U.S. patent application number 13/521879 was filed with the patent office on 2013-03-07 for heat transfer interface.
This patent application is currently assigned to SYLVAN SOURCE, INC.. The applicant listed for this patent is Eugene Thiers. Invention is credited to Eugene Thiers.
Application Number | 20130056193 13/521879 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 44304626 |
Filed Date | 2013-03-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130056193 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Thiers; Eugene |
March 7, 2013 |
HEAT TRANSFER INTERFACE
Abstract
Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for
heat management systems at temperatures in the range of 120.degree.
C. to 1,300.degree. C. The systems consist of various heat transfer
chambers configured such that they contain heat transfer devices
that are spherical, cylindrical or have other shapes, and that
absorb heat within a broad range of temperatures, and return such
heat at constant temperature over long periods of time.
Inventors: |
Thiers; Eugene; (San Mateo,
CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Thiers; Eugene |
San Mateo |
CA |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
SYLVAN SOURCE, INC.
San Carlos
CA
|
Family ID: |
44304626 |
Appl. No.: |
13/521879 |
Filed: |
January 12, 2011 |
PCT Filed: |
January 12, 2011 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/US11/21007 |
371 Date: |
November 13, 2012 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61294392 |
Jan 12, 2010 |
|
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|
Current U.S.
Class: |
165/185 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F28D 2021/0059 20130101;
F28D 20/003 20130101; F28D 21/001 20130101; Y02E 60/142 20130101;
Y02E 60/145 20130101; C09K 5/063 20130101; Y02E 60/14 20130101;
C09K 5/16 20130101; F28D 20/023 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
165/185 |
International
Class: |
F28F 7/00 20060101
F28F007/00 |
Claims
1. A heat management system comprising a plurality of heat transfer
particles, each consisting of an inner heat transfer medium
encapsulated in an outer container that is inert with respect to
the heat source, and that is capable of the rapid capture of heat
at temperatures in the range of 120.degree. C. to 1,300.degree. C.
from a heat source, and the subsequent release of heat at a
constant temperature over a period of time.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the heat transfer medium
comprises a material selected from the group consisting of a salt,
metal, and a ceramic composition and is capable of removing heat
from an environment by absorbing the heat of fusion from the heat
source.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein the container comprises a
material selected from the group consisting of a metal, plastic, or
ceramic composition that is non-reactive with respect to the heat
source and non-reactive with respect to the heat transfer
medium.
4. The system of claim 2, wherein the heat transfer medium has a
fusion temperature within a range of 120.degree. C.-1,300.degree.
C.
5. The system of claim 2, wherein the heat transfer medium
comprises a material selected from the group consisting of a
chloride, oxychloride, fluoride, sulfate, sulfite, carbonate,
bicarbonate, borate, arsenate, aluminate, bromide, chromate,
hydride, manganate, silicate, sulfide, titanate, telluride,
selenide, oxide, hydroxide, metal, and mixtures therefrom.
6. The system of claim 2, wherein the heat transfer medium
comprises a substance that has a boiling point or a decomposition
temperature that is at least 100.degree. C. higher than the fusion
temperature thereof.
7. The system of claim 2, wherein the heat transfer medium
comprises a substance that has a very low vapor pressure at its
fusion temperature.
8. The system of claim 2, wherein the heat transfer medium
comprises two or more substances that chemically react at a given
temperature and thereby absorb the heat of that reaction.
9. The system of claim 8, wherein the heat transfer medium
decomposes at a given temperature and thereby releases the heat of
reaction to the environment.
10. The system of claim 3, wherein the container comprises a
material selected from the group consisting of a copper, aluminum,
chromium, iron, lead, magnesium, nickel, metal alloy,
high-temperature plastic such as fluorocarbon or
chlorofluorocarbon, and a ceramic, such as silicate, alumina, and
similar refractory composition.
11. The system of claim 3, wherein the inner surface of the
container is coated with a substance that is non-reactive with the
heat transfer medium.
12. The system of claim 3, wherein the outer surface of the
container is coated with a substance that is non-reactive with the
heat source.
13. The system of claim 9, wherein the coating of the container
comprises a material selected from the group consisting of a
carbide, oxide, silicate, polymer, metal, or similar non-reactive
composition with respect to the heat transfer medium.
14. The system of claim 10, wherein the coating of the container
comprises a material selected from the group consisting of a
carbide, oxide, silicate, polymer, metal, or similar non-reactive
composition with respect to the heat source.
15. The heat management system of claim 1 wherein the heat transfer
particles include a plurality of phase change materials suitable
for a range of temperatures, such that the system recovers heat at
various constant temperatures from the particles.
16. The system of claim 13, wherein the heat source comprises waste
heat from chemical reactors handling exothermic reactions.
17. The system of claim 13, wherein the heat source comprises waste
heat from steel furnaces.
18. The system of claim 13, wherein the heat source comprises waste
heat from industrial boilers.
Description
[0001] This invention relates to the field of heat management. In
particular, embodiments of the invention relate to systems and
methods of storing heat from industrial operations, and recovering
such heat at constant temperature over long periods of time.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Many industrial operations today generate large amounts of
waste heat, which is dissipated in evaporation towers (i.e.,
cooling towers), transferred to cooling water, converted into
steam, or wasted to the surrounding environment. Furthermore,
numerous industrial activities are intermittent in nature, so the
heat generated in those operations is not continuous but only lasts
for a limited time, and the temperature of those heat sources
varies greatly, thus making heat recovery and heat recycling
difficult and cumbersome. As a result, large amounts of energy are
routinely wasted into cooling water streams, low-grade steam, or
simply dissipated, thus making such industrial operations more
energy-intensive than necessary.
[0003] Furthermore, many exothermic polymeric reactions in the
petrochemical industry require precise temperature control, which
is commonly achieved using double-walled reactors with cooling
water. However, even though such reactors utilize large volumes of
cooling water in the outer shell and turbulence, temperature
control is difficult because heat is generated throughout the inner
reactor volume and away from the cooling wall. Moreover, those
cooling systems generate large volumes of cooling water at
temperatures that are too small for effective heat recovery. As a
result, those petrochemical operations waste significant amounts of
heat and water, and they incur substantial costs in water treatment
facilities before discharging such waste.
[0004] Molten salt systems have been developed to store heat at
high temperatures, and are used primarily with solar concentrators.
Such systems rely on the heat of melting which is typically much
larger than the specific heat per unit of mass, and are able to
release that heat continuously upon solidification or freezing.
Sodium metal is also used for heat storage at higher temperatures,
although in the case of sodium heat storage occurs mainly by
heating the liquid sodium to higher temperature. Conventional
molten salt systems and molten sodium systems suffer from two major
problems: what to do when there is a system failure and the salt or
sodium freezes, and the need for pumping a semi-viscous media at
high temperatures.
[0005] Accordingly, there is a need for an inexpensive
heat-transfer media that can absorb heat at high temperature, can
deliver such heat at constant temperature over a long period of
time, that requires little or no maintenance and is reliable, and
that can be easily manipulated even though the heat transfer media
is frozen.
[0006] There are numerous technologies related to the management or
storage of energy or heat using molten salts. However, the vast
majority of these technologies offer little relevance to the
present invention because they involve different functionalities.
Thus, many relate to ion exchange resins, some to polymer systems,
and some to thermoplastics, all of which involve organic polymers
which are notorious for their susceptibility to thermal degradation
at relatively moderate temperatures; others relate to underground
heat treatment of hydrocarbon deposits and materials that are
seldom encapsulated, or refer to phase change inks, toner
compositions, and imaging systems. Some technologies relate to
pharmaceuticals or biological systems, while others relate to flame
or fire retardants, all of which bear little relevance to heat
management or storage systems using phase change salts.
[0007] Many technologies employ phase change materials that are
primarily salts, and many employ eutectic compositions of various
salts, but they are seldom encapsulated, and thus they share the
problem of freezing upon solidification.
[0008] Some technologies relate to energy storage systems based on
phase change materials, and employ heat pipes in connection with
such heat storage systems that include heat exchangers. Others
employ phase change materials that are compacted in powder form and
encapsulated by a rolling process. However, the normal problems
encountered with the use of heat exchangers using molten salts are
exacerbated, and the encapsulation methods employed involve
expensive manufacturing and are restricted to simple shapes.
[0009] Other technologies employ hydrated metal nitrates that
minimize density changes between the solid and liquid phases.
However, hydrated salts lose the water of hydration readily upon
heating, and such chemical changes typically occur at or before
reaching the melting point of those substances. As a result, any
free water is likely to evaporate, leading to pressure build up
within any enclosure. Accordingly, key features of these
technologies make them inappropriate for use in the applications
described above.
[0010] Some technologies involve the use of crystallization
inhibitors, so as to depress the temperature of solidification of
phase change materials, while others employ similar systems that
use a separate crystal nucleator.
[0011] Other technologies relate to methods of storing heat within
a broad range of temperatures by using various phase change salt
materials and a porous support structure. However, a common
difficulty in all such phase change systems is the lack of
flowability, that is, the fact that as the phase change material
freezes, it stops flowing.
[0012] Still other technologies employ describe anhydrous sodium
sulfate and similar phase change salts in connection with a heat
exchanger configured to provide uniform heat distribution
throughout the phase change materials. However, the common
deficiency of such systems is the same described earlier, namely
the fact that upon freezing such materials completely lose
flowability.
[0013] Other methods employ heat pipes and mechanisms for scraping
an eutectic of salt from the pipes, while molten salt provides the
heat for boiling water. However, eutectic compositions present the
problem that such salt mixtures tend to exhibit greater
solubilities for materials that enclose the phase change salt.
SUMMARY
[0014] Embodiments of the present invention provide an improved
method for heat management, one that allows for the rapid capture
of heat at temperatures in the range of 120.degree. C. to
1,300.degree. C. from a variety of heat sources, and the subsequent
release of such heat at constant temperature for a long period of
time. The system can include an inner heat transfer medium
encapsulated in an outer container that can cylindrical, spherical,
or other shape, and that is inert with respect to the heat source.
The heat transfer medium can include salts, metals, or ceramic
compositions and is capable of removing heat by absorbing the heat
of fusion from a heat source. The encapsulating container can
include a metal, plastic, or ceramic composition that is
non-reactive with respect to the heat source and non-reactive with
respect to the heat transfer medium. In embodiments of the system,
the size and shape of the encapsulating container is determined by
the nature and chemical characteristics of the heat source, and by
the heat transfer requirements in terms of heat removal or release
per unit volume and per unit of time.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] FIGS. 1a and 1b are elevation views of two embodiments of
encapsulated heat transfer devices.
[0016] FIGS. 2a and 2b are embodiments of heat transfer devices
with inner coatings.
[0017] FIGS. 3a and 3B are elevation views of heat transfer devices
with inner and outer coatings.
[0018] FIGS. 4a and 4b show two possible embodiments of heat
transfer devices inside different heat transfer reactor
configurations.
[0019] FIG. 5a is a schematic diagram of a double-walled
petrochemical reactor chamber.
[0020] FIG. 5b is a simplified petrochemical reactor with randomly
dispersed heat transfer devices.
[0021] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a steel basic oxygen
converter with a heat recovery chamber.
[0022] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a two-pass boiler system
with a heat recovery chamber.
[0023] FIGS. 8a and 8b are elevation and plant views of a coaxial
heat recovery double chamber with heat transfer devices.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0024] Embodiments of the invention are disclosed herein, in some
cases in exemplary form or by reference to one or more Figures.
However, any such disclosure of a particular embodiment is
exemplary only, and is not indicative of the full scope of the
invention.
[0025] Embodiments of the invention include systems, methods, and
apparatus for heat management, recovery and recycling from a
variety of industrial operations. Preferred embodiments provide a
broad spectrum of heat absorption chambers that operate within the
temperature range of 120.degree. C. and 1,300.degree. C., and that
provide for fully automated heat recovery at temperatures similar
to that range over several hours, days or months without user
intervention. For example, systems disclosed herein can run without
user control or intervention for 2, 4, 6, 8, months, or longer. In
preferred embodiments, the systems can run automatically for 1, 2,
3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 years, or more.
[0026] Embodiments of the invention provide for encapsulated heat
transfer devices of various shapes and sizes to enter and exit heat
transfer chambers at a rate commensurate with the amount of waste
heat available and its temperature. Thus, the encapsulation of heat
transfer devices into rigid, impervious enclosures allows such
devices to flow either propelled by gravity of mechanical systems
regardless of the state of the enclosed material, which typically
is a salt or mixture of salts, thus providing for flowability. When
heat is available, it is readily absorbed by the phase change
material being encapsulated, which first heats until reaching it
melting point, and then continues to absorb the heat of fusion
until all of the encapsulated material becomes molten. When heat is
required, the encapsulated material is transferred to another heat
transfer chamber where the molten phase change material begins to
solidify, thus releasing the same heat of fusion that was
previously absorbed.
[0027] Heat transfer chambers can be of any shape and size that is
compatible with the amount of heat available, the length of time
such heat is available, and its temperature. Those three variables
determine the size and shape of the heat transfer devices being
used, so that they will have a residence time in the transfer
chamber equal to that of heat being available, and their mass of
phase change material will be adequate to the amount of heat and
temperature available.
[0028] Important characteristics of the heat transfer chambers is
that they allow the movement of heat transfer devices in and out of
such chamber, such as by gravity flow, although other forms of
mechanical transport may be employed.
[0029] Important characteristics of the heat transfer devices are
that they be durable, inexpensive to fabricate, and thermally
effective. Durability requires lack of chemical interaction between
the enclosure material of the device and the inner phase change
material. Inexpensive manufacture requires that the enclosed phase
change material be encapsulated in impervious containers that are
easy to fabricate, such as crimped metal cylinders, metallic or
ceramic spheres, and the like. Thermal effectiveness requires that
the thickness of the enclosing material be small and thermally
conductive, and that it will not react chemically to either the
external environment providing the heat, or the internal
environment of the phase change material.
[0030] In preferred embodiments, such as those shown in FIGS. 1A
and 1B, the heat transfer device (1) consists of a cylinder or
sphere comprising enclosing material (2) or similar shape that is
filled with phase change material (3) that may be an inorganic salt
or a mixture of salts. The cylinder or sphere is made of a metal,
such as copper or aluminum, or similar inexpensive metal. In other
embodiments, the enclosing material (2) may be a thin ceramic or
polymer material that is made thermally conducting by incorporating
metallic powders or shavings. In preferred embodiments, the
enclosing material (2) consists of a crimped aluminum, copper or
similar metal tube, a welded tube, or a tube or similar shape
fitted with a screw cap.
[0031] FIGS. 2a and 2b illustrate an alternative embodiment of a
heat transfer device (1) in which the inner surface of the
enclosing material is coated with an inert substance (21) that is
chemically non-reactive with the enclosing materials (2) or with
the phase change material (3). As used in this application,
"non-reactive" encompasses both completely non-reactive materials
and materials that do react chemically, but in which the reaction
is so slow or slight that it has no appreciable affect on the
chemical properties of the materials or the structure of the heat
transfer device. Suitable coatings include electrodeposited metals
and alloys, paints, ceramic compositions, or polymers. Examples of
inexpensive coatings on copper, aluminum and similar materials
include carbides, nitrides, oxides. Examples of coating methods
include chemical vapor deposition, electrostatic deposition,
anodizing, electrolysis, and painting. Useful information relating
to corrosion and coatings is provided in Handbook of Corrosion
Engineering, which is incorporated herein by reference in its
entirety.
[0032] FIGS. 3a and 3b illustrate alternative embodiments of a heat
transfer device (1) in which both the inner and outer surfaces of
the enclosing material (2) are coated with inert substances (21)
and (31) that are chemically non-reactive with either the enclosing
material (2), the phase change material (3), or the external
environment in which the heat transfer device is operating.
Suitable coatings include electrodeposited metals and alloys,
paints, ceramic compositions, or polymers. Examples of inexpensive
coatings on copper, aluminum and similar materials include
carbides, nitrides, oxides. Examples of coating methods include
chemical vapor deposition, electrostatic deposition, anodizing,
electrolysis, and painting.
[0033] FIG. 4a illustrates one possible embodiment of a heat
transfer chamber (4) that consists of a cylindrical configuration
containing a plurality of heat transfer devices (1) that are
arranged randomly so as to provide for sufficient porosity to the
flow of a fluid media containing heat. FIG. 4b illustrates another
embodiment of a heat transfer chamber (4) that consists of a
rectangular configuration containing a plurality of heat transfer
devices (1) that are arranged randomly so as to provide for
sufficient porosity to the flow of a fluid media containing heat.
Other geometrical shapes used to contain the heat transfer devices
are also possible. Those skilled in the art will recognize that
cylindrical or rectangular shapes are exemplary only, and that
other shapes may be utilized to fit space restrictions imposed by
the type of heat source in different industrial applications.
[0034] FIG. 5a is a simplified diagram of a double-walled
petrochemical reactor, typical of catalytic processes involving
exothermic reactions. In FIG. 5a, the reactor (6) consists of two
concentric cylindrical tanks that allow cooling water to enter
through ports (62) and exit through ports (63), so as to provide
cooling for the exothermic heat generated in the reactor volume
(61). Such reactors are used extensively to control reaction
temperatures in the chemical industry, and are notorious for
requiring large volumes of cooling water and extensive use of
pumps. FIG. 5b illustrates a simplified reactor configuration that
consists of a reactor (6) comprising a single tank and a plurality
of heat transfer devices (1) that provide for more efficient
cooling of exothermic reactions.
[0035] FIG. 6 illustrates heat recovery from a basic oxygen furnace
(7) in a steel plant. Typically, those furnaces are lined with
special refractories (71) and are initially charged with molten
iron (72) from a blast furnace, some fluxes and some steel scrap
(73) that serves to cool the molten iron. Once the furnace is
charged, an oxygen lance (74) blows oxygen into the molten iron so
as to oxidize the excessive amount of carbon in the molten iron,
and create steel. The reaction of oxygen with the dissolved carbon
in the molten iron is a highly exothermic reaction that raises the
temperature of the molten charge and creates large volumes of very
hot gases at temperatures that normally exceed 1,500.degree. C. The
hot gases which consist largely of CO.sub.2 exit the furnace at the
top and are collected in a hood (75). The hot gases carry an
enormous amount of heat that is largely captured by the heat
transfer devices (1) that are flowing inside a heat transfer
chamber (5) such that the residence time inside the chamber
precisely balances the amount of heat being produced by the hot
gases.
[0036] FIG. 7 illustrates heat recovery from an industrial boiler
(8). Typically, a burner (81) provides the necessary heat by
burning a fuel in the fire box. The hot combustion gases initially
transfer heat to a plurality of high-pressure steam tubes (82), and
subsequently to a plurality of water boiling tubes (83), and a
pre-heater chamber (84), and exit through chimney (85). A heat
transfer chamber (5), connected to chimney (85), recovers the heat
contained in the hot flue gases by transferring the heat to a
plurality of heat transfer devices (1) that move through the
chamber (5) at a rate commensurate with the required residence time
to capture the heat contained in the flue gases.
[0037] FIGS. 8a and 8b illustrate an elevation and a plant view of
a system (9) for recovering useful heat from the heat transfer
devices (1). In FIG. 8a, two concentric chambers (91) and (92)
allow high temperature heat transfer devices (11) at very high
temperature to transfer heat to lower temperature heat transfer
devices (12), so as to prolong the period of heat recovery at lower
temperatures. Thus, heat that has been captured at very high
temperature but for limited amounts of time becomes available on a
continuous basis at lower temperature. As will be appreciated by
one of skill in the art, different configurations can be used for
transferring heat from high to low temperatures, and other shapes
than cylindrical or rectangular chambers may be used.
[0038] The heat transfer devices can be made of any suitable
material. Exemplary materials for enclosing the phase change media
include but are not limited to metal, glass, composites, ceramics,
plastics, stone, cellulosic materials, fibrous materials and the
like. A mixture of materials can be used if desired. One of skill
in the art will be able to determine a suitable material for each
specific purpose. The chosen material will preferable be capable of
standing up to long term high temperature use without significant
cracking, breaking, other damage, or leaching toxic materials into
the environment. If desired, the differently sized devices can be
made of different materials. For example, the enclosures for
high-temperature heat transfer devices can be made of metals such
as steel, titanium, or various alloys, and the phase change media
can consist of salts that have high melting points. The chosen
material can preferably be resistant to breakage, rust, or cracking
due to the heating process. Table 1 lists several metals with their
melting points and their heat of fusion to facilitate selection of
suitable enclosure materials.
TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Melting Heat of Formula point, C. fusion
Units Na 97.5 31.72 kcal/kg S 119 9.10 kcal/kg Sn 231.8 14.09
kcal/kg Bi 271.3 12.22 kcal/kg Cd 320.9 13.67 kcal/kg Pb 327.3 5.85
kcal/kg Zn 419.5 28.11 kcal/kg Sb 630.5 39.42 kcal/kg Mg 651 87.91
kcal/kg Al 659.7 76.68 kcal/kg Au 1063 15.05 kcal/kg Cu 1083 32.01
kcal/kg Mn 1220 64.02 kcal/kg Ni 1455 70.95 kcal/kg Co 1495 5.97
kcal/kg Fe 1535 64.98 kcal/kg Pd 1549.4 36.11 kcal/kg Ti 1725
100.09 kcal/kg Zr 1857 36.55 kcal/kg Cr 1930 79.07 kcal/kg
[0039] Table 2 lists several salts and provides melting points
arranged in ascending order, as well as the corresponding heat of
fusion. The information in Table 2 serves to select suitable phase
change media for different industrial applications and heat
recoveries at various temperatures.
TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Melting Heat of Formula point, C. fusion
Units CaCl2 + 6H2O 28.33333 39.55 kcal/kg Na3PO4 36.11111 66.67
kcal/kg BiBr3 218 11.13 kcal/kg BiCl3 233.5 5.68 kcal/kg SnCl2 246
16.00 kcal/kg LiNO3 264 87.80 kcal/kg ZnCl2 283 40.60 kcal/kg NaNO3
310.5556 62.78 kcal/kg KNO3 338.8889 47.22 kcal/kg PbBr2 373 11.70
kcal/kg CdI2 387 10.00 kcal/kg PbI2 402 17.90 kcal/kg Lil 450 10.60
kcal/kg PbCl2 501 20.30 kcal/kg Sb2S3 550 33.00 kcal/kg Ca(NO3)2
561 31.20 kcal/kg CdCl2 568 28.80 kcal/kg CuCl2 620 26.40 kcal/kg
MnCl2 650 58.40 kcal/kg NaI 651 35.10 kcal/kg Sb2O3 656 46.30
kcal/kg KI 686 24.70 kcal/kg MgBr2 700 45.00 kcal/kg Li2MoO4 705
24.10 kcal/kg MgCl2 708 82.90 kcal/kg BiF3 727 23.30 kcal/kg KBr
730 42.00 kcal/kg BaI2 740 44.22 kcal/kg KCl 776 85.90 kcal/kg NaCl
800 123.97 kcal/kg LiF 842 91.10 kcal/kg KF 846 111.90 kcal/kg PbF2
855 7.60 kcal/kg CdSO4 1000 22.90 kcal/kg CdF2 1100 35.90 kcal/kg
PbS 1114 17.30 kcal/kg PbSO4 1170 31.60 kcal/kg Li2SiO3 1204 80.20
kcal/kg MgF2 1266 94.70 kcal/kg BaF2 1354.5 26.00 kcal/kg CaF2 1360
52.50 kcal/kg CaSiO3 1540 115.40 kcal/kg Cr2O3 2435 27.60
kcal/kg
[0040] In addition to phase-change materials, chemical reactions
involving reduction/oxidation (REDOX) can also provide heat storage
and controlled heat release and, thus, can be used as media for
heat transfer applications. For example, the carbonate/bicarbonate
reaction typically involves a chemical change that can be reversed
upon minor changes in temperature. Thus ammonium bicarbonate
decomposes into ammonium carbonate when temperature changes a few
degrees centigrade, and the heat of this reaction can either be
absorbed or released, thereby providing a functionality similar to
that of phase change materials.
[0041] As used in this application, REDOX reactions include those
in which one or more electrons are exchanged, and thus encompass a
broader group of chemical reactions than simply those involving
oxygen as an oxidant.
[0042] Typically, the chemical reactions of interest in this
application include those in which one of the reactants is an
organic material. Such chemical reactions are characterized by
heats of reaction that are sharply dependant on the temperature of
the system
[0043] One skilled in the art will appreciate that these methods
and devices are and may be adapted to carry out the objects and
obtain the ends and advantages mentioned, as well as various other
advantages and benefits. The methods, procedures, and devices
described herein are presently representative of preferred
embodiments and are exemplary and are not intended as limitations
on the scope of the invention. Changes therein and other uses will
occur to those skilled in the art which are encompassed within the
spirit of the invention and are defined by the scope of the
disclosure.
[0044] The invention illustratively described herein suitably can
be practiced in the absence of any element or elements, limitation
or limitations which is not specifically disclosed herein. The
terms and expressions which have been employed are used as terms of
description and not of limitation, and there is no intention that
in the use of such terms and expressions indicates the exclusion of
equivalents of the features shown and described or portions
thereof. It is recognized that various modifications are possible
within the scope of the invention disclosed. Thus, it should be
understood that although the present invention has been
specifically disclosed by preferred embodiments and optional
features, modification and variation of the concepts herein
disclosed may be resorted to by those skilled in the art, and that
such modifications and variations are considered to be within the
scope of this invention as defined by the disclosure.
* * * * *