Rolls-Royce Corporation Patents Cooling System Featuring Thermal Energy Storage

Strategic Insights -

Rolls-Royce Corporation, a prominent multinational company, has recently patented a novel cooling system designed to efficiently manage thermal loads in high-energy applications. The patented system integrates a two-phase pump loop with a vapor compression system, leveraging thermal energy storage to provide effective cooling even in high-temperature environments.

Key Takeaways:

  • The cooling system comprises a two-phase pump loop and a vapor compression system, integrated with a thermal energy storage unit.
  • The system cools a thermal load using a first coolant in the two-phase pump loop and circulates a second coolant in the vapor compression system.
  • Thermal energy storage is achieved through a liquid-vapor separator, which separates the second coolant into a liquid portion and a gaseous portion.
  • The system allows for efficient cooling of equipment in high-energy applications, maintaining operating temperatures within a tight tolerance.
  • The cooling system can also reject heat generated by operating equipment to the environment, even in high-temperature ambient conditions.
  • An interesting feature of the system is the use of thermal energy storage as a thermal magazine, allowing the two-phase pump loop to quickly absorb large thermal loads.
  • The patented cooling system is claimed to decrease the size and weight of the cooling system compared to systems with separate thermal energy storage.
  • The system includes various claims, including a second pump disposed along the first conduit between thermal energy storage and the condenser, and a container configured to sequester a first volume of the second coolant.

Statistics:

  • The patent was filed on March 18, 2022, and published online on July 15, 2025.
  • The patent assigns the cooling system to Rolls-Royce Corporation (Indianapolis, Indiana, United States).
  • The cooling system is designed to manage thermal loads in high-energy applications, such as those found in deserts or areas with high ambient temperatures.
  • The system allows for cooling of thermal loads with high energy applications, thereby maintaining equipment operating within a tight temperature tolerance.
  • The cooling system features thermal energy storage, enabling effective cooling even in high-temperature environments.
  • The system's thermal energy storage capacity can be customized to suit various high-energy applications.

Sources:

  • Snyder, Douglas J. Thermal energy storage and heat rejection system. U.S. Patent Number 12359851, filed March 18, 2022, and published online on July 15, 2025. Patent URL: https://ppubs.uspto.gov/pubwebapp/external.html?q=(12359851)&db=USPAT&type=ids