Method and apparatus for absorbing thermal energy

摘要

The subject invention pertains to a method and apparatus for storing thermal energy. The subject thermal energy storage apparatus can function as a heat absorber in a cooling system. A cooling system can incorporate a cooling cycle that utilizes thermal energy storage and has two coolant loops. The primary cooling loop acquires the waste heat from a heat source, such as an electronic device, by heat transfer to the primary coolant via, for example, a sensible heat process (where sensible heat is heat absorbed or transmitted by a substance during a change in temperature which is not accompanied by a change of state) or by evaporating the primary coolant through a latent heat phase change process. The waste heat absorbed by the primary coolant is transferred to the host material of the heat absorber. The subject invention uses a high thermal conductivity host material to house a lower thermal conductivity phase change material, in order to achieve a thermal energy absorber that has a high effective thermal conductivity. In a specific embodiment, the high thermal conductivity host material has voids within the structure that can be filled by the phase change material. The increased surface area of phase change material in thermal contact with the host material per volume of phase change material allows the thermal energy to be stored or released quickly, because of the enhanced effective thermal conductivity.

主权项

1. A method for absorbing thermal energy from a heat source, comprising:
absorbing thermal energy from a heat source so as to transfer thermal energy from the heat source to a primary coolant; and transporting the primary coolant to a heat absorber comprising a phase change material so as to transfer thermal energy from the primary coolant to the heat absorber, wherein transfer of thermal energy from the primary coolant to the heat absorber melts at least a portion of the phase change material, wherein the heat absorber comprises primary coolant tubing embedded in the heat absorber, wherein the heat absorber comprises a host material having voids that are filled with the phase change material such that the phase change material is in thermal contact with the host material, wherein the primary coolant tubing is in thermal contact with at least a portion of the host material, wherein the primary coolant travels through the primary coolant tubing, and wherein thermal energy is transferred from the primary coolant to the phase change material through the primary coolant tubing.