3737results about "Sorption machines" patented technology

A heat engine (10) achieves operational efficiencies by: 1) recovering waste heat from heat engine expander (14) to preheat heat-engine working fluid, 2) using super-heated working fluid from compressor (402) to pre-heat heat-engine working fluid, and 3) using reject heat from condenser (93) and absorber (95) to heat the heat-engine boiler (12). A dual heat-exchange generator (72) affords continuous operation by using gas-fired heat exchanger (212) to heat generator (72) when intermittent heat source (40), e.g., solar, is incapable of heating generator (72). The combination of heat engine (10) and absorption and compression heat transfer devices (60, 410) allows use of low-temperature heat sources such as solar, bio-mass, and waste heat to provide refrigeration, heating, work output including pumping and heating of subterranean water and electrical generation.

Systems and methods are provided for detecting performance degradation in a refrigeration system. Specifically, the present invention provides systems and methods for detecting, at a very early stage, a low refrigerant charge and degradation in condenser performance of a refrigeration system.

A method for detecting and predicting refrigerant level includes the steps of determining an estimated value for a parameter indicative of refrigerant level and comparing that estimated value to an actual value. The difference between the actual and estimated value provides a refrigerant charge indicator value. The charge indicator value is indicative of the amount of refrigerant contained within the system. A change value is combined with the charge indicator value to provide a prediction for the future value of the charge indicator value. This future value is determined based on a rate of change and charge indicator value over a selected period of time.

A monolith comprises a zeolite, a thermally conductive carbon, and a binder. The zeolite is included in the form of beads, pellets, powders and mixtures thereof. The thermally conductive carbon can be carbon nano-fibers, diamond or graphite which provide thermal conductivities in excess of about 100 W/m·K to more than 1,000 W/m·K. A method of preparing a zeolite monolith includes the steps of mixing a zeolite dispersion in an aqueous colloidal silica binder with a dispersion of carbon nano-fibers in water followed by dehydration and curing of the binder is given.

An air conditioning, heating or refrigeration system includes a controller that automatically determines if refrigerant amount is above or below the desired amount within the system. In one example, a sensor measures the temperature difference between sub-cooled liquid and saturated condensing temperature and provides information to the controller. The controller determines a variance between the measured and an expected value. If that variance exceeds a selected threshold, the controller automatically determines that the amount of refrigerant in the system is outside of an acceptable range.

A system for chilling the pressurized charge air to a reciprocating engine is disclosed wherein the chilling is provided by a thermally activated refrigeration cycle powered by waste heat from the engine system. This reduces the required compression power, and also retards knock, making higher compression ratios possible. The chilling system is designed to minimize the amount of chilling required, and also to enable use of compression heat to power the chiller. The disclosed improvement also accommodates exhaust gas recirculation, plus providing activation heat from the exhaust gas, plus Miller cycle timing of the intake valves. Referring to FIG. 1, the charge air from turbocharger 5 is cooled in three stages: heat recovery stage 10; ambient-cooled stage 11; and chilling stage 12. Condensed moisture is removed from the charge air by valve 14 before the charge is supplied to inlet manifold 2.

A liquid-based cooling system provides a method of supplying a heated coolant fluid at a relatively constant temperature and pressure to one or more heat driven engines, such as adsorption chillers or heat pumps, by utilizing a proportional flow control device in association with each of a plurality of heat-producing electronic components to optimize the output of a plurality of liquid-cooled cold plates operatively mounted on such plurality of heat-producing electronic components. The proportional flow control devices may be electro-mechanical or solid state proportional control valves for water flow control. The proportion flow control devices are operatively connected to be actuated based upon the electrical signals typically generated to control the variable cooling fans of the electronic components.

A heat pump for use in a variable temperature cushion includes a housing with an inlet and a blower motor to draw in outside air to a two stage Peltier effect module that forms a sealed wall between a sub-cool side and a warm side of the housing. At the bottom of the housing are a pair of outlets and a condensate trap spanning across that facilitates condensate transfer from the cool side to the warm side for evaporation out of the warm side outlet. The heat pump also preferably includes a heat pipe from the warm side to the cool side to transfer heat and reheat the air (at a lower relative humidity) exiting through the cool outlet. Applications of the heat pump include a variable temperature cushion such as a seat and backrest, or bedding such as a pillow. An air conditioned pillowcase includes a pair of air impervious layers connected together forming a plenum with tubular spacer material inside and having a plurality of outlet vents around the perimeter. A multi-channel air duct connects the plenum to the heat pump, and further there is an optional noise cancellation system, both to minimize noise from operation of the heat pump.

Systems and methods for monitoring and controlling water consumption in a water-based system are disclosed using one or more sensors for generating signals indicative of the operation thereof. One or more interface modules are provided as breaker circuits for receiving the generated signals, and a fluid control device is operable for limiting the water consumption. A motherboard receives the interface modules and provides communication therebetween for information processing. Signals from the various sensors are supplied to a controller, which provides signals to status indicators, and also operates to provide alarm signals via network interfaces to remote locations. In an alternate embodiment, a water monitoring system is designed to shut off the water supply to the water device and to shut off either the electrical supply or the gas supply to the heating unit of the water device in response to sensing a malfunction through one or more sensed parameters.

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.

When heating up the water in the lower inner part of a hot water tank by a heat pump unit, a control unit stops the heat-up operation while leaving the hot water in an amount corresponding to the residual water capacity in the hot water tank detected by water level thermistors. In the heat-up operation in the hot water tank, the residual hot water capacity in the tank is first detected, then the heat-up operation is stopped when the residual hot water reaches an amount corresponding to the detected residual hot water capacity. At this point, the hot water is stored so that the hot water newly heated up by the heat pump unit is laid above the residual hot water for the preceding day. Consequently, the reduction in the operating efficiency of the heat pump cycle is prevented without supplying the medium-temperature residual hot water to a condenser.

An air conditioner having an enhanced user perception and a controlling method thereof are provided. A predetermined character and/or its applied character image are/is displayed on a display window of the air conditioner. The character and/or the character image are/is changed depending on the operational states of the air conditioner, so that the user perceives the operational state of the air conditioner more conveniently. The air conditioner has advantages in that the user can perceive the operational state of the air conditioner more conveniently, the user can be stimulated to purchase the product, and a use term of the air conditioner can be extended.

A cogeneration system is disclosed which includes a generator, a drive source for driving the generator, a waste heat supplying heat exchanger for enhancing the heating performance of a heat pump type air conditioner, an auxiliary heating heat exchanger using the waste heat of the drive source as a heat source for heating indoor air, and a regeneration heat supplying heat exchanger using the waste heat of the drive source as a heat source for regenerating a dehumidifier. The cogeneration system can use the waste heat of the drive source for diverse purposes in accordance with the indoor environment, and can have a maximal efficiency.

Methods and systems are provided for air conditioning, capturing combustion contaminants, desalination, and other processes using liquid desiccants.

Novel sorption cooling devices capable of providing cooling over an extended period of time are disclosed. The sorption cooling devices are particularly useful for temperature-controlled shipping containers that are required to maintain a temperature below ambient for a time sufficient to complete delivery of the container and its contents. The shipping containers can be utilized to cost-effectively transport temperature-sensitive products.

The applicant describes a system and methods of calculating the overall operating efficiency of an air conditioning chiller that evaluates efficiency of the component parts of the chiller and generates an overall efficiency based on these component efficiency values. If the overall chiller efficiency is less than the maximum attainable chiller efficiency, the cost of the inefficiency is calculated and presented to the user. The accuracy of the overall efficiency calculation is improved, insight is obtained regarding the causes of the inefficiency, and recommendations for corrective action to restore maximum chiller efficiency are identified and presented to the user. The system also adjusts the efficiency calculations as appropriate to account for actual compressor current load conditions.

Heating value P[W] generated at an IGBT is calculated, and a temperature difference ΔT′_j [° C.] between a temperature T_w [° C.] of cooling water circulating in a cooling system and a temperature T_j [° C.] of an IGBT is calculated based on thermal resistance R [° C./W] of the cooling system. A temperature rise ΔT_j [° C.] with transient influences eliminated is then calculated based on the calculated temperature difference ΔT′_j [° C.], and the temperature T_j [° C.] (=T_w [° C.]+ΔT_j [° C.]) of the IGBT is calculated.

An energy recovery system for hybrid automobile. The energy recovery system generates electricity by utilizing the temperature difference between a high temperature thermal medium and a low temperature thermal medium. As the high temperature thermal medium, engine coolant for cooling an engine is used. As the low temperature thermal medium, pump refrigerant for cooling by a heat pump is used. The heat pump maintains the pump refrigerant at a low temperature by using heat from the engine coolant. Therefore, while electricity is reliably generated at a thermoelectric converter, energy is efficiently used for cooling the pump refrigerant.

A system (27) for reducing the temperature of cooling oil for a power transformer (12) includes a heat exchanger (44) interposed in the cooling oil system. The heat exchanger (44) relies upon a liquid-to-liquid exchange of heat from the heated oil to a coolant flowing through the heat exchanger. In one embodiment, the coolant provided to the heat exchanger is obtained from an absorption chiller (65). Heat energy is provided to the chiller (65) from a heat storage device (80). In a specific embodiment, the heat storage source (80) can be a phase change material device. In a preferred cooling system, a programmable controller (55) determines the activation and operation of the system. The controller (55) can sense transformer or cooling oil temperature to trigger activation. In a preferred embodiment, the controller (55) compares a current temperature history against a temperature profile to anticipate increased cooling requirements. In certain embodiment, excess, off-peak or waste heat from the transformer (12) itself is provided to the heat storage device (80) or to the phase change heat exchanger.

The invention relates to a heat pump type heat exchange units, which belongs to the technical field of energy. The units are composed of hot water type absorption heat pump units, a water-water heat exchanger, various connecting pipelines and accessories, wherein a water flow system of the connecting pipelines is divided into a primary side pipeline and a secondary side pipeline, the primary side pipeline employs a manner of a step sequence series connection, hot water of the primary side pipeline sequentially passes through a generator of an absorption heat pump, the water-water heat exchanger and an evaporator of the absorption heat pump, hot water of the secondary side pipeline passes through an absorption device and a condenser of the absorption heat pump and the water-water heat exchanger, because the primary side pipeline of the heat exchange units sequentially passes through the generator of the absorption heat pump, the water-water heat exchanger and the evaporator of the absorption heat pump, energy of hot water is used step by step, thereby greatly increasing differential temperature between water supply and water return of primary side hot water. Additionally, outlet water temperature of primary side heat exchange units is commonly lower than that of secondary side inlet water, which can not be realized by conventional heat exchanger.

A working medium for refrigeration processes comprising at least one sorbent material and at least one refrigerant, characterized in that the sorbent material contains at least one nonvolatile organic salt which is liquid under standard conditions, or a mixture of organic salts, with the proviso that this is liquid under standard conditions, wherein the salt or the mixture has a thermal stability above 150° C.