Thermal energy storage for temperature regulation in electric vehicles

Abstract

A system to produce heated and refrigerated working fluids in an electric vehicle comprises a storage material to store and release thermal energy, an off-board energy source to provide thermal energy to said storage material, and a refrigerator. The refrigerator is powered by thermal energy from the storage material to produce refrigeration. Thermal energy is transferred by at least one working fluid. At least one heat exchanger element enables thermal communication between the storage material, the off-board energy source, the refrigerator, and the at least one working fluid. At least one control element to control the flow of said at least one working fluid.

1 . A system to produce heated and refrigerated working fluids in an electric vehicle comprising:
 a storage material to store and release thermal energy;   a refrigerator, powered by thermal energy from said storage material, to produce refrigeration;   at least one working fluid to transfer thermal energy released by said storage material and refrigeration produced by said refrigerator;   at least one heat exchanger element to enable thermal communication between said storage material, said refrigerator, and said at least one working fluid; and   at least one control element to control the flow of said at least one working fluid.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , including an off-board energy source to provide thermal energy to said storage material. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein at least some of said heated and refrigerated working fluids are used to heat and refrigerate the cabin of said electric vehicle. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein at least some of said heated and refrigerated working fluids are used to heat and refrigerate the battery compartment of said electric vehicle. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said storage material at least partially melts to store thermal energy, and at least partially solidifies to release the stored thermal energy. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein said storage material is a pure metal or eutectic metal alloy that melts and solidifies at a single temperature. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein said pure metal is one of aluminum, magnesium, and zinc. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein said eutectic metal alloy has a relative fraction of aluminum of at least 83 wt. % and a relative fraction of silicon of 12 wt. %. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein said eutectic metal alloy has a relative fraction of magnesium of at least 39 wt. % and a relative fraction of silicon of 56 wt. %. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein said eutectic metal alloy has a relative fraction of aluminum of at least 59 wt. % and a relative fraction of magnesium of 36 wt. %. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein said storage material is a hypoeutectic or hypoeutectic metal alloy that melts and solidifies across a temperature range. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein said hypoeutectic or hypoeutectic is composed of aluminum and silicon with relative fractions of aluminum and silicon that sum to at least 90 wt. %, but does not have a relative fraction of aluminum of at least 83 wt. % and a relative fraction of silicon of 12 wt. %. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein said hypoeutectic or hypoeutectic is composed of magnesium and silicon with relative fractions of magnesium and silicon that sum to at least 90 wt. %, but does not have a relative fraction of magnesium of at least 39 wt. % and a relative fraction of silicon of 56 wt. %. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein said hypoeutectic or hypoeutectic is composed of aluminum and magnesium with relative fractions of aluminum and magnesium that sum to at least 90 wt. %, but does not have a relative fraction of aluminum of at least 59 wt. % and a relative fraction of magnesium of 36 wt. %. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 1 , including an off-board energy source that is an electrical source. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein said electrical source is the same electrical source as that used to charge the electrochemical battery of said electric vehicle. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein said at least one heat exchanger element is an electrical resistance heating wire that converts electrical energy from said electrical source to thermal energy to store in said storage material. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 1 , including an off-board energy source that is a high-temperature heat source. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein said high-temperature heat source is a natural gas combustor. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said refrigerator is an absorption refrigerator. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein said absorption refrigerator uses water as the absorbent and ammonia as the absorbate. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said refrigerator is an adsorption refrigerator. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein said adsorption refrigerator uses zeolites, silicas, aluminas, active carbons, or graphites as the adsorbent. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one working fluid is air. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one working fluid is not air.