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PATENTS
Latent-heat storage body microcapsules
U.S. patent application 20190300770 (applicant National University Corp., Hokkaido University, Hokkaido, Japan):
“In the present invention, after a primary coating film is formed by boehmite treatment of the surface of a core particle in a solution comprising Al ions, a secondary coating film is formed by cooling the solution to the supersaturation temperature of the Al ions to cause deposition of a hydroxide of aluminum on the surface of the primary coating film, and an Al oxide film is formed on the surface of the core particle by heat treating the secondary coating film in an oxidizing atmosphere. Consequently, the shell is thickened by the amount of secondary coating film formed, so that the cyclic strength of the capsule can be secured and the composition change of the PCM in the production process is remarkably suppressed.”
Heat storage cable including closing system
U.S. patent application 20190299740 (applicant E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Co., Wilmington, Del.):
“The present invention relates to the field of Phase Change Material (PCM) for thermal management in different applications like for example automotive, building, packaging, garments and footwear. The cable of the present invention comprises at least two sections wherein a first section A of the cable comprises a core, a PCM layer surrounding the core and one or more layer(s) of a protective polymer surrounding the PCM layer and a section B comprising a core, a thermoplastic polymer layer and one or more layer(s) of a protective polymer surrounding the thermoplastic polymer layer wherein the PCM layer consists of a PCM composition; the core consists of a filament, yarn, strand or wire made of a natural or synthetic polymeric material or a metal; and the thermoplastic polymer layer consists of a thermoplastic polymer composition.”
Integration of a phase change material for limiting the temperature of fuel
U.S. patent application 20190309687 (applicant Safran Helicopter Engines, Bordes, France):
“The invention concerns an assembly comprising: a fuel supply circuit configured to supply fuel to a turbine heat engine, an electronic module, a power source for supplying power to the electronic module, and a heat exchanger positioned to allow a flow of heat from the electronic module to the fuel supply circuit, the assembly being characterised in that the electronic module comprises a phase-change material (PCM), configured to change state when the temperature of same reaches a predetermined phase-change temperature (Tf).”
Staple fibers containing releasable surface modifying molecules
U.S. patent application 20190309442 (applicant QED Labs Inc., Billerica, Mass.):
“Staple fibers and compositions formed from staple fibers are disclosed herein. The fibers are functionalized with molecules that render fabrics comprising the disclosed fibers hydrophobic, hydrophilic, and/or release molecules upon exposure to an external stimulus. Also presented are methods of synthesizing the same and a fabric comprising woven yarns including the staple fiber. … The surface modifying molecule can be a phase change material.”
IN BRIEF
• Social venture capital investor Acumen has invested an undisclosed amount in Promethean Power Systems Inc., which makes PCM-based refrigeration systems for cold-storage and milk chilling applications in off-grid and partially electrified areas of developing countries. Jiten Ghelani, chief executive of Promethean, which is based in Boston, Mass., and Pune, India, said the investment would help the company accelerate the adoption of its products across India and other markets, and also expand its cooling-as-a-service offerings.
• Two new consumer products featuring temperature-control fabrics from Outlast Technologies hit the market recently: A pillow designed to improve the quality of sleep for passengers on Air New Zealand‘s long-haul flights and a Calloway pullover designed to keep golfers cool in warm weather and warm in cold weather.
• Viking Cold Solutions of Houston, Texas, won a Platinum Cleanie Award last month for a PCM-based storage and demand management project in Massachusetts. The Cleanie Awards, presented at this year’s North America Smart Energy Week in Salt Lake City, Utah, recognize companies and individuals shaping the clean-tech and renewable energy industries. The Viking Cold project involved the installation and commissioning of TES systems to store refrigeration energy and facilitate 1.3 MW of energy demand reduction across eight customer facilities, including the Greater Boston Food Bank.
• Sonoco ThermoSafe of Arlington Heights, Ill., has introduced a new temperature-controlled box rental service. “The new Orion r product line is based on the existing ChillTech product,” said Ben VanderPlas, manager of engineering and product management at Sonoco. “We’ve made changes to make the product more reusable (added EPP) and have increased the VIP insulation. The PCMs remain the same, using paraffin-based materials. ChillTech was developed by Laminar Medica in the UK prior to their acquisition and integration into the ThermoSafe business. Solutions will exist for 2-8, 15-25 and frozen temperatures.”
• Sonoco ThermoSafe has posted an opening for a Senior Account Manager Europe, to be based in Netherlands.
• Microtek Laboratories Inc. of Dayton, Ohio, has introduced a new line of PCM-equipped pouches and panels for use in temperature-controlled shipping. I’ll have details on the reusable and recyclable adaptek line in the next issue of Phase Change Matters.
RESEARCH ROUNDUP
For our full list of recent academic research, see puretemp.com/academic. Here are highlights from the past week:
From Applied Energy:• Passive cooling through phase change materials in buildings. A critical study of implementation alternatives
From Applied Thermal Engineering:
• Honeycomb carbon fibers strengthened composite phase change materials for superior thermal energy storage
From e-Polymers:
• Fabrication and characterization of conductive microcapsule containing phase change material
From Construction and Building Materials:
• Preparation and characterization of nano-SiO2/paraffin/PE wax composite shell microcapsules containing TDI for self-healing of cementitious materials
• Development of leak-free phase change material aggregates
• Behavior of cementitious mortars with direct incorporation of non-encapsulated phase change material after severe temperature exposure
From Advanced Functional Materials:
• Engineering the Thermal Conductivity of Functional Phase‐Change Materials for Heat Energy Conversion, Storage, and Utilization
From Journal of Energy Storage:
• A numerical investigation of the effects of metal foam characteristics and heating/cooling conditions on the phase change kinetic of phase change materials embedded in metal foam
• Applications of combined/hybrid use of heat pipe and phase change materials in energy storage and cooling systems: A recent review
• Innovative composite sorbent for thermal energy storage based on a SrBr2·6H2O filled silicone composite foam
From ACS Applied Nano Materials:
• Concentrated Ag Nanoparticles in Dodecane as Phase Change Materials for Thermal Energy Storage
From Materials Research Express:
• Preparation of 1-dodecanol microcapsules with cellulose nanofibers-modified melamine-formaldehyde resin as a potential phase change material
From IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science:
• Optimisation of Parameters in Thermal Energy Storage System by Enhancing Heat Transfer in Phase Change Material
From International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer:
• Thermal transport properties at interface of fatty acid esters enhanced with carbon-based nanoadditives
From Journal of Solar Energy Engineering:
• Using a Novel Phase Change Material-Based Cooling Tower for a Photovoltaic Module Cooling
From Solar Energy:
• Experimental investigation on micro-scale phase change material based on sodium acetate trihydrate for thermal storage
From RSC Advances:
• A novel forced separation method for the preparation of paraffin with excellent phase changes
From Energy Conversion and Management:
• Experimental characterisation of a novel thermal energy storage based on open-cell copper foams immersed in organic phase change material
NETWORKING
Connect with PCM experts and industry leaders on LinkedIn
More than 1,500 people have joined a LinkedIn group devoted to the discussion of phase change material and thermal energy storage. The Phase Change Matters group is an interactive complement to the award-winning blog and newsletter of the same name.
You are invited to join the group and connect with PCM and TES experts from around the world. This month we welcome Salima Ghzayel, faculty in engineering at Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon; Terri Neubauer, new materials and technologies expert, Minneapolis-St. Paul; Steve Champlin, president at Thermolite Inc., South Bend, Ind.; and Lyn Radnell, commercial director, CoolPac Pty. Ltd., Melbourne, Australia.