25141results about "Cooling fluid circulation" patented technology

An operation unit for a vehicle air conditioner includes a display device, a setting input portion of a control parameter of the air conditioner other than a set temperature, an obtaining portion configured to obtain a present set value of the control parameter, and an operating state identification portion configured to identify whether an air-conditioning operating state is in a plurality of predetermined operating states of the air conditioner. In the operation unit, a moving pattern of a pointer of the display device is changed according to the operating state of the air conditioner. For example, a pointer operation control portion can be configured to control an operation of a pointer driving motor such that the pointer moves on a dial of the display device at different moving speeds according to the air-conditioning operating state.

Modular data centers with modular components suitable for use with rack or shelf mount computing systems, for example, are disclosed. The modular center generally includes a modular computing module including an intermodal shipping container and computing systems mounted within the container and configured to be shipped and operated within the container and a temperature control system for maintaining the air temperature surrounding the computing systems. The intermodal shipping container may be configured in accordance to International Organization for Standardization (ISO) container manufacturing standards or otherwise configured with respect to height, length, width, weight, and / or lifting points of the container for transport via an intermodal transport infrastructure. The modular design enables the modules to be cost effectively built at a factory and easily transported to and deployed at a data center site.

A cooling solution is provided for a modular data center. The modular data center includes a plurality of racks, each of the racks having a front face and a back face, wherein the plurality of racks is arranged in a first row and a second row, such that the back faces of racks of the first row are facing the second row, and the back faces of the racks of the second row are facing the first row, a first end panel coupled between a first rack of the first row and a first rack of the second row, the first end panel having a bottom edge and a tope edge, a second end panel coupled between a second rack of the first row and a second rack of the second row, the second end panel having a top edge and a bottom edge, and a roof panel coupled between the top edge of the first panel and the top edge of the second panel. Cooling equipment within at least one of the equipment racks draws hot air from between the rows of racks and delivers cooled air out of the front face of one of the racks.

An actively heated mug or travel mug is provided. The mug or travel mug can include a body that receives a liquid therein and a heating system at least partially disposed in the body. The heating system can include one or more heating elements that heat a surface of the receiving portion of the body and one or more energy storage devices. The mug or travel mug can include a wireless power receiver that wirelessly receives power from a power source and control circuitry configured to charge one or more power storage elements and to control the delivery of electricity from the one or more power storage elements to the one or more heating elements. The mug or travel mug also can have one or more sensors that sense a parameter of the liquid or sense a parameter of the heating system and communicates the sensed information to the control circuitry. The control circuitry can turn on, turn off, and / or operate the heating element to actively heat at least a portion of the body to maintain the liquid in a heated state generally at a user selected temperature setting based at least in part on the sensed parameter information. The mug or travel mug can also be paired with a remote device or mobile electronic device to send or receive communications or commands.

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.

Heated or cooled dishwasher safe dishware and drinkware are provided. The dishware and drinkware can be a plate or mug with a dishwasher safe body having a food or beverage receiving portion and a heating or cooling system. The heating or cooling system can have a heating or cooling element that heats or cools the receiving portion of the body. The heating or cooling system can optionally have a power storage element connected to the heating or cooling element, a charging module operatively connected to the power storage element, and / or a wireless power receiver operatively connected to the charging module and configured to transmit power thereto to charge the power storage device. The heating or cooling system is operable to actively heat or cool at least a portion of the body to maintain the solid or liquid food in a heated or cooled state for an extended period of time.

Disclosed is a system and method for providing power generation and distribution with on-site energy storage and power input controlled by a utility or a third party manager. The system allows a utility manager to decide and direct how energy is delivered to a customer on both sides of the power meter, while the customer directs and controls when and how much energy is needed. In the disclosed embodiments, the utility controls the supply (either transmitted or stored) and makes power decisions on a system that acts as a virtual power plant, while the end-user retains control of the on-site aggregated power consumption assets. The disclosed systems act to broker the needs of the utility and end-user by creating, managing and controlling the interface between these two entities.

A method for processing airflow distribution in a data center comprises monitoring airflow in a ventilation system including a plurality of fans in at least one server in the data center, and controlling cooling in the ventilation system as a function of the sensed airflow.

Disclosed is a display module including a transparent display panel and a frame to fix a side of the transparent display panel, wherein the frame has a communication unit to receive data from the outside, a controller to process the received data and to output a drive command corresponding to the processed data and a display drive unit to drive the transparent display panel in response to the drive command from the controller. A display system includes a system body and a display module detachably mounted in the system body.

An RFID for cabinet for monitoring items having an RFID tag includes a cabinet having at least one locking front door. An RFID detector is used for monitoring each item placed within the cabinet and is located within the interior of the cabinet. A computer is coupled to the RFID cabinet and controls opening and closing of the front door and is configured to receive an input that identifies the user. In this way, the computer is configured to periodically record data read from the RFID tags by the RFID detector.

A data center cooling solution providing techniques for using baffles, doors and roof sections to prevent warm air from being entrained into a cold aisle in a data center, wherein the data center generally contains an air cooling system and a raised floor structure. The raised floor structure is configured to deliver cool air into the data center through a plurality of grates and perforated tiles in the floor. Electronic equipment racks are disposed around the grates and perforated tiles, such that the front faces of the equipment racks face the grates and perforated tiles. A collection of baffles, doors or roof sections inhibit the mixing of the cool air delivered by the air cooling system and the warm air exhausted by the electronic equipment.

A system and method of reducing consumption of electricity used to cool electronic computer data center, networking, and telecommunications equipment, and to reduce the incidence of thermal failure of electronic components, includes provision of one or more partitions to reduce the volume of the cooled environment supplying coldest possible cooled air from air conditioning systems to a chamber adjacent to racks containing the electronic components, preventing dilution of the supplied cooling airflow by warmer air from outside of the reduced volume environment, and controlling the delivery of cooling air flow through the reduced volume of the cooled environment.

Techniques for monitoring temperature inside refrigerators or heaters and tracking people and / or objects, particularly within a medical setting. For temperature monitoring, temperature readings are obtained using a temperature monitor. The temperature readings are transmitted from a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag to an RFID reader. The temperature readings received by the RFID reader are then monitored as a function of time. For tracking people or objects, RFID tags are attached to the people or objects, a facility is equipped with one or more RFID readers, and activity of the people or objects is monitored.

A system and method for managing energy consumption of a building system includes a source of actual energy consumption data, a source of actual weather data, and a database correlating discrete weather data values with expected energy consumption values for at least one component of the building system. A computer accesses the actual weather data, actual energy consumption data and database, wherein the computer compares the expected energy consumption values with actual energy consumption data and generates an output based on the comparison. The expected energy consumption values are generated for the discrete weather data values using an energy consumption model that functionally relates discrete weather data values and design information for the building system component.

A collapsible insulated container has a base wall and a peripheral wall with an open end defining an enclosure. The peripheral wall has at least two layers and is divided into elongate pockets between the layers, with foldable crease lines between adjacent pockets. Each pocket contains a flexible-walled, insulating gel pack which substantially fills the pocket. The crease lines may be defined by stitching securing the outer and inner layers of the container together. The gel packs may be surrounded by matting, foam or mesh material which is sewn into the lines of stitching, or may have integral peripheral rims sewn into the lines of stitching. The container is foldable between an erect, open condition and a storage condition in which it is folded along the crease lines into a substantially flattened package.

An inventory management system is provided that includes an RFID interrogator and corresponding RFID tags that are placed on items to be monitored. The tags can be used to monitor the storage time of food items stored in a refrigerator or pantry, the time in use of replaceable items such as toilet bowl cleaners, or the nature of laundry items being washed. The interrogator can be coupled to a display providing various reports on the status of such items. Also disclosed are devices for dispensing such RFID tags.

A home refrigerator system (200) includes an enclosure (202) that defines an interior (203) for storing food (223, 224), a machine (209) for cooling the interior (203), a door (205) usable for accessing the interior (203), and a camera (252) for imaging the interior (203) while the door (205) is shut. The camera generates a signal (284) encoding the image of the interior. The signal (284) can be viewed on a screen (286) outside the interior, to assist in decision-making without opening the door (205).

A modular data center, for housing and cooling electronic equipment, includes multiple housings, a first portion of the housings configured to hold heat-producing electronic equipment and a second portion of the housings configured to hold at least one cooling unit, each of the housings of the first portion having a front and a back and configured to hold the heat-producing electronic equipment such that gas is drawn into the equipment from fronts of the equipment, heated by the equipment to become heated gas, and expelled by the electronic equipment is expelled through the backs of the housings, and at least one panel coupled to a pair of the housings to bridge a gap between the pair of the housings, where the housings and the at least one panel are disposed and coupled to form a laterally-enclosed arrangement laterally enclosing a hot region and defining a top opening allowing gas to vertically exit the hot region, and where backs of the housings of the first portion are disposed adjacent to the hot region such that the heat-producing equipment, when mounted to the housings, will expel the heated gas into the hot region.

The invention is directed to programmable temperature control in which a controller may be programmed to control a thermal output of said temperature-modifying device, and to operate an air circulating system independently of the temperature-modifying device. The apparatus may incorporate a user input for entering air handling information to program the air circulating system to operate at predetermined intervals. The controller may be further programmed to receive air filtration information from the user input and to generate air filtration output information. The system may also be programmed to receive information regarding a characteristic of the air circulating system from an sensor for use in calculating the air filtration output information.

A refrigerator includes French-style doors and a rotating mullion. The rotating mullion is mounted to one of the French-style doors through first and second hinge members. Each of the first and second hinge members include first and second hinge elements having corresponding cam members. The cam members include multiple lobes and extend about hinge pins that define an axis of rotation for the mullion. The multiple lobes actually define first and second detent positions for the rotating mullion. A spring biases the first cam member against the second cam member so that the rotating mullion is positively maintained in either the first or second position. The mullion is formed from mating halves, each including a portion of an integrally formed pin element. The pin element travels within a guide element to automatically rotate the mullion between the first and second positions during use.

A semiconductor wafer support assembly and method of fabricating the same are provided. In one embodiment, the method and resulting assembly include attaching a pedestal joining-ring to a bottom surface of a ceramic puck. Low temperature brazing a composite cooling plate structure to the bottom surface of the ceramic puck, where the pedestal joining-ring circumscribes the composite cooling plate structure. Thereafter, a pedestal is electron-beam welded to the pedestal joining-ring.

Disclosed is a refrigerator with an improved structure for supplying ices at an outside of a dispenser provided at a door. The refrigerator includes a supplementary freezer, a cavity, an icemaker and a dispenser. The supplementary freezer is provided in a cooling chamber of the refrigerator. The cavity is provided in the door and is connected with the supplementary freezer when the door is closed. The icemaker produces ices using cool air in the cooling chamber. The dispenser is connected with the cavity provided at the door. In this case, the icemaker is provided in the supplementary freezer or in the cavity.

The present disclosure describes an HVAC system and means for communication between an integrated system of individual controllers for interactively controlling various components in the HVAC system. Various embodiments of an HVAC system are provided that may comprise at least two controllers that communicate with each other to provide a method of controlling the operation of an HVAC system, based on a communication protocol utilized by each of the various controllers. The communication protocol provides for establishing communication between a sending controller and at least one other controller that is the intended recipient. The communication protocol also provides for monitoring of communication signals by one or more controllers in the system, where the one or more controllers monitor communication signals which are intended for other recipient controllers to thereby listen to information being communicated.

A reusable, multi-walled cooler bag for maintaining a cool temperature within the bag includes: (a) a front portion comprised of at least one front layer; (b) a rear portion comprised of at least one rear layer, the layers being identical to one another, the front portion being sealed to the rear portion along at least two of its edges, the bag having a closable opening at its upper end; and (c) a reclosable fastener mechanism for opening and closing the opening in the bag; wherein the front or rear portions hold nontoxic coolant material between the front and / or rear layers; and the bag has a water-tight interior for storing items to be kept cool.

An arrangement includes a plurality of wireless microsystems. Each microsystem is operable to measure at least relative humidity and temperature, and to communicate temperature and relative humidity information wirelessly to a network device. The network device is operable to communicate the temperature and relative humidity information to at least a first processor configured to cause a change in a building control condition based on the information.

A system for cooling a data center includes a plurality of cooling racks, with each cooling rack including a housing and cooling system components supported by the housing. The system further includes a fluid communication system coupled to the cooling system components of the plurality of racks. The fluid communication system is configured to provide chilled coolant to and exhaust heated coolant from coolant system components of each cooling rack. The system also includes at least one controller coupled to each cooling rack of the plurality of cooling racks to control the operation of each cooling rack. The plurality of cooling racks and the fluid communication system are configured to be modular to allow placement of cooling racks in different locations in a row of equipment racks within the data center. Methods of cooling a data center are further disclosed.

In a data center, a plurality of racks are cooled by activating a cooling device and opening a controllable partition configured to vary a supply of cooling fluid within a zone of the data center. The zone includes at least one associated rack of the plurality of racks. In addition, the temperature of at least one associated rack is sensed and it is determined whether the sensed temperature is within a predetermined temperature range. Furthermore, the controllable partition is manipulated to vary the supply of the cooling fluid to the zone in response to the sensed temperature being outside the predetermined temperature range.