A refrigerator includes a main body that has a storage chamber and a drying chamber; a thermoelectric module that includes a heat absorber and a heat dissipater; a cooling fan that circulates air in the storage chamber to the heat absorber and the storage chamber; a heat-dissipating fan that blows air to the heat dissipater; an air guide that has a passage for guiding air heated by the heat dissipater to the drying chamber; a heater that is disposed in the passage; and a damper that controls a flow of air in the passage between the heat-dissipating fan and the heater. Heat of the heat dissipater transfers to the drying chamber through the passage of the air guide and the damper, thereby being able to dry an object to be dried.

A method for operating an elasto-caloric heat pump includes running the elasto-caloric heat pump with a pre-strain in an elasto-caloric stage of the elasto-caloric heat pump set to an initial pre-strain setting, and gradually shifting the pre-strain in the elasto-caloric stage of the elasto-caloric heat pump set away from the initial pre-strain setting and towards a final pre-strain setting over a time interval.

A passive refrigeration box for controlled refrigeration of a product comprising: an outer box including an outer insulation layer; an inner box including an inner insulation layer, and a thermal shield on an outside of the inner insulation layer, the inner box and the outer box defining a vapour channel therebetween; and a thermal link including a thermal layer and a plurality of heat pipes or thermosyphons, the thermal layer and a top section of the inner box defining a coolant chamber, the coolant chamber including a coolant chamber access, and in communication with the vapour channel, and the thermal layer and a bottom section of the inner box defining a load chamber, the load chamber including a load chamber access, each heat pipe or thermosyphon having a condenser section disposed in the coolant chamber and an evaporator section disposed in the load chamber and extending through the thermal layer.

The invention provides a heat pump system and method comprising a Shape-Memory Alloy (SMA) or Negative Thermal Expansion (NTE) core (2a, 2b) positioned in a housing and adapted to absorb heat and store energy in response to a first fluid inputted at a first temperature. The housing is configured to receive a second fluid via an inlet wherein a device changes pressure in the housing to cause the SMA or NTE core to change state to release the heat absorbed into the second fluid. An outlet is adapted to output the second fluid at a higher temperature than the first temperature.

Various embodiments may relate to a radiant cooler. The radiant cooler may include a chamber. The radiant cooler may also include a vacuum pump connected to the chamber. The radiant cooler may further include an infrared absorber arranged within the chamber. A wall of the chamber may be configured to allow at least a portion of infrared light to pass through. The vacuum pump may be configured to generate a vacuum in the chamber. The infrared absorber may include a fluid, i.e. a liquid, configured to evaporate into the vacuum upon receiving thermal energy from at least the portion of infrared light.

The present disclosure discloses an impacting T-junction component regulator for regulating components of a non-azeotropic working medium, which is formed by connecting a single T-junction or a plurality of T-junctions. Each of the T-junction comprises an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe. When the impacting T-junction component regulator is formed by a plurality of connected T-junctions, the impacting T-junction component regulator further comprises an upper manifold trunk communicated with an outlet pipe of each T-junction and throttle valves located between two adjacent T-junctions. By using the characteristics of unequal vapor and liquid components of the non-azeotropic working medium and mal-distribution of two phase flows by vertical impacting T-junctions, the regulator achieves the fluid flowing through a plurality of T-junctions and throttle valves once so as to achieve the purpose of separating components.

The cooling systems and methods of the present disclosure involve modular fluid coolers and chillers configured for optimal power and water use based on environmental conditions and client requirements. The fluid coolers include wet media, a first fluid circuit for distributing fluid across wet media, an air to fluid heat exchanger, and an air to refrigerant heat exchanger. The chillers, which are fluidly coupled to the fluid coolers via pipe cages, include a second fluid circuit in fluid communication with the air to fluid heat exchanger and a refrigerant circuit in thermal communication with the second fluid circuit and in fluid communication with the air to refrigerant heat exchanger. Pipe cages are coupled together to allow for expansion of the cooling system when additional cooling capacity is needed. The fluid coolers and chillers are configured to selectively operate in wet or dry free cooling mode, partial free cooling mode, or mechanical cooling mode.

A radiative cooling film and a product thereof are provided. The radiative cooling film includes a carrier layer, a reflective layer and an emissive layer stacked together. A light shines on the radiative cooling film from the emissive layer. The emissive layer includes a polymer containing a CF bond. The carrier layer includes a polymer containing at least one of a CC bond and a CO bond. After disposing at 120 degrees centigrade for 30 minutes, a transverse direction heat-shrinkage rate of the carrier layer is less than or equal to 2%, and a machine direction heat-shrinkage rate of the carrier layer is less than or equal to 3%. A thickness of the radiative cooling film is in a range of 50 m to 170 m, and a thickness of the emissive layer accounts for 20% to 90% of the thickness of the radiative cooling film.

A system for heating/cooling includes a plurality of thermoelastic modules. Each of the modules includes one or more structures formed of shape memory alloy, which converts from austenite to martensite upon application of a first stress and release latent heat from the conversion. During a first part of a heating/cooling cycle, a first module is stressed to cause conversion. The latent heat released from the first module is rejected to a heat sink while a second unstressed module absorbs heat from a heat source. During a second part of the heating/cooling cycle, the first and second modules are connected together to transfer heat therebetween for heat recovery. The cycle can be repeated indefinitely with the first and second modules alternating roles. Structures of the thermoelastic cooling material and specific applications thereof are also disclosed.

A system for heating/cooling includes a plurality of thermoelastic modules. Each of the modules includes one or more structures formed of shape memory alloy, which converts from austenite to martensite upon application of a first stress and release latent heat from the conversion. During a first part of a heating/cooling cycle, a first module is stressed to cause conversion. The latent heat released from the first module is rejected to a heat sink while a second unstressed module absorbs heat from a heat source. During a second part of the heating/cooling cycle, the first and second modules are connected together to transfer heat therebetween for heat recovery. The cycle can be repeated indefinitely with the first and second modules alternating roles. Structures of the thermoelastic cooling material and specific applications thereof are also disclosed.