g. half cylinder 105a, 105b) which has been rotated into the air duct (
One suitable PCM filled tube for use in a rotating PCM module assembly as described hereinabove is the FlatICE™ product available from PC Phase Change Material Products limited of Cambridgeshire, U.K. From the FlatICE™ product brochure, FlatICE™ custom-made HDPE plastic containers are filled with PlusICE™ PCM solutions and the filling port fully welded after filling in order to ensure safe and reliable operation. The design of the container incorporates internal support columns as well as external guide circles so that the containers can be stacked on top of each other forming a self-assembling large heat exchanger within the tank. The self-stacking concept can be applied for both water and air circuits and the gap between each container provides an ideal flow passage with a large heat exchange surface. FlatICE™ containers can only be stacked up to a height of 2.6 m (8½ ft) and therefore the height of the tank is restricted to around 3 m (10 ft) and the foot print of the tank can be adjusted around this limit. In principle, the longer the tank the larger the temperature difference one can achieve across the tank and the width/length ratios can be adjusted to suit the site requirements. Furthermore, if the required storage capacity is too large and the design requires multiple tanks, they can be arranged either in parallel or series format to suit the application and available space.
While typically, such FlatICE™ use as described hereinabove would be manufactured to fit in, or to be compatible with standard building ductwork sizes, as shown in
While the exemplary embodiment of
The rotating PCM assembly 900 of
As shown in
Multiple sections: In any of the embodiments described hereinabove, there can be any suitable number of sections. While embodiments have been described hereinabove as having two sections, one heating PCM section and one cooling PCM section, there can be any suitable number of heating or cooling PCM sections. In some embodiments, where sections become smaller, e.g. 90 degree sections instead of 180 degree half sections of a cylindrical assembly, there can be guiding ductwork to and from larger ductwork apertures on either sides of the rotating PCM assembly (i.e. upstream and downstream ductwork channeled to flow air substantially over the selected section at any given time).
In multiple section embodiments of three or more sections, it is unimportant if successively selected (adjoining) sections are both heating, both cooling, or alternating heating and cooling, or any combination thereof.
Moreover, in multiple section embodiments of three or more sections, either of heating and/or cooling PCM sections can have different melting points. For example, two heating PCM sections can have different melting temperatures. For example, it may be desirable based on any one of, or combination of actual room temperature, desired room temperature (set point temperature), outside air temperature, outside humidity, inside humidity, time of day (including time to sunrise, time in the daily traversal of the sun across the sky, etc.) to select a slightly different PCM module (e.g. with a slightly different melting temperature, or other different PCM properties).
Also, any of the heating and/or cooling PCM sections can have different PCM volumes with respect to each other and need not contain an identical volume of PCM. Two or more heating PCM sections can contain a different volume of PCM. For example, it may be desirable based on any one of, or combination of actual room temperature, desired room temperature (set point temperature), outside air temperature, outside humidity, inside humidity, time of day (including time to sunrise, time in the daily traversal of the sun across the sky, etc., to select a slightly different volume PCM module (for example, as shown
In most embodiments, the PCM in a particular heating or cooling section is the same PCM material throughout that section. However, there can be embodiments (for example, using TubeICE™ tubes as described in an example hereinabove), where some tubes in a particular heating or cooling section contain different PCM having one or more property (e.g. melting temperature and/or composition) different from other tubes within the same section.
In any of the embodiments described hereinabove, any of the elongated structures, such as, for example, tubes, can further include any number of, and any suitable shaped, heat exchange fins. Such fins can be of the same material of the elongated structures, or of a different material. Similarly, any of the rectangular or box like modules can also further include heat exchange fins of the same or a different material than the material of the rectangular or box like modules.
It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the rotating PCM module assembly can be rotating supported, for example by a rod mounted directly or indirectly (e.g. below) a HVAC duct, such as an existing HVAC duct. Or, in other embodiments, there can also be provided a PCM module assembly frame which includes a rotating center rod support. Also, there can be embodiments which include HVAC ductwork flanges or couplings.
It will also be understood by those skilled in the art that any suitable index or detent mechanism can be used to place any desired section of multi-section PCM container into the air flow stream of a ductwork. Any suitable rotation mechanism as known in the art can be used to rotate the multi-section PCM container to the desired rotational position. For example, there can be rod extending through the center long axis of the multi-section PCM container which can be rotated by a gear system, a belt system, a direct drive motor or stepper motor, etc. Any suitable motor control or controller can be used to cause the multi-section PCM container to rotate. A belt system can drive the center line rod directly, or there can be embodiments where a belt drives the cylinder directly by traveling over an outer wall of the cylinder. There can also be present any suitable electrical, electronic, electro-optic, shaft encoder, etc. to provide feedback to a controller and/or display to control, provide feedback, and/or to show which section of the multi-section PCM container is in the air flow stream. Such motor, control, and position detecting devices, and apparatus are well known to those skilled in the art.
Any of the features of any of the embodiments described hereinabove can be used or applied separately or in combination as variations of any of the embodiments. Also, any of the embodiments can be scaled in size or number of rods to any suitable number of rods, rod dimensions, cylinder dimensions, etc.
In operation, a section of the multi-section PCM container can be selected based on a HVAC system mode of operation (e.g. heating, air conditioning, humidification, de-humidification, etc. The section of the multi-section PCM container is rotated into the HVAC ductwork as a selected section of the multi-section PCM container to move an interior temperature towards a set point temperature at least in part by an exchange of heat energy between an airflow in the HVAC ductwork and a PCM disposed within the selected section of the multi-section PCM container.
Structures and Methods to Pre-Condition PCM Modules
A PCM material optimized for night time heating can also be pre-conditioned in the same building ductwork by warm or hot air during the day. For example, a heating PCM can absorb heat from the building interior ventilation ductwork during the day and later release the stored energy into the interior of the building at night via the same ductwork as the heating PCM transitions from a liquid to a solid at night.
Or, in a more advanced embodiment, the heating PCM can be directly pre-conditioned by warm or hot outside air by being switched into different pre-conditioning ductwork path during the day, where warm or hot outside air is directly flowed into or over the heating PCM module during the day time and returned directly to the outside independent of the building interior ventilation ductwork. Then, at night when needed for heating, the pre-conditioned heating PCM module can be rotated into the building interior ventilation ductwork to provide heat energy flow from the PCM module into the building interior air ductwork to heat the interior of the building.
In some embodiments, the PCM can be pre-conditioned by a different ductwork system, prior to use in the building HVAC ductwork which directly heats or cools the interior of the building. In such embodiments, for example, for an air-pre-conditioning application as described hereinabove, instead of the PCM module remaining in the duct work of the interior building air flow at all times, the PCM module is rotated out of the building interior air duct work when not in use into a PCM charging duct work. At night, the PCM module can be rotated into a different ductwork which flows outside air directly over the PCM module to pre-condition it for its later intended air conditioning use. Cool air from outside of the building can be flowed across or through the pre-conditioning PCM module to provide a cooled solid PCM module for later use. In such cases, the colder the outside air the better, because even after the PCM module is made completely solid, the temperature of the module can still be reduced below the PCM freezing temperature, to the outside air temperature. In this way, outside air which may be too cold for circulation directly in the building interior HVAC ductwork at night, can be used to pre-condition an air pre-conditioning PCM module for later daytime air pre-conditioning use without need to circulate cool or cold air in the building's interior air ventilation ductwork. Similarly, there can be heating applications, where warm or hot outside air flows through a different ductwork to melt and warm PCM modules for later use for night time heating of airflow in the building ductwork.
Simultaneously, outside air fan 1231 flows warm or hot daytime outside air (OA) 1211 through the outside air ductwork 1251 across heating PCM module 1203 and back to the outside via outside air exhaust 1213.
Fan 1233 can be operated continuously, on a timed schedule, or be controlled by any suitable controller to switch on or off as appropriate to maintain a desired building interior temperature. Similarly, fan 1231 can be operated continuously, on a timed schedule, or be controlled by any suitable controller to switch on or off as appropriate to maintain a desired PCM module temperature or other sensed parameter of the PCM module being pre-conditioned (e.g. sensing a solid or liquid state), or one or more sensed parameters from a building interior, such as, for example, temperature, humidity, etc.
In embodiments where the PCM module can be rotated into a pre-conditioning ductwork, such as a pre-conditioning ductwork which draws and returns air directly from and to the outside, there may still be scenarios where it can be desirable to pre-condition the PCM in the building's interior air ductwork in part or in whole depending on the interior air temperature. For example, for a winter heating PCM, if there is a warming of the interior air above what is needed to solidify the PCM, there could also be some pre-conditioning (i.e. pre-heating) of a warming PCM module by use of building interior air to help stabilize the interior air to a desired temperature. Such hybrid scenarios, where a PCM module normally pre-conditioned in a separate ductwork, is pre-conditioned at least in part in the building interior ductwork could be performed as weather conditions and fluctuations in outside air temperature. Or, in work spaces or operating spaces where, for example where electronic equipment is transferring relatively large amounts of heat energy into a building's interior air, there can be pre-conditioning where such equipment causes heating of the building's interior air making it more efficient to pre-condition the PCM using air flow from the building's interior ventilation air ductwork, than by rotating the PCM module into an outside air pre-conditioning ductwork air flow.
A manual selection or a controller which causes rotation of the PCM modules would generally first select a heating or a cooling PCM for either daytime cooling or night time heating. However, as described hereinabove, even where there is a separate pre-conditioning ductwork, such as by use of direct flow of outside air, there can be pre-conditions where a manual selection or automatic controller rotation of the rotating PCM assembly to pre-condition a PCM by use of the building's interior air ductwork and to control the temperature of the interior air towards a desired interior temperature during the PCM pre-conditioning process.
Alternative Rotating Embodiment
Any of the features, such as for example, PCM tube features and/or rotational mechanisms and controls described hereinabove can be used as suitable with a rotating PCM assembly 1300, 1400.
Alternative Embodiment with Linear Translation
Any of the features, such as for example, PCM tube features and/or rotational mechanisms and controls described hereinabove can be used as suitable with a linear translation PCM assembly 1500, 1600.
CONTROLS AND DRIVE MEANS—in the drawings, curved and straight lines with arrows denote either a rotational drive means, or a linear translation sliding means. A rotational drive means includes any suitable means to rotate a rotatable PCM module such that one or more sections rotate into or out of an airflow, such as, for example, an airflow of a HVAC ductwork. Such rotational drive means are well known to those skilled in the art.
Similarly, a sliding or linear drive means includes any suitable means to linearly translate or to slide a slidable PCM module such that one or more sections slide into or out of an airflow (e.g. where each PCM module is slidably mounted on one or more sliding rails or slides, such as, for example, an airflow of a HVAC ductwork. Such sliding or linear drive means are well known to those skilled in the art.
Generally, as understood by those skilled in the art, drives for all of the embodiments described hereinabove can by any suitable actuator or motorized drive arrangement. For example, linear actuators can be used to slide PCM modules. Or, as shown in the example
Generally, as understood by those skilled in the art, positioning of a multi-section PCM container can be accomplished with or without position information or feedback. For example, in some embodiments there can be mechanical elements which close one or more switches (e.g. a tap or cam on the outside of the container) and/or electro-optical sensors (e.g. a tab breaks a light path) to show canister (or linearly translated module) position. Also, there can be any suitable shaft encoder (e.g. the rotational position of the center rod of a rotatable multi-section PCM container. Any combination of linear or rotational position indicators can be used. Or, as described hereinbelow, for example, an electromechanical clockwork type mechanism can position a PCM canister (or sections of linear moving modules) without any position indication or position feedback information.
There can also be a clockwork type drive, where for example, an AC motor suitable for electro-mechanical clockwork apparatus, can turn gears or pulleys and belts in a ratio suitable to turn a PCM canister through a typical day-night cycle, for example, inserting the appropriate PCM module into a HVAC duct for daytime or for nighttime charging and/or discharging of the respective PCM modules in one or multiple ducts according to the various embodiments described hereinabove.
The exact means for rotating or sliding a PCM section of a multi-section PCM container according to the Application into or out of an airflow is unimportant.
Rotating PCM sections can be selected (e.g. rotated into an air flow) by any suitable manual or controllable means. While in some embodiments, a rotating PCM container can be rotated manually, in most embodiments, the PCM container will be rotated by a motorized means, such as can be controlled by any suitable switch controls or more commonly by any suitable controller, such as any suitable processor-based controller including, for example, microcomputer controllers which include programmable logic controllers. A motorized means can include any suitable drive, such as for example, a direct or belt or gear drive having an electrical motor, mechanical drive, or an electro-mechanical drive.
In Linear translation embodiments, the PCM module controls can place sections of PCM modules in or out of an airflow, such as, for example into or out of the ductwork in a two-position system where any one or group of the PCM tubes are in or out of the ductwork. Or, there can be embodiments, were PCM tubes are moved a desired amount into the ductwork (e.g. half way in). Or, there can be continuous positioning to any desired insertion length of a PCM tube into the ductwork. There can also be embodiments where there is a continuous movement of the PCM tube over a period of time into or out of the ductwork, typically where such motion is reversed at some desired insertion length, or after a full insertion, or after a period of time at some desired insertion length, or after a full insertion.
Slidingly selected modules can be manually inserted or removed from an airflow (e.g. an air flow of a HVAC ductwork). More commonly, any suitable motorized means, such as can be controlled by any suitable switch controls or more commonly by any suitable controller, such as any suitable processor-based controller including, for example, microcomputer controllers which include programmable logic controllers. A motorized means can include any suitable drive, such as for example, a direct, or belt driven, or gear driven (e.g. rack and gear, rack and pinion, etc.), cable drive, linear motion drive having an electrical motor, mechanical drive, or an electro-mechanical drive.
Any of the exemplary drive and control mechanisms described herein can be used in any combination thereof. The examples of
Processor based controllers include any suitable processor such as, for example, a microcontroller, a microcomputer, or any suitable logic elements configured as processor or controller. A controller can be, for example, a dedicated processor or computer board, a programmable logical controller, or any suitable computer, including any suitable desktop, lap top, or notebook computer.
In some embodiments, there can be in part, or in whole, mechanical controllers, such as, for example a clockwork type mechanical controller to rotate or slide a PCM module into or out of an air flow as desired (e.g. into or out of a HVAC ductwork).
It will be appreciated that variants of the above-disclosed and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be combined into many other different systems or applications. Various presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations, or improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in the art which are also intended to be encompassed by the following claims.
This application claims priority to and the benefit of co-pending U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 62/481,323, PCM MODULE HEAT EXCHANGER ASSEMBLY WITH CONCURRENT CHARGING AND DISCHARGING OF DIFFERENT PCM SECTIONS, filed Apr. 4, 2017, which application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62481323 | Apr 2017 | US |
