The present invention provides a rare earth cold accumulating material particle comprising a rare earth oxide or a rare earth oxysulfide, wherein the rare earth cold accumulating material particle is composed of a sintered body; an average crystal grain size of the sintered body is 0.5 to 5 μm; a porosity of the sintered body is 10 to 50 vol. %; and an average pore size of the sintered body is 0.3 to 3 μm. Further, it is preferable that the porosity of the rare earth cold accumulating material particle is 20 to 45 vol. %, and a maximum pore size of the rare earth cold accumulating material particle is 4 μm or less. Due to this structure, there can be provided a rare earth cold accumulating material having a high refrigerating capacity and a high strength.

Systems and methods for storing post-climacteric fruit are described. The system is scalable for home or commercial use and extends the storage life of fruit sensitive to over-ripening and spoilage because of the emission of ethylene gas. The described systems circulate and remove the ethylene gas, emitted by the fruit, from within an enclosure containing the fruit. Also, the system may store the fruit at an average temperature that extends the storage life of the fruit. The systems accomplish these objectives by thermally cycling the temperature of the air/gas within the enclosure containing the fruit about a desired storage temperature. The change in temperature may cause the air to expand and contract. Mechanisms allow the expanding and contracting air to exchange the gas within the enclosure with the air outside the enclosure, inducing the flushing of the ethylene gas.

A modular refrigeration system includes a refrigeration loop having a compressor, a condenser, an expansion assembly, and a chiller interconnected by a first piping loop cycling hydrocarbon refrigerant. A high side cooling loop includes a first heat exchanger and a first pump interconnected with the condenser by a second piping loop cycling a cooling fluid, the cooling fluid exchanges heat with the hydrocarbon refrigerant at the condenser. A low side cooling loop includes a second heat exchanger and a second pump interconnected with the chiller by a third piping loop cycling a chilled fluid, the chilled fluid exchanges heat with the hydrocarbon refrigerant at the chiller. A space supports the second heat exchanger and is configured to be maintained within a predetermined temperature range, wherein the total charge of hydrocarbon refrigerant associated with the space does not exceed 150 grams.

Each of substrates which are sequentially loaded into an apparatus is transferred to one of empty (available) cooling units, and the cooling unit is reserved as a unit to be used for performing a cooling treatment after a post-exposure bake process for the substrate and the reservation information is stored. After one of the cooling units is reserved in advance before the post-exposure bake process, the substrate is transferred from the cooling unit to one of heating units without being subjected to a cooling treatment and is subjected to a post-exposure bake process therein. After the post-exposure bake process, the substrate is transferred from the heating unit to the reserved cooling unit which is reserved in advance and subjected to a cooling treatment therein.

The invention relates to a refrigerant circuit for thermally conditioning a vehicle passenger compartment, comprising a plurality of branches containing at least one exchanger, of which branch a first branch is in series with a second branch and a third branch, said second branch being in parallel with said third branch, and a means of placing the third branch m communication with the second branch, said means being installed between a sector of the third branch which sector is situated downstream of an external exchanger and a portion of the second branch which is situated upstream of a first control member.

An air-conditioning apparatus that can prevent freezing of a heat transfer medium even when using a non-azeotropic refrigerant mixture. The air-conditioning apparatus is designed such that when a heat exchanger serves as a cooler that cools a heat transfer medium, it controls a heat medium passage reversing device. This is so that, when a heat transfer medium flowing through a heat medium flow passage will not be frozen, a refrigerant flowing through a refrigerant flow passage and the heat transfer medium flowing through the heat medium flow passage are in counter flow. It is also to control the heat medium passage reversing device so that, when there is a possibility of freezing the heat transfer medium flowing through the heat medium flow passage, the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant flow passage and the heat transfer medium flowing through the heat medium flow passage are in parallel flow.

A system includes a first set of coils receive coolant from a first coolant line and provide the coolant to a second coolant line. A second set of coils receive coolant from a third coolant line and provide the coolant to a fourth coolant line. A first valve regulates flow of coolant between the first and third coolant line. A second valve regulates flow of coolant between the second and the fourth coolant lines. A third valve regulates flow of coolant between the fourth coolant line and a fifth coolant line coupled to a water evaporator and a three-way valve. The three-way valve regulates flow of coolant between the fifth coolant line, the third coolant line, and a coolant input line. A fourth valve regulates flow of coolant between the second coolant line and a water condenser. A controller adjusts the valves to operate in an intermediate temperature mode.

Embodiments are disclosed of a thermal control plate including a cooling layer and a heating layer. The cooling layer includes a thermally conductive base adapted to be thermally coupled to one or more heat-generating electronic components, cooling fins thermally coupled to the base, and a cooling cover plate coupled to the ends of the plurality of cooling fins. The thermally conductive base, the cooling cover plate, and the plurality of cooling fins form a plurality of cooling channels through which a working fluid can flow. The heating layer includes a heater, heating fins thermally coupled to the heater, and a heating cover plate coupled to the ends of the plurality of heating fins. The heater, the heating cover plate, and the heating fins form a plurality of heating channels through which the working fluid can flow. A fluid distribution can distribute the working fluid into the heating channels and cooling channels.

Embodiments are disclosed of a thermal control plate including a cooling layer and a heating layer. The cooling layer includes a thermally conductive base adapted to be thermally coupled to one or more heat-generating electronic components, cooling fins thermally coupled to the base, and a cooling cover plate coupled to the ends of the plurality of cooling fins. The thermally conductive base, the cooling cover plate, and the plurality of cooling fins form a plurality of cooling channels through which a working fluid can flow. The heating layer includes a heater, heating fins thermally coupled to the heater, and a heating cover plate coupled to the ends of the plurality of heating fins. The heater, the heating cover plate, and the heating fins form a plurality of heating channels through which the working fluid can flow. A fluid distribution can distribute the working fluid into the heating channels and cooling channels.

A cogeneration power plant and a method for operating a cogeneration power plant are provided, with a working medium being additionally cooled by a suitable heat pump between an outlet of a thermal heating device and an inlet of a power generator of the cogeneration process. The thermal power obtained in this manner is again available for heating purposes within the heat cycle.