Tetrafluoroborate Solid-to-Solid Phase Change Materials
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a lack of solid to solid phase change materials that can operate effectively over wide temperature ranges, particularly for heat batteries, which are essential for efficient thermal energy storage and management.
Innovation Solution
The development of phase change materials (PCMs) utilizing tetrafluoroborate salts that undergo solid to solid phase transitions, offering a wide temperature range from -270°C to 3,000°C without the need for nucleating agents, and are stable under thermal cycling, making them suitable for heat batteries and other thermal applications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If solid to liquid phase change materials are used, then high latent heat is achieved, but volume change and encapsulation complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies solid-to-solid phase transitions instead of conventional solid-to-liquid transitions. The PCMs undergo polymorphic transitions between different crystalline structures while remaining in the solid state, thereby achieving high latent heat storage without the volume expansion and encapsulation challenges associated with melting.
2Ease of manufacture
If organic phase change materials are used, then ease of processing is achieved, but thermal stability and temperature range are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs inorganic salt hydrates and tetrafluoroborate salts as PCMs, which are inorganic compounds offering superior thermal stability and wider operating temperature ranges compared to organic materials. These inorganic PCMs maintain structural integrity at elevated temperatures while still providing the necessary phase transition behavior for thermal energy storage.
3Adaptability or versatility
If wide temperature range operation is required, then application versatility is improved, but material stability and performance consistency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses multiple discrete PCMs, each optimized for specific temperature ranges, rather than attempting to use a single material across all temperatures. This segmentation allows each PCM to operate within its optimal stability window, ensuring consistent performance and reliable phase transitions at designated temperatures while maintaining overall system versatility.
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
These tetrafluoroborate-based PCMs provide a stable and efficient means of thermal energy storage and management, enabling repeated thermal cycling with minimal degradation, and are suitable for various applications including heat batteries and automotive uses due to their safety and compatibility advantages.
Implementation Method 1
Phase change materials (PCMs) are materials which have a high latent heat associated with a phase transition
Implementation Method 2
Phase change materials (PCMs) have a high latent heat therefore large amounts of energy can be stored and released during phase change transitions
Implementation Method 3
Energy is released during a cooling transition and stored during a heating transition
Data Source
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AI summary
There is herein described phase change materials (PCMs) comprising at least one or a plurality (e.g. a mixture) of tetrafluoroborate salts that are capable of undergoing a solid to solid phase transition. In particular, there is described phase change materials (PCMs) comprising at least one or a plurality (e.g. a mixture) of tetrafluoroborate salts where there is at least one tetrafluoroborate salt or a plurality of tetrafluoroborate salt which have a solid to solid phase transition. The tetrafluoroborate salt may comprise at least one anion or a plurality of the same or different anions of tetrafluoroborate (e.g. BF4-). The PCM may have a solid to solid phase change in the region of about -270°C to about 3,000°C, about -50°C to about 1,500°C, about 0°C to about 1,000°C, or about 0°C to about 500°C temperature range.