5190results about "Heating and refrigeration combinations" patented technology

A heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) device (104) which includes both heating and cooling operating modes provides an easy-to-use interface (110) for selecting the operating parameters of the device (104). The interface (110) allows the input of a setpoint temperature at which the HVAC device (104) conditions the ambient temperature of a space (102). A mode switch-over algorithm (200) uses the setpoint temperature, the sensed temperature from the conditioned space, and prestored threshold values that depend on the device's operating capacities, to determine when to change the device between heating and cooling modes. Also, within each of the respective modes, a heating (300) or cooling (400) algorithm controls the engaging and disengaging of the heating and cooling elements of the device (104) to maintain the temperature of the conditioned space (102) within a desired comfort zone.

A building heating / cooling system energy optimization method for a building having a heating / cooling system includes the steps of providing a mathematical model of the heating / cooling system, obtaining real-time weather information, reading the input water temperature (IWT), the output water temperature (OWT) and the supply air temperature (SA) output to the building, periodically transferring the IWT, the OWT and the SA to an optimization system which is operative to analyze the real-time data in coordination with the mathematical model by assigning at least three selected values in a range surrounding and including the current values of each of the IWT, the OWT and the SA and calculating the efficiency profile of the components of the heating / cooling system for each of the selected values, then cooperatively optimizing and selecting those values calculated to provide the highest efficiency profile, then periodically resetting the system values to those selected by the optimization system.

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

In an ejector cycle system using carbon dioxide as refrigerant, an ejector decompresses and expands refrigerant from a radiator to suck gas refrigerant evaporated in an evaporator, and converts an expansion energy to a pressure energy to increase a refrigerant pressure to be sucked into a compressor. Because refrigerant is decompressed and expanded in a super-critical area, a pressure difference during the decompression operation becomes larger, and a specific enthalpy difference becomes larger. Accordingly, energy converting efficiency in the ejector becomes higher, and efficiency of the ejector cycle system is improved.

A vehicle air conditioning system includes a space air conditioning unit for blowing conditioned air into a passenger compartment, a seat air conditioning unit for blowing air into a vehicle seat, and a control unit for controlling the space air conditioning unit and the seat air conditioning unit. The control unit includes space controlling means for controlling the space air conditioning unit in accordance with a space control value calculated based on a space target air temperature, and seat controlling means for controlling the seat air conditioning unit in accordance with a seat control value calculated based on the space target air temperature. Further, the seat controlling means includes a first seat air conditioning means which determines the seat control value in a steady air conditioning state of the passenger compartment, and a second seat air-conditioning means which determines the seat control value in a transition air-conditioning state of the passenger compartment.

There is provided a system for pumping thermal energy. The system includes (a) a membrane permeator for removing vapor from a process gas and for providing a vapor-depleted process gas, and (b) a gas-liquid contactor for adding vapor from a liquid to a vapor-depleted gas to produce a vapor-added process gas. The system transfers a quantity of thermal energy from the liquid to the vapor-added process gas, and is also capable of upgrading the thermal energy to a higher temperature. The system may be used for various heat pump applications including chilling and waste heat or low level heat recovery.

A heat pump and air conditioning system for a vehicle that has at least one coolant loop selectively connecting an engine cooling system with a heater core, a first coolant / refrigerant heat exchanger, and / or a second coolant / refrigerant heat exchanger, in order to warm a passenger compartment of the vehicle. The system also includes a refrigerant loop that includes a first expansion device between a condenser and evaporator, and a second expansion device between the first coolant / refrigerant heat exchanger and the second coolant / refrigerant heat exchanger. The refrigerant loop provides for cooling of the passenger compartment of the vehicle, as well as operating as a heat pump, together with the at least one coolant loop, to provide heat to the vehicle passenger compartment.