133results about "Operation mode of machines" patented technology

The invention comprises a system for calculating a value for the effective thermal mass of a building. The climate control system obtains temperature measurements from at least a first location conditioned by the climate system. One or more processors receive measurements of outside temperatures from at least one source other than the control system and compare the temperature measurements from the first location with expected temperature measurements. The expected temperature measurements are based at least in part upon past temperature measurements obtained by said HVAC control system and said outside temperature measurements. The processors then calculate one or more rates of change in temperature at said first location.

An interactive system for controlling the operation of an HVAC system is provide that comprises a thermostat for initiating the operation of the HVAC system in either a full capacity mode of operation or at least one reduced capacity mode of operation, and a controller for an outside condenser unit having a condenser fan motor and a compressor motor, the controller being capable of operating the compressor in a full capacity mode and at least one reduced capacity mode. The system also comprises a controller for an indoor blower unit having a blower fan motor, the controller being capable of operating the blower fan motor in a full capacity mode an at least one reduced capacity mode. The system further includes a communication means for transmitting information between the outside condenser unit controller and at least the indoor blower controller, where the information relates to the operation of the indoor blower and the outdoor condenser unit. The indoor blower controller responsively controls the operation of the blower fan motor in a full capacity mode or a reduced capacity mode based on the information received from the outdoor unit controller, and the outdoor unit controller responsively controls the operation of the compressor in a full capacity mode or a reduced capacity mode based on the information received from the indoor blower controller.

A controller equipped with a user interface having multiple-day programming capabilities, including methods of programming such devices, are disclosed. The user interface may include one or more menus or screens that can be used to program a schedule for one or more selected days during the week. An illustrative method of programming the controller may include the steps of entering a scheduling routine, selecting multiple days for schedule modification, changing the schedule parameters for one or more periods during the selected days, and then exiting the scheduling routine.

A thermoelectric cooling and heating device including a substrate, a plurality of thermoelectric elements arranged on one side of the substrate and configured to perform at least one of selective heating and cooling such that each thermoelectric element includes a thermoelectric material, a Peltier contact contacting the thermoelectric material and forming under electrical current flow at least one of a heated junction and a cooled junction, and electrodes configured to provide current through the thermoelectric material and the Peltier contact. As such, the thermoelectric cooling and heating device selectively biases the thermoelectric elements to provide on one side of the thermolectric device a grid of localized heated or cooled junctions.

Systems, methods, and related computer program products for controlling one or more HVAC systems using a distributed arrangement of wirelessly connected sensing microsystems are described. A plurality of wirelessly communicating sensing microsystems is provided, each sensing microsystem including a temperature sensor and a processor, at least one of the sensing microsystems being coupled to an HVAC unit for control thereof. The plurality of sensing microsystems is configured to jointly carry out at least one shared computational task associated with control of the HVAC unit. Each sensing microsystem includes a power management circuit configured to determine an amount of electrical power available for dedication to the at least one shared computational task. The at least one shared computational task is apportioned among respective ones of the plurality of sensing microsystems according to the amount of electrical power determined to be available for dedication thereto at each respective sensing microsystem.

An HVAC system for conditioning air of an associated room includes one or more power consuming features / functions including at least one temperature controlling element for one of heating and cooling air. A controller is operatively connected to the one or more power consuming features / functions. The controller is configured to receive and process a signal indicative of a utility state. The controller operates the HVAC system in one of a plurality or operating modes, including at least a normal operating mode and an energy savings mode in response to the received signal. The controller is configured to at least one of selectively adjust and deactivate at least one of the one or more power consuming features / functions to reduce power consumption of the HVAC system in the energy savings mode.

A heating and cooling system for a wind turbine is provided and includes a gearbox, gearbox heat exchanger, generator, generator heat exchanger, and a cooling duct. The cooling duct is connected to the gearbox and generator heat exchangers, and is used to transport air across both heat exchangers to cool the gearbox and generator.

The invention allows cool rooms or sea containers designed for frozen goods to handle produce requiring more precisely controlled temperatures and conditions, e.g., vegetables and fruits requiring temperatures in the chilling range and often also needing control or modification of the atmosphere. Each load of produce (100) (e.g. of pallet size) is held in the sea container or cool room but is sealed from the air of the refrigerated environment by, for example, a plastics bag (56). The atmosphere within the bag is then circulated by a fan (12) (or by convection currents from a heating element) so as to pass through the load and around it via ducts (30) provided adjacent the bag (56). Heat exchange (50) between the circulating gas and the refrigerated environment, via the plastics film, serves to cool the load. However, if cooling is excessive a heating element can be used to raise the temperature of the circulating atmosphere. Gas composition of the atmosphere can be controlled by scrubbing, flushing, etc. via pipes from a central unit or at each load individually or by choosing semi-permeable plastic for the sealing bags.

In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, an integrated air processing device comprises a housing defining an air inlet, an air outlet, and a pathway from the inlet to the outlet. An air decontamination section, an air conditioning section, and a heating section are provided along the pathway. A blower is also provided along the pathway, to drive air from the inlet to the outlet, along the pathway. In another example, an integrated air processing device comprises a housing as above, and an air conditioning section and a heating section along the pathway. An air decontamination section and / or a blower may also be provided along the pathway. In accordance with another embodiment, a portable isolation containment system comprises one or more portable containment enclosures coupled to the integrated air processing devices described above. Methods are disclosed, as well.

A thermoelectric cooling and heating device including a substrate, a plurality of thermoelectric elements arranged on one side of the substrate and configured to perform at least one of selective heating and cooling such that each thermoelectric element includes a thermoelectric material, a Peltier contact contacting the thermoelectric material and forming under electrical current flow at least one of a heated junction and a cooled junction, and electrodes configured to provide current through the thermoelectric material and the Peltier contact. As such, the thermoelectric cooling and heating device selectively biases the thermoelectric elements to provide on one side of the thermolectric device a grid of localized heated or cooled junctions.

An air-flow management system for controlling the supply air to a motor vehicle passenger compartment is disclosed. The air-flow management system includes a reversible heat pump system for transferring heat energy between an outside environment and a refrigerant. Air from the outside environment, fresh air, and from the passenger compartment, recirculated air, is forced through the air-flow structure by a blower resulting in the transfer of heat energy between the refrigerant and the passenger compartment. A recirculation door provides a means for controlling the mixture of fresh air to recirculated air that flows through the air-flow structure. The position of the recirculation door is selectable by a controller to prevent fogging during the transition from cooling mode to heating mode, minimize the energy expended conditioning the passenger compartment air, and prevent the backflow of unconditioned outside air from the fresh air duct into the recirculation duct.

A plug flow reactor having an inner shell 27 surrounded by outer shell 21 and having at least one annular flow passage 35 therebetween can be used to prepare compositions, including polymers. The plug flow reactor also includes inlet port 36, an outlet port 37 and a plurality of exchanger tubes 26 wherein the exchanger tubes are in fluid communication to the at least one annular flow passage. Polystyrene and high impact polystyrene can be prepared using the reactor.

An energy-reducing method and apparatus for retrofitting a constant volume HVAC system, with or without an economizer, that provides heating, cooling, and ventilation to occupants within a building space. The present invention includes the introduction of a programmable logic controller and variable frequency drive (VFD) that takes control of the existing fan, heating, cooling, and optional economizer operation. The controller is programmed for the reduction of fan speed in the heating and cooling modes. The reduction of the fan speed in the ventilation mode when the 100% operation is not needed saves significant energy of the existing constant volume HVAC system where the fan motor is designed to run 100% of the time. The fan speed may be further reduced upon a reduction in sensed occupancy levels of the space, such as with a CO2 sensor. Additionally, the fan speed may be reduced in the heating and / or cooling mode to further reduce energy consumption. The controller may also be programmed and equipped with sensors to allow simultaneous mechanical compressor cooling and economizer free cooling operation, for the operation of the economizer in response to the monitoring of outside air and return air to determine the preferred source for cooling operations, to keep the outside air damper closed during the unoccupied heating modes such as morning warm-up, and / or to provide fault detection. The retrofit method and apparatus may be employed in a stand-alone or networked version.

A heating and cooling system for a wind turbine is provided and includes a gearbox, gearbox heat exchanger, generator, generator heat exchanger, and a cooling duct. The cooling duct is connected to the gearbox and generator heat exchangers, and is used to transport air across both heat exchangers to cool the gearbox and generator.

A refrigerant compressor (10) for use in a chiller-heater system that can provide chilled water at less than 10° C. and hot water at more than 80° C. without the need for additional heat input, the compressor (10) being configured to provide a compression ratio of at least 18:1 and a temperature lift across the compressor of at least 80K, and the refrigerant fluid being selected to give the desired temperature lift without the pressure at the compressor outlet exceeding 25 bar.

A humidity detecting apparatus includes a humidity sensor for detecting a relative humidity of air on an inner side of a window glass, an air temperature sensor for detecting a temperature of the air, a glass temperature sensor for detecting a temperature of the window glass, and a glass surface relative humidity calculation unit for calculating a glass surface relative humidity based on output values of the humidity sensor, the air temperature sensor and the glass temperature sensor. A heat conductive member is disposed between the glass temperature sensor and the window glass.

Apparatus for disinfecting fluid, the apparatus including a preheat heat exchanger (4) and a disinfection tank (5). The preheat exchanger heats the fluid to a first temperature and includes a first inlet for receiving the fluid (2), a first outlet for supplying preheated fluid at the first temperature, a second inlet for receiving disinfected fluid substantially at a second temperature and a second outlet for supplying the disinfected fluid (3). The disinfection tank heats the fluid to a second temperature and includes a heat source (10), an inlet for receiving the preheated fluid, a heat exchanger coupled to the inlet for heating the preheated fluid to a second temperature to thereby disinfect the fluid (11) and, an outlet coupled to the heat exchanger for providing the disinfected fluid to the second inlet of the preheat heat exchanger.

A multi-core microprocessor provides an indication of the power management state of each of the cores on output terminals. Cooling of the cores is adjusted responsive to the indication of the power management state of the respective cores with additional cooling being provided to those cores in a more active state and less cooling provided to those cores in a less active state.

An enclosure or shelter having an HVAC / R system is configured with a photovoltaic power source and a rechargeable DC power source for power back-up to maintain substantially uninterrupted power in the case of a main power failure. The system includes one or more variable frequency drives (VFD) controlled by a VFD controller and configured to provide three-phase power to one or more three-phase AC motors and single-phase power to one or more single-phase AC motors. The system also includes a power source controller configured to select power sources based on availability of one or more power sources and other logic.

A frozen comestible maker suitable for home use includes single or multiple molding cavities for forming frozen comestibles, a heat exchanger for maximizing the heat transfer away from the fluid that is being frozen in the molding cavities, a refrigerant solution with a depressed freezing point in contact with the heat exchangers, a base container to seal the refrigerant solution from the fluid that is being frozen, and a bezel piece to retain spills and aid with handling. The refrigerant solution is captured between the molding cavities and the base container. One or more sticks, a drip cup, and an extraction tool may be provided with the frozen comestible maker for preparing and extracting shaped frozen comestibles, such as ice pops and popsicles, therefrom.

A cogeneration system is disclosed, wherein a generator which generates electricity, a drive source which operates to drive the generator, and generates waste heat during the operation of the drive source, a waste heat recoverer which recovers the waste heat of the drive source, and a radiator which radiates the waste heat recovered by the waste heat recoverer are arranged in a single chassis. The cogeneration system has a compact and simple arrangement, and achieves simple control operations, and an enhancement in operability.

The invention provides a thermal power system with complementation between solar energy and biomass energy. The thermal power system comprises a solar light condensing device, a solar heat storage kettle, a biomass heat power station, a combined refrigerating and icing device for intensive cooling, and a hot water system for intensive heating, wherein the solar light condensing device is connected with the solar heat storage kettle through a pipeline, the inlet of a first output heat exchanger B1 of the solar heat storage kettle is connected with the outlet of a water supply pump of a biomass boiler, and the outlet of the B1 is connected with the inlet of a water supply system of the biomass boiler; an inlet pipeline of a second output heat exchanger B2 of the solar heat storage kettle is connected with an output pipeline of a water purification plant, and the outlet of the B2 is connected with a heat input pipeline of the combined refrigerating and icing device; the heat input pipeline can supply heat for refrigerating and icing; and work cooling water of the combined refrigerating and icing device is connected to a hot water kettle of the heat supply system to intensively supply heat to users. The solar heat storage kettle is a two-medium or three-medium double-circulation heat storage kettle, and the heat storage medium is heat transfer oil and fused salt.

Disclosed are self-cooling pouches useful as containers for beverages and other liquids. Such pouches comprise a porous matrix as an element of the pouch body to effect the cooling of the pouch and a liquid contained therein by pervaporation of the liquid.

A compact portable transport unit for shipping hyperpolarized noble gases and shielding same from electromagnetic interference and / or external magnetic fields includes a means for shifting the resonance frequency of the hyperpolarized gas outside the bandwidth of typical frequencies associated with prevalent time-dependent fields produced by electrical sources. Preferably the transport unit includes a magnetic holding field which is generated from a solenoid in the transport unit. The solenoid includes a plurality of coil segments and is sized and configured to receive the gas chamber of a container. The gas container is configured with a valve, a spherical body, and an extending capillary stem between the valve and the body. The gas container or hyperpolarized product container can also be formed as a resilient bag. The distribution method includes positioning a multi-bolus container within the transport unit to shield it and transporting same to a second site remote from the first site and subsequently dispensing into smaller patient sized formulations which can be transported (shielded) in another transport unit to yet another site.

A system and method for controlling temperature in a workpiece chuck are described. A fluid circulation system circulates a temperature control fluid, such as an engineered HFE fluid, through te workpiece chuck. A fluid recovery system coupled to the fluid circulation system recovers a portion of the temperature control fluid from the fluid circulation system by circulating a gas through the fluid circulation system including fluid tubes and fluid passages in the chuck. The gas, which can be air, carries a portion of residual or excess fluid through the fluid circulation system as it is circulated. The residual fluid is carried back to a reservoir such that it can continue to be used to control temperature of the chuck. Where gas and temperature control fluid vapors are displaced from the reservoir, they are routed through a suction line heat exchanger which condenses the vapor. The gas and condensed fluid are separated in a fluid separator. The separated fluid is returned to the reservoir, and the separated air can be vented to the atmosphere.

An object of the present invention is to perform temperature setting of a heating plate so that a wafer is uniformly heated in an actual heat processing time. The temperature of a wafer is measured during a heat processing period from immediately after a temperature measuring wafer is mounted on the heating plate to the time when the actual heat processing time elapses. Whether the uniformity in temperature within the wafer is allowable or not is determined from the temperature of the wafer in the heat processing period, and if the determination result is negative, a correction value for a temperature setting parameter of the heating plate is calculated using a correction value calculation model from the measurement result, and the temperature setting parameter is changed.

An automotive air conditioning system has a primary hot water circuit 11 located on a side where a vehicle installed heat generator 10 is located and a secondary hot water circuit 13 which includes a hot water type heater core 12 for heating passenger compartment outlet air, whereby when in a heating mode, in the event that a coolant temperature TW1 of the primary hot water circuit is lower than a coolant temperature TW2 of the secondary hot water circuit 13, an opening and closing valve 26 is closed, whereas an opening and closing valve 23 is opened, so that a state is created in which the hot water circuits 11, 13 are separated from each other. On the other hand, in the event that the coolant temperature TW1 of the primary hot water circuit becomes higher than the coolant temperature TW2 of the secondary hot water circuit 13, the opening and closing valve 26 is opened, whereas the opening and closing valve 23 is closed, so that a state is created in which the hot water circuits 11, 13 are connected to each other.

A multi-core microprocessor provides an indication of the power management state of each of the cores on output terminals. Cooling of the cores is adjusted responsive to the indication of the power management state of the respective cores with additional cooling being provided to those cores in a more active state and less cooling provided to those cores in a less active state.