A recent breakthrough in isothermal energy management systems could usher in a new age of longer-lasting batteries, cooler homes, and more efficient refrigerators. Here’s how Flint’s Engineering IsoMat has the potential to upend markets and create a more sustainable future.
Demand for cooling is on the rise across the world for many reasons. Firstly, the environment continues to suffer from man-made climate change. These changes have made the earth hotter every year consecutively for decades. As such, it’s now a lot hotter in summer and colder in winter, adding to the overall cost of living in both scenarios.
Isothermal Technology
Isothermal technology refers to systems that migrate and dissipate heat via a thermal gradient with the goal of creating a constant temperature across a particular surface or item. Isothermal tech leverages proprietary designs and structures to thermodynamically transfer heat across a surface.
Isothermal tech has been around for centuries. Think of steam engines as a prime example of this technology used to create energy. As the water gets boiled, it transfers into high-pressure steam that is piped into another part of the engine. Here, the steam’s pressure moves a piston before it’s expelled through the exhaust, converting it back to water as it mixes with the open air.
A frying pan is another easy example of isothermal heating in action. You place your frying pan on the burner and allow it to heat up. A good pan will provide excellent isothermal heating to create a uniform cooking space without any hot spots.
Today, isothermal technology is a critical part of the economy. These systems serve multiple role,s providing comfort, cooling, and safety across the commercial and residential sectors. Now, a team of engineers has taken the concept a step further with the creation of the IsoMat material.
IsoMat
According to Flint Engineering CEO Mark Robinson, the IsoMat represents a major upgrade in isothermal technology. The project goes back to the simplest aspects of the technology and provides a revamped base that offers higher performance, lower costs, and added efficiency.
How the IsoMat Works
IsoMat can provide superior thermal transfer because of multiple reasons. For one, it integrates the Flint Isothermal Energy Management System (EMS). This design takes inspiration from the most basic thermal transfer device, the simple heat pipe.
Heat pipes are a very effective way to provide thermodynamic changes in an area of product. They are effective, inexpensive, and have been tested for centuries. As hot liquid enters the heat pipe, it creates steam that traverses the length of the pipe quickly.
The steam takes with it a lot of the heat energy as it crosses the length of the pipe. The steam begins to cool as it travels and is eventually returned to a liquid state by the end of the journey. The cooled liquid can then be resent through the system to repeat the process or removed from the system via a variety of methods.
Upgrade
IsoMat takes the concept of a heat pipe and builds on its best characteristics to create a highly effective and affordable alternative. The IsoMat is constructed out of a sheet of aluminum that integrates corridors like rows of miniature pipes within it.
Inside these tubes is a liquid that boils when it’s hot, converting it into gas and forcing it to traverse the many tiny sealed channels. This action causes the trapped liquid to nearly instantly begin migrating thermal energy across the channels.
As the heated gas expands across the channels, it starts to cool like a normal pipe. This action releases the heat and allows the gas to convert back into a liquid state. This process repeats until there is uniform heat across the entire breadth of the IsoMat surface.
Isothermal Energy Management Test
IsoMat testing took place at Brunel University. Here, the team set up multiple experiments to prove their product’s capabilities. They discovered that IsoMat was capable of providing excellent thermal transfer capabilities and was more efficient than alternatives.
Isothermal Energy Management Results
The engineers proved that IsoMat offers near-instantaneous heat transfer across the entire surface of its application. Specifically, the test demonstrated a direct energy savings of 8% to 30% over alternatives. Additionally, the tests showed that IsoMat was 5,000 times more efficient than copper or aluminum alone when used to provide thermal transfer options.
Notably, the team found their product offered a more uniform and consistent heat distribution compared to predecessors. The test also revealed that the system had a longer life expectancy due to the fact there are no mechanical parts, batteries, or complex actions that must occur.
Benefits of Isothermal Energy Management
There are a lot of benefits that the IsoMat offers to users. For one, it provides a sustainable and energy-efficient alternative to commercial and business users. The product provides superior performance without creating pollution. As such, it could help the world hit its fast-approaching carbon emission requirements.
Isothermal Energy Management Applications
There are endless applications for IsoMat materials. From making your refrigerator more efficient to allowing space explorers to withstand the harsh temperatures of a new planet, this technology has a bright future. Here are just a few of the prime applications for this tech.
Cooler Computers
The ability to keep computers cooler is a crucial step in advancing AI technology further. Already, massive data centers that combine thousands of machines that work together are being built all over the globe. These data centers can require extreme cooling systems to counteract the heat created by all the computers operating.
Creating cooler computers will benefit the entire market. Devices that integrate IsoMat into their structure and chip manufacturing processes will be able to maintain a healthy operating temperature under more extreme conditions. This capability will enhance their performance and reduce the costs of operating these massive locations.
EV Battery
Another area in which this technology already sees potential is in EV battery manufacturing. Keeping your EV battery cool and at a constant operating temperature is a vital part of keeping your vehicle running. When your battery overheats, it reduces its storage capacity, increases its charging time, and lowers its output.
Flint Engineering has partnered with Vantage Power, Brunel University, and accepted Faraday grant funding from the UK government to enhance their thermal management system efficiency. Their system allows individual battery cells to dissipate heat into an IsoMat casting, creating uniform and optimal operating conditions.
This option could replace water-based cooling systems. Which continues to rack up complaints due to their inefficiency and the fact that having water near a battery can result in serious damage due to leaks or accidents.
The IsoMat system has shown impressive results. For example, IsoMat battery packs provide EVs with extended range, longer battery life, and less risk of explosion. To accomplish this task, the IsoMat was designed to keep all battery cells at 25 C +/- 1C. Notably, the IsoMat packing method allows engineers to place the batteries in any configuration and achieve the same thermal response.
Construction
IsoMat technology could revolutionize construction efforts in the coming years as well. The engineers created a special IsoMat that can convert heat energy into electricity. The system could one day allow you to enjoy free energy and a comfortable environment without creating any pollution.
IsoMat building tech allows engineers to create structures that offer direct cooling and heating depending on atmospheric conditions. These systems can be used to coat the roof, ceiling, walls, and other areas that get hot during the day.
This technology will one day help to create skyscrapers that can stay cool without any AC units, stadiums that adjust the temperature based on the crowd size, and even space stations that can withstand harsh environments while offering explorers reliable comfort.
Refrigeration
One of the most obvious use case scenarios for this tech is in refrigeration. Commercial refrigerators are a major power drain on the system. These units rely on simple air heat transfer methods to keep your food cool.
IsoMat developers recognized that these systems put too much dependence on the air cooling system and paid no attention to the heat loss due to the materials used in the construction of the unit. They created a new type of refrigerator shelf that does more than just hold your food.
Like a reverse frying pan, the shelf takes the applied cool air, traps it, and disperses it evenly across its surface. The researchers determined that this approach is a far more energy-efficient process of chilling versus traditional cold air circulation options.
Specifically, the engineers recorded 400W of cooling generated for every 1kW of heat harvested. They also noted that the temperature maintained stability throughout the refrigerator, helping to prevent micro-cracking and other issues related to slight temp changes.
The IsoMat integrated fridge outperformed the competition in all metrics. It provided superior cooling in a more uniform and efficient manner, and it eliminated the need for synthetic refrigerants. Keenly, the system offered top-notch cooling capacity without raising costs.
Medical
The integration of IsoMats into medical transportation and logistics could help to reduce costs and improve safety. There are many temperature-sensitive medications that can become useless or even dangerous if they aren’t kept in specific refrigerated travel units. The COVID-19 vaccine is a perfect example of this scenario.
The integration of IsoMat shipping containers and other devices would help to ensure that vaccines and other life-saving medications retain their capabilities, even if their trip takes longer than expected. Additionally, this tech could help keep patients more comfortable as they recover or await procedures.
Thermal Energy Management Researchers
Flint Engineering has been operating for over 20 years as a leader in the thermal dynamics sector. Its IsoMat technology continues to revolutionize the market and open the door for further innovations across sectors. In the future, Flint Engineering will seek to create strategic partnerships with manufacturers and other research firms to further their IsoMat product line.
Companies Leading Thermal Energy Management Systems Innovation
While Flint Engineering may be privately held for the time being, that doesn’t mean you can’t invest in innovative companies developing thermal energy management systems. In fact, the thermal management sector is big business as it extends across most markets. From creating missiles that can enter and exit the atmosphere to making your cooler more effective, there are a lot of different firms driving innovation in the sector. Here’s one company leading the charge.
Watsco (WSO -0.7%) was founded in 1956 as a manufacturer of heating, cooling, and refrigeration components. The company is headquartered in Miami, Florida, but has +670 locations across the US. Over the years, the firm has veered towards more of a distribution model. However, it continues its R&D into cooling solutions.
As one of the largest and most reputable AC and refrigeration parts distributors in the US, Watsco offers a variety of products that rely on advanced thermodynamics to provide usability and efficiency. Given its strong position and network, Watsco is ideally prepared to integrate any new technological breakthroughs, including integrating IsoMats into its offerings.
Latest on Watsco
Isothermal Energy Management – Opening the Door for a Sustainable Future
Understanding the importance of reliable thermal energy management systems is a crucial first step in grasping the potential for change this technology invites. Everything from your smartphone to how you cook dinner depends on keeping heated areas away from cooled areas and vice versa. Thankfully, it looks like IsoMat represents a huge leap forward in this tech, which could one day take mankind to new heights.
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