Heat or Cold Reservoir

Abstract

The invention relates to a reservoir ( 10 ) for cold or heat with a porous body ( 12 ) to house a storage medium and a first heat exchanger ( 14 ) embedded in the porous body comprising at least one metal tube ( 16, 18, 20 ) through which a heat transfer medium may flow to charge the reservoir with heat or cold. According to the invention, a second heat exchanger ( 22 ) is embedded in the porous body ( 12 ) for discharge of the reservoir which comprises at least one metal tube ( 24, 26, 28 ), the porous body is at least partly made from foamed metal, said foamed metal being essentially the same metal as the metal tubes ( 16, 18, 20, 24, 26, 28 ).

1 . A heat or cold accumulator ( 10 ) having a porous body ( 12 ) for holding an accumulator medium and having a first heat exchanger ( 14 ) which is embedded in the porous body and comprises at least one metal tube ( 16 ,  18 ,  20 ), which first heat exchanger ( 14 ) can be traversed by a heat transfer medium for charging the accumulator with cold or heat, characterized in that a second heat exchanger ( 22 ), which is provided for discharging the accumulator, is embedded in the porous body ( 12 ), which second heat exchanger ( 22 ) comprises at least one metal tube ( 24 ,  26 ,  28 ), and in that the porous body is composed at least partially of metal foam, with the metal foam being composed of the same metal as the metal tubes ( 16 ,  18 ,  20 ,  24 ,  26 ,  28 ). 
   
   
       2 . The accumulator as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that the metal tubes ( 16 ,  18 ,  20 ,  24 ,  26 ,  28 ) extend through the metal foam body ( 12 ) in a meandering fashion. 
   
   
       3 . The accumulator as claimed in  claim 1  or  2 , characterized in that the heat exchangers ( 14 ,  22 ) are of substantially identical construction. 
   
   
       4 . The accumulator as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the metal foam body ( 12 ) is composed of a plurality of metal foam plates ( 30 ,  32 ,  34 ,  36 ,  38 ,  40 ,  42 ,  44 ), with tube sections of the heat exchangers ( 14 ,  22 ) running between the plates. 
   
   
       5 . The accumulator as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the metal foam body is composed of a plurality of metal foam plates, with tube sections of the heat exchangers being embedded into the plates. 
   
   
       6 . The accumulator as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the metal foam body is embodied as a block. 
   
   
       7 . The accumulator as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each heat exchanger ( 14 ,  22 ) has a plurality of metal tubes ( 16 ,  18 ,  20 ,  24 ,  26 ,  28 ), with the first end regions of the metal tubes ( 16 ,  18 ,  20 ) of the first heat exchanger ( 14 ) opening out into a common inflow tube ( 46 ) and the second end regions of the metal tubes of the first heat exchanger opening out into a common outflow tube ( 48 ), and the first end regions of the metal tubes ( 24 ,  26 ,  28 ) of the second heat exchanger ( 22 ) opening out into a common inflow tube ( 50 ) and the second end regions of the metal tubes of the second heat exchanger opening out into a common outflow tube ( 52 ). 
   
   
       8 . The accumulator as claimed in  claim 7 , characterized in that the inflow tube ( 46 ) of the first heat exchanger has inflow openings ( 54 ,  56 ,  58 ) which are arranged so as to be distributed uniformly with respect to the opening-out points of the first end regions of the first heat exchanger ( 14 ). 
   
   
       9 . The accumulator as claimed in  claim 8 , characterized in that individual feed lines ( 60 ,  62 ,  64 ) are connected to the inflow openings ( 54 ,  56 ,  58 ) of the inflow tube ( 46 ) of the first heat exchanger ( 14 ), which individual feed lines ( 60 ,  62 ,  64 ) open out into a common feed line ( 66 ). 
   
   
       10 . The accumulator as claimed in  claim 9 , characterized in that the individual feed lines ( 60 ,  62 ,  64 ) have substantially the same diameter and the same length. 
   
   
       11 . The accumulator as claimed in one of  claims 7  to  10 , characterized in that the inflow tube ( 46 ) of the first heat exchanger ( 14 ) is, in operation of the accumulator, arranged higher than the outflow tube ( 48 ) of the first heat exchanger. 
   
   
       12 . The accumulator as claimed in one of  claims 7  to  10 , characterized in that the inflow tube ( 50 ) of the second heat exchanger ( 22 ) is, in operation of the accumulator, arranged lower than the outflow tube ( 52 ) of the second heat exchanger. 
   
   
       13 . The accumulator as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that metal tubes ( 16 ,  18 ,  20 ,  24 ,  26 ,  28 ) of the heat exchangers ( 14 ,  22 ) are embodied as flat tubes. 
   
   
       14 . The accumulator as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the accumulator ( 10 ) is, for the purpose of cold accumulation, filled with an accumulator medium such as water, paraffin or a mixture of salt hydrates. 
   
   
       15 . The accumulator as claimed in one of  claims 1  to  13 , characterized in that the accumulator ( 10 ) is, for the purpose of heat accumulation, filled with salt hydrate or paraffin.