PCM Products & Applications Development
Since 1996 our design team has been working on many different products and applications, from the International Space Station to submarine cooling applications. Some of the development examples; Global product development examples
Our PlusICE range of products including FlatICE, BallICE, TubeICE, Eutectic Plates and Pouches enables us to develop and apply both organic and hydrated salt based PCMs for a variety of applications around the world.
We have many licencees using our PlusICE product range, either as raw material or manufactured product. Some of the applications are initiated by our organisation, but the majority of non-standard applications come from the minds of the end-user or developer. Our technical team prides itself on taking customer ideas from concept through to completion.
Custom-made Encapsulated PCM Products
Some of the encapsulation and PCM product ideas are as follows and for further information just click the pictures;
As part of our confidentiality policy we cannot highlight all applications / products we have developed over the last two decades, maybe the following small example of the development works might provide a brief idea:
International Space Station & Mars Mission
We are extremely proud to have been involved in providing our expertise to such an enormous project. PCM technology has been utilised within the capsules used for collecting and retaining samples. The PCM ensures that the samples collected remain at the same temperature until opened for examination and research.
Automotive Direct / Indirect Passive Cooling
In some parts of the world experiencing hotter climates without the luxury of air conditioning in motor cars, PCM Passive Cooling has been adopted to keep the driver cool. Using a +32 °C (+90 °F) PCM that freezes overnight, the driver’s comfort is ensured when the PCM melts. PCM has also been applied to a conventional mechanical A/C refrigeration circuit providing either back up and/or instant cooling during first start up the engine.
Temperature Controlled Packaging & Shipping
A number manufacturers and end user around the World applied our PlusICE range PCM solution for their conventional chilled as well as frozen product applications. A wide temperature range provided by PlusICE PCM range enabled us to develop many custom-made solution for +2~+8 DegC critical medical shipment as well as the the recent requirement of +20~+22C ambinet shipment requirement.
Our low temperature Eutectic solutions have also been succefully applied for frozen and cryogenic packaging and shipping applications whereby eliminating dry ice with a reusable ice packs offers significant economic benefits.
Military Backpack Battery Cooling
The battery backpack used by the armed forces enjoys longer life and better performance when kept cool. The PCM technology increases battery life at a critical time.
Medical Application
(BodiCool) Trulife Introduces BodiCool™, The Revolutionary New Lightweight Breast Form With Integrated Cooling Properties. Continuing with the tradition of offering premium lightweight breast forms, Trulife offers BodiCool™ with the most advanced, lightweight silicone available for use in breast forms.For further details please click either the link: http://www.trulife.com/ourproducts.html?category_id=259 using the same PCM energy storage principal and heat absorbtion from human body concept has been succesfully applied to disabled seat cushion and to that end Trugel specifically formulated blend of thermoregulating silicone gel helps to stay cool all day long and it effectively alleviating shear forces due to its multidirectional elastic properties.
http://trulife.com/all-products/wheelchair-cushions/cushions/nilas
Formula-1 Driver Comfort
Following the Malaysian Grand Prix we had two weeks to design and produce a product geared to improving driver comfort throughout the race. The problem had arisen due to extreme high temperatures during the race causing the rehydration bottle to become so hot that it was unusable. Prior to the next Grand Prix, the car was equipped with water bottles encased in PCM ensuring that the driver did not become dehydrated. PCM is also applied for the fuel tank insulation so that the amount of fuel can be fixed irrespective of ambient conditions.
Datasafe Protection against Fire
Although steel safe can provide security against theft and unauthorised access for any electronic data back up but if these data tapes and CD's safe are involved any building fire, not necessarily fire damage but the heat generated by the surrounding fire renders the stored valuable electronic data useless due to unacceptable temperature within the safe.
By simply adding PCM latent passive energy modues and providing free cooling within the safe a reasonable time scale as much as 4 hours can be provided in order to fireman to salvage the safe and take out to safe area. For further details refer to http://www.ast-global.com/index.php
Integrated Domesctic Solar Cooling & Heating
TRISLATE is a prototype for the next generation of solar collector.
It provides heating, cooling and electricity in a coherent building fabric.
The thermal function is up to 3 times cheaper than the installed solar water panels per kW/ therm.
Dynamic PCM Modules
As the nature of PCM reacts to any temperature range slowly and if any application requires quicker and faster response a heat pipe might provide the answer as the heat exchange takes place utilising a large extended surface for a quicker response.
Depending on operating temperature range and time scale requirements a custom-made heat pipe modules can be manufactured to exchange the heat within the design limits.
Drink Can Passive Cooling
A project undertaken for a major global player resulted in a +4 °C (+39 °F) PCM ensuring that a can of drink remained at this temperature for four hours!
Thermal Barrier Applications
Data loggers can tolerate upto +70°C (+158°F) surrounding temperature but beyond this limit they must be protected.
PCM offers an atractive energy storage blanket / jacket to absorb the heat while allowing data logger to function at very high temperature environments such as ovens, furnaces, engine and fire tests and many other data logging applications.
Operational time scale requirement against the amount PCM can be matched as long as 72 hours operation and as the PCM is chraged by the ambient, this concept offers energy free protection. Further detail click the image
Passive Furniture Cooling
PCMs have been introduced into fabrics used in furniture production and even bed-sheets to achieve optimum comfort.
Car Exhaust Heat Recovery Device for Domestic Hot water Application
By simple storing the heat energy in an inline heat exchanger filled with +190°C (+376°F) PCM solution from the car exhaust circuit while the engine is running one can store and provide enough energy to heat up an average household how water requirement and even the same concept can be applied to heat the building as well. By utilising this waste heat from an average family car, the overall energy saving from domestic hot water and heating could offer a significant economically and environmentally friendly heat recovery option.
For an article publish in Sunday Times please eithr click the image or click the link to www.pcmproducts.net/files/car_exhaust_heater.pdf
Body Cooling
This technology has finally made it into ‘ice jackets’, used by firefighters and operatives in uncomfortable working environments.
Applied Applications Summaries
Using PCM as part of the internal refrigerator design to save energy and reduce the start/stop frequency of the compressor.
Utilising PCM as a free sub-cooler as part of the refrigeration circuit design to save energy and reduce the start/stop frequency of the compressor.