US2006196631A1PendingUtilityA1

Thermal storage device

10
Individually held — no corporate assignee on recordPriority: Mar 28, 2001Filed: Mar 28, 2002Published: Sep 7, 2006
Est. expiryMar 28, 2021(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Barry SmallGarth Paton
F25D 31/003F25D 16/00
10
PatentIndex Score
0
Cited by
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References
0
Claims

Abstract

A refrigeration device ( 10 ) including a generally cylindrical tank ( 11 ) including outer sidewalls ( 14 ) adapted to contain a first fluid. The device further includes a heat exchange fluid inlet ( 17 ) to the tank, a heat exchange fluid outlet ( 18 ) from the tank and a refrigeration unit ( 60 ). At least one hollow refrigeration evaporator coil ( 19, 20 ) is in fluid communication with the refrigeration unit by means of refrigerant feed and extraction pipes ( 61 and 62 ). The coil is helically disposed within the tank for freezing the first fluid adjacent the coil, such that in use the frozen fluid and the sidewalls together define a substantially helical path to direct the flow of a heat exchange fluid from the inlet to the outlet.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . A refrigeration device including: 
 a generally cylindrical tank including outer sidewalls adapted to contain a first fluid;    a heat exchange fluid inlet to said tank;    a heat exchange fluid outlet from said tank;    a refrigeration unit;    at least one hollow refrigeration evaporator coil in fluid communication with said refrigeration unit by means of refrigerant feed and extraction pipes, said coil being helically disposed within said tank for freezing the first fluid adjacent the coil, such that in use the frozen fluid and said sidewalls together define a substantially helical path to direct the flow of a heat exchange fluid from said inlet to said outlet; and a generally cylindrical column removably mounted to said tank and extending coaxially through an interior region of the tank, said column defining an inner sidewall of said tank.    
   
   
       2 . A device according to  claim 1 , wherein, in use, said column supports said coil.  
   
   
       3 . A device according to  claim 1  or  claim 2 , further including valve means disposed selectively to introduce relatively hot fluid into said coil to rapidly heat an outer surface thereof, so as to crack and create fissures in said frozen fluid and thereby increase the rate of freezing of the first fluid.  
   
   
       4 . A device according to  claim 3  wherein said hot fluid is injected at a rate and temperature sufficient to fracture discrete blocks from said frozen fluid, and thereby significantly increase an effective exposed surface area of the frozen fluid.  
   
   
       5 . A device according to  claim 3  or  claim 4  wherein said valve means include a reversing valve operable on said refrigerant feed pipe.  
   
   
       6 . A device according to any one of the preceding claims including an electronic expansion valve operable on said refrigerant feed pipe for metering the evaporation of refrigerant gas within said evaporation coil.  
   
   
       7 . A device according to any one of the preceding claims, further including at least one sensor within said tank for detecting propagation of an interface between a frozen phase and surrounding liquid phase of the first fluid.  
   
   
       8 . A device according to  claim 7  including a pair of said sensors for detecting propagation of the interface between respective predetermined maximum and minimum positions in response to progressive freezing of the first fluid.  
   
   
       9 . A device according to any one of the preceding claims, further including a temperature sensor on said outlet.  
   
   
       10 . A device according to any one of the preceding claims, further including a temperature sensor on said inlet.  
   
   
       11 . A device according to any one of the preceding claims, further including a timer adapted to activate said refrigeration unit in off-peak periods.  
   
   
       12 . A device according to  claim 11 , further including a manual override mechanism disposed to permit activation of said refrigeration unit outside of off-peak periods.  
   
   
       13 . A device according to any one of the preceding claims, further including an inlet pressure sensor for detecting pressure in said inlet.  
   
   
       14 . A device according to any one of the preceding claims, further including an outlet pressure sensor for detecting pressure in said outlet.  
   
   
       15 . A device according to any one of  claims 7  to  14 , further including electronic control means to control the operation of said device in response to predetermined system parameters.  
   
   
       16 . A device according to  claim 15  wherein said electronic control means include a microprocessor responsive to predetermined system parameters including outputs from said sensors.  
   
   
       17 . A device according to any one of the preceding claims, further including agitation means disposed within the tank to agitate and thereby reduce the effective freezing point of said heat exchange fluid.  
   
   
       18 . A device according to  claim 17  wherein said agitation means includes at least one nozzle within said tank for injecting material into the heat exchange fluid, thereby increasing its flow rate and turbulence.  
   
   
       19 . A device according to  claim 18 , wherein said agitation means include an axially extending perforate tube mounted within the tank, said tube including an array of said nozzles in the form of apertures or perforations axially spaced along its length.  
   
   
       20 . A device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said coil is configured substantially in the shape of a regular helix.  
   
   
       21 . A device according to  claim 20 , wherein the pitch of said coil is between 5° and around 20°.  
   
   
       22 . A device according to  claim 20  or  claim 21 , wherein the pitch of said coil is between 10° and around 15°.  
   
   
       23 . A device according to any one of  claims 20  to  22 , wherein the pitch of said coil is approximately 12°.  
   
   
       24 . A device according to any one of the preceding claims, including a pair of said coils disposed generally concentrically within said tank.  
   
   
       25 . A device according to  claim 23  including three or more of said coils disposed generally concentrically within said tank.  
   
   
       26 . A device according to  claim 24  or  claim 25  wherein the pitch of said coils is substantially identical.  
   
   
       27 . A device according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said tank is generally right cylindrical, and generally circular in cross-sectional profile.  
   
   
       28 . A device according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said heat exchange fluid has a lower freezing point than said first fluid.  
   
   
       29 . A device according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said heat exchange fluid includes ethylene glycol.  
   
   
       30 . A method of operating a device as defined in any one of the preceding claims, including the steps of: 
 directing an evaporative fluid through the evaporator coil so as to reduce the temperature of an outer surface of the coil to a temperature less than or equal to the freezing point of the first fluid,    thereby causing said first fluid to freeze on the outer surface of the evaporator coil,    allowing sufficient time for an interface between solid and liquid phases of the first fluid to advance such that the frozen liquid and the sidewalls together define a substantially helical path; and    directing a heat exchange fluid to flow along said helical path such that the temperature of the heat exchange fluid progressively drops toward the temperature of the frozen first fluid.    
   
   
       31 . A method according to  claim 30  including the further step of periodically injecting a hot fluid into said coil to crack and create fissures in said frozen fluid and thereby increase the rate of freezing of the first fluid.  
   
   
       32 . A method according to  claim 31  wherein said hot fluid is injected at a rate and temperature sufficient to fracture discrete blocks from said frozen fluid, and thereby significantly increase the exposed surface area of the frozen fluid.  
   
   
       33 . A method according to any one of  claims 30  to  32  including the further step of injecting material into the heat exchange fluid to increase its flow rate or turbulence.  
   
   
       34 . A method according to any one of  claims 30  to  33  including the further step of recovering the heat extracted from said heat exchange fluid for use in other applications.  
   
   
       35 . A method according to any one of  claims 30  to  34  wherein said heat exchange fluid has a lower freezing point than said first fluid.  
   
   
       36 . A method according to any one of  claims 30  to  35  wherein said heat exchange fluid includes ethylene glycol.

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