Methods, systems, and device for cycle enhancement are provided in accordance with various embodiments. Various embodiments generally pertain to refrigeration and heat pumping. Different embodiments may be applied to a variety of heat pump architectures. Some embodiments may integrate with vapor compression heat pumps in industrial, commercial, and/or residential applications. Some embodiments include a method that may include at least: removing a first heat from a vapor compression cycle; utilizing the first removed heat from the vapor compression cycle to drive a thermally driven heat pump; or removing a second heat from the vapor compression cycle utilizing the thermally driven heat pump to reduce a temperature of a refrigerant of the vapor compression cycle below an ambient temperature.

An integrated system floods an air conditioning low side heat exchanger such that the air conditioning low side heat exchanger does not evaporate all the liquid refrigerant entering the air conditioning low side heat exchanger. As a result, both liquid and vapor refrigerant leave the air conditioning low side heat exchanger. The system includes an additional receiver that stores the refrigerant leaving the air conditioning low side heat exchanger. To prevent the liquid refrigerant in the receiver from overflowing, the liquid refrigerant in the receiver is used in a refrigeration system when the level of liquid refrigerant in the receiver exceeds a threshold (e.g., as detected by a sensor in the receiver).

An integrated system floods an air conditioning low side heat exchanger such that the air conditioning low side heat exchanger does not evaporate all the liquid refrigerant entering the air conditioning low side heat exchanger. As a result, both liquid and vapor refrigerant leave the air conditioning low side heat exchanger. The system includes an additional receiver that stores the refrigerant leaving the air conditioning low side heat exchanger. To prevent the liquid refrigerant in the receiver from overflowing, the liquid refrigerant in the receiver is used in a refrigeration system when the level of liquid refrigerant in the receiver exceeds a threshold (e.g., as detected by a sensor in the receiver).

A thermal management system includes an open-circuit refrigeration system including a cooling system configured to supply a cooling medium. The open-circuit refrigeration system includes a receiver having a receiver outlet, the receiver configurable to store a refrigerant fluid, the receiver configured to receive the cooling medium from the cooling system, an evaporator coupled to the receiver outlet, the evaporator configurable to receive liquid refrigerant fluid from the receiver outlet and to extract heat from a heat load when the heat load contacts or is proximate to the evaporator a control device configurable to control a temperature of the heat load and an exhaust line, with the receiver, the evaporator, and the exhaust line coupled to form an open-circuit refrigerant fluid flow path.

A thermal management system includes a refrigerant receiver configured to store a refrigerant fluid, an evaporator arrangement that removes heat from a heat load converting a portion of the refrigerant fluid to refrigerant vapor and a liquid separator having an inlet, a liquid side outlet, and a vapor side outlet. The system also includes a pump that pumps refrigerant liquid received from the liquid side outlet of the liquid separator and a closed-circuit refrigeration system having a closed-circuit fluid path that includes the refrigerant receiver, the liquid separator, the pump, and the evaporator arrangement, the closed-circuit refrigeration system further including a compressor and a condenser. The system also including an open-circuit refrigeration system having an open-circuit fluid path that includes the refrigerant receiver, the liquid separator, the pump, and the evaporator arrangement, and further including a back-pressure regulator configured to receive refrigerant vapor from the vapor side outlet of the liquid separator and an exhaust line coupled to the outlet of the back-pressure regulator, with refrigerant vapor from the exhaust line not returning to the refrigerant receiver.

A thermal management system includes a refrigerant receiver configured to store a refrigerant fluid, an evaporator arrangement that removes heat from a heat load converting a portion of the refrigerant fluid to refrigerant vapor and a liquid separator having an inlet, a liquid side outlet, and a vapor side outlet. The system also includes a pump that pumps refrigerant liquid received from the liquid side outlet of the liquid separator and a closed-circuit refrigeration system having a closed-circuit fluid path that includes the refrigerant receiver, the liquid separator, the pump, and the evaporator arrangement, the closed-circuit refrigeration system further including a compressor and a condenser. The system also including an open-circuit refrigeration system having an open-circuit fluid path that includes the refrigerant receiver, the liquid separator, the pump, and the evaporator arrangement, and further including a back-pressure regulator configured to receive refrigerant vapor from the vapor side outlet of the liquid separator and an exhaust line coupled to the outlet of the back-pressure regulator, with refrigerant vapor from the exhaust line not returning to the refrigerant receiver.

A system and method for controlling a cooling system for an electronic datacenter component using a two-phase thermal management system with dynamic thermoelectric regulation. The system includes a thermoelectric cooler to transfer heat to a hot conduit of the thermal management system and initialize or maintain a natural convective flow of working fluid by maintaining a temperature difference between a hot and cold conduit.

Thermoelectric enhanced hybrid heat pump systems are provided herein. A compressor increases the pressure of refrigerant within tubing. A first heat exchanger is downstream of the compressor and changes enthalpy of first fluid flow through heat exchange with refrigerant. A second heat exchanger changes enthalpy of second fluid flow through heat exchange with refrigerant. A thermoelectric device is downstream of the first heat exchanger and reduces refrigerant temperature. Expansion valves are downstream of the thermoelectric device and first heat exchanger, respectively located on first and second sides of the thermoelectric device, and expand refrigerant and reduce refrigerant pressure while conserving refrigerant enthalpy. At least one valve reverses refrigerant flow within the tubing without changing compressor operation. A control system controls the thermoelectric device and at least one valve to switch the heat pump system from heating mode to cooling mode and from cooling mode to heating mode.

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.

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.