Heat storage system

Abstract

A heat storage system includes an energy conversion portion, and a heat storage portion having a heat storage material. The energy conversion portion converts a form of an energy source into another form, and the energy conversion portion dissipates heat through a medium at the same time as the energy conversion. The heat storage material exchanges heat with the medium. The heat storage material stores heat from the medium in a heat storage mode, and the heat storage material dissipates the stored heat to a heating target. The heat storage material exhibits a first solid phase when a temperature of the heat storage material is higher than a predetermined temperature, and the heat storage material exhibits a second solid phase when the temperature of the heat storage material is at or lower than the predetermined temperature.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A heat storage system comprising:
 an energy conversion portion that converts a form of an energy source into another form, the energy conversion portion dissipating heat through a medium at a same time as the energy conversion; and   a heat storage portion that includes a heat storage material configured to exchange heat with the medium, the heat storage material storing heat from the medium in a heat storage mode, the heat storage material dissipating the stored heat to a heating target in a heat dissipation mode different from the heat storage mode, wherein   the heat storage material is in a first solid phase when a temperature of the heat storage material is higher than a predetermined temperature, and   the heat storage material is in a second solid phase when the temperature of the heat storage material is equal to or lower than the predetermined temperature.   
     
     
         2 . The heat storage system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the heat storage material has a flow-through honeycomb structure in which a plurality of through-holes extend along one direction.   
     
     
         3 . The heat storage system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the heat storage material has a pack-head structure in which a plurality of blocks are stacked with each other at predetermined intervals.   
     
     
         4 . The heat storage system according to  claim 1 , wherein the heat storage material has a plate structure in which a plurality of plates are arranged at predetermined intervals. 
     
     
         5 . The heat storage system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the heat storage material is made essentially of vanadium dioxide.   
     
     
         6 . The heat storage system according to  claim 5 , wherein
 the heat storage material includes an additive, and   the predetermined temperature varies depending on an amount of the additive doped to the vanadium dioxide.   
     
     
         7 . The heat storage system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the heat storage mode corresponds to a time period when the temperature of the heat storage material is higher than the predetermined temperature, and   the heat dissipation mode corresponds to a time period when the temperature of the heat storage material is equal to or lower than the predetermined temperature.