Introduction

Home

Introduction

Patent Information

Advantages & Benefits

Test Site Photos

About Us

Active Thermal Energy Storage System

ELCAL RESEARCH LLC

ELCAL

Introduction

Dr. Leslie Leifer developed an environmentally friendly phase change material to store heat energy. He and mechanical engineer Jay Rowe teamed up to innovate and develop a system utilizing this and other phase change materials to store energy generated from wind , solar and other intermittent sources to actively provide heat to dwellings and/or commercial buildings at any time during a 24 hour period.

It was decided to investigate the use of a heat pump such as that used to remove heat from cold pond water to heat residential dwellings. A scaled down prototype test site was constructed with solar panels and off-peak electric as the intermittent energy sources to be stored in the Thermal Energy Storage Material (TESM) during the 77° F solid to liquid phase change. The heat pump and controls subsequently delivered the heat stored in the TESM, as needed, to maintain the test dwelling temperature as desired. This system is named the Active Thermal Energy Storage System (ATESS) in the issued US Patent 7,441,558 and PCT /US2007/075322 for foreign countries. Elcal also has two patents pending regarding ATESS.

The patent co-inventors are Leslie Leifer PhD and Jay D. Rowe. The patent application was assigned to ELCAL Research LLC, a Delaware corporation whose ownership is shared by the Leifer and Rowe families. It is desired to sell or license the patents or sell the corporation owning the patents to a large corporation and investors capable of commercially developing this residential and commercial space and water heating system.

A Business Plan is available for review by qualified organizations interested in the development of the ATESS for commercial sale and use. The appendix of the Business Plan is outlined below.

Appendix A contains drawings of the residential space and water heating system and the (4) modes of operation during peak and off-peak electric demand periods. Mode 4 is the very valuable "Renewable Energy Cycle" used mostly during hot summer months.

Appendix B has the energy calculations and the cost savings of the (ATESS) system for use In the cold climates of the Northern United States. The cost savings are compared using off-peak electric energy as the energy source of our system, as opposed to using fuel oil, LPG, all-day electric or natural gas for dwelling space and water heating.

Appendix C contains the installation cost of the larger residential ATESS system needed for usage in the cold Northern regions of the United States. The warm regions of the United States would have a smaller unit size, being less costly to Install. Charts list ATESS system payoff times using the space and water heating fuel cost saving. Charts also display the system cost payoff periods with fuel cost savings, anticipated federal renewable energy tax credits, possible electric utility generation cost savings credits. With the listed credits and replacement cost considerations of furnaces and water heaters, the payoff periods could be as low as 4 years.

Appendix D shows how the ATESS system installed In new all-electric homes with solar panels in the hot climates of the United States can reduce the pay off period of solar panels. The ATESS system also provides the distribution and energy storage from windmills when the wind doesn't blow and solar panels when the sun doesn't shine.

Appendix E discusses how the ATESS system can transfer peak loads to the off-peak helping to help balance the electric generation power grids. The ATESS "Renewable Energy Cycle" can reduce the peak energy demands of air conditioning in hot summer months.

Appendix F describes the elimination of burning fossil fuels such as fuel oil, LPG and natural gas in dwellings for space and water heating energy needs. The ATESS would eliminate CO₂ emissions directly from each dwelling. The dwelling installing the ATESS system using renewable electric energy sources allows the United States to reduce their C0₂ emissions on a large scale.

Appendix G discusses the immediate large residential and commercial markets for the ATESS system. The immediate market for the ATESS heating system is, If all existing 27,000,000 single family households using all-day electric, fuel oil or LPG were retrofitted with the ATESS heating system would generate $438,750,000,000 of installed equipment and TESM. When natural gas becomes economic to replace with the ATESS heating system then another $430,625,000,000 of direct retrofit business would result. The commercial application of ATESS and the International markets are again additional enormous Immediate markets.

The ATESS Heating System can be an integral part of the National Energy Plan that needs to be developed for the United States and energy dependent foreign countries. It will become part of an efficient national electric power generation and distribution system by converting residences and businesses to all-electric for space heating and water heating energy needs.

An Executive Summary will be provided to parties seriously interested in the purchase of ELCAL Research LLC.