Heat Storage Casing With Movable Nucleation for Rapid Crystallization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing heat storage materials take a long time to crystallize, making them unsuitable for applications where rapid cooling is required, such as in automobiles with short travel times between traffic lights.
Innovation Solution
A heat storage apparatus with a casing partitioned into multiple spaces, where movable components interact with the heat storage material to generate multiple crystal nuclei simultaneously, facilitating rapid crystallization through convection and movement, thereby accelerating the crystallization process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If a latent heat cold storage material is cooled to a hydrate generation temperature or less, then the thermal storage density is improved, but the material remains in a supercooled state and crystallization is delayed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces movable components that move before complete crystallization occurs, creating contact portions between members with different thermal expansion coefficients. This preliminary action initiates crystal nucleus formation and prevents supercooling, enabling the material to transition from liquid to solid phase without remaining in a metastable supercooled state, thus resolving the time delay in crystallization while maintaining high thermal storage density
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the difference in thermal expansion coefficients between the first member and the second member to create relative sliding at contact portions. This thermal expansion mechanism generates mechanical stress that triggers crystal nucleus formation, allowing the supercooled material to crystallize rapidly without requiring additional cooling time, thereby maintaining both high thermal storage density and reducing crystallization time
2Adaptability or versatility
If the heat storage material is used in applications with short travel times, then the adaptability to real-world conditions is improved, but the material cannot complete crystallization within the available time
Solution Approach 1:
The movable components are designed to initiate crystal nucleus formation through their movement and contact interactions before the available time expires. This preliminary crystallization action ensures that the phase change process begins early, allowing the material to complete crystallization within short timeframes suitable for applications like automobile air conditioning during brief traffic stops
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic movable components that change position relative to the heat storage material, creating time-dependent mechanical interactions. This dynamic mechanism accelerates the crystallization process by continuously generating new contact portions and crystal nuclei throughout the material, reducing the total crystallization duration to match the short travel times in real-world applications
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The apparatus enables the complete crystallization of heat storage materials within a short time, such as one minute, allowing for efficient cooling of vehicles even during brief stops, by diffusing crystal nuclei throughout the material.
Implementation Method 1
a method of completing crystallization of a heat storage material
Implementation Method 2
generate multiple crystal nuclei simultaneously
Implementation Method 3
a latent heat storage material that is capable of storing cold heat and dissipating the cold heat as demanded
Implementation Method 4
a latent heat cold storage material having a high thermal storage density that allows a hydrate called a clathrate hydrate to be formed by cooling
Implementation Method 5
facilitating rapid crystallization through convection and movement, thereby accelerating the crystallization process
Data Source
AI summary
A heat storage apparatus according to the present disclosure includes a casing, a heat storage material, and movable components. An internal space in the casing is partitioned into a plurality of spaces. The heat storage material is located in each of the plurality of spaces. At least one movable component is disposed in contact with the heat storage material in each of the plurality of spaces, and is capable of changing a position thereof relative to a position of the casing as time proceeds.