Pouch filled with phase-change material and method for manufacture thereof
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Solution Overview
Problem
Phase-change materials used in heat storage applications often escape through micropores when in the liquid phase, leading to irregular heat distribution and reduced efficiency due to freedom of movement and potential contamination.
Innovation Solution
A pouch filled with phase-change material is designed with a high vacuum (1×10^-1 to 1×10^-7 Pa) to limit movement, prevent thermal insulation, and protect the material, featuring a preformed bowl-shaped part and a peripheral part with attachable second wall, ensuring efficient heat absorption and release without escape or contamination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If phase-change material is placed in a cavity in the plate, then heat storage capacity is improved, but the material can escape through micropores and move freely when in liquid phase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a flexible pouch made of thin film material to contain the phase-change material. The pouch is sealed to prevent leakage while allowing flexibility to conform to the plate cavity. This resolves the contradiction by providing containment without restricting the thermal contact between the PCM and plate surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent evacuates air from the pouch cavity to create a vacuum or inert atmosphere. This prevents oxidation of the phase-change material, eliminates air gaps that would reduce thermal contact, and prevents contamination. The inert environment maintains material integrity while improving heat transfer efficiency.
2Temperature
If phase-change material is allowed to move freely in the cavity, then contact with plate surface may improve, but irregular weight distribution and heat release decrease occur
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible pouch allows the phase-change material to conform to the plate surface geometry while maintaining uniform distribution. The pouch walls provide gentle containment that ensures even weight distribution while maximizing thermal contact area between the PCM and plate.
Solution Approach 2:
The pouch is designed with a curved or conformal shape that matches the plate cavity geometry. This curvature allows the PCM to maintain uniform contact with the plate surface while the pouch walls prevent irregular clustering or uneven distribution of the material.
3Use of energy by moving object
If pouch walls are made thin for good heat transfer, then heat absorption and release efficiency is improved, but protection and strength of the pouch decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The pouch is constructed from composite materials that combine thin film layers with high thermal conductivity with reinforcement layers that provide mechanical strength. This multi-layer composite structure achieves both good heat transfer through the thin thermal pathway and sufficient durability through the reinforcement layers.
Solution Approach 2:
The pouch walls have varying thickness or material properties in different locations. Areas requiring high heat transfer have thinner walls, while areas requiring mechanical strength or protection have thicker or reinforced walls. This local variation optimizes both thermal performance and structural integrity.
4Loss of energy
If high vacuum is applied in the pouch, then thermal insulation is prevented and material containment is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pouch is designed to be evacuated and sealed to create a vacuum or inert atmosphere. This single-step vacuum sealing process prevents thermal insulation by eliminating air gaps, protects the PCM from oxidation, and simplifies manufacturing by combining containment and thermal performance in one operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The pouch structure combines multiple functions into a single component: containment of the PCM, prevention of thermal insulation through vacuum evacuation, and protection from oxidation. This merging of functions reduces overall system complexity while achieving multiple performance goals simultaneously.
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 pouch achieves enhanced heat absorption and release efficiency by maintaining contact with the heating/cooling surface and preventing contamination, while the high vacuum ensures the phase-change material remains contained and effective.
Implementation Method 1
a high vacuum between 1×10^-1 and 1×10^-7 Pa prevails in the pouch
Implementation Method 2
phase-change material is able to absorb heat in a relatively short time
Implementation Method 3
transpose to a liquid phase at higher temperatures at which they absorb heat
Implementation Method 4
relinquish this heat again over a longer period of time
Implementation Method 5
When the phase-change material is in the liquid phase, there is the danger that particles of the phase-change material can escape
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5A~5B
AI summary
A pouch (100) filled with phase-change material, wherein the pouch comprises a preformed first wall (110) and a second wall (120), wherein the first wall comprises a bowl-shaped part, in which the phase-change material is accommodated, and a peripheral part, wherein the second wall is attached to the peripheral part of the first wall, wherein a high vacuum prevails in the pouch, and wherein the pouch is intended for placing against a wall to be heated or cooled.