There is provided a mounting structure for mounting a cryocooler cold head on a vacuum vessel. The cold head includes a cold head-side cooling stage and a cold head-side flange. The mounting structure includes a cold head accommodation sleeve installed in the vacuum vessel and including a sleeve-side cooling stage which comes into thermal contact with the cold head-side cooling stage by coming into physical contact with the cold head-side cooling stage, and a sleeve-side flange to be coupled to the cold head-side flange, an inter-flange distance adjustment mechanism configured to adjust a distance between the sleeve-side flange and the cold head-side flange so that the cold head-side cooling stage and the sleeve-side cooling stage are physically brought into contact with each other or brought into a contactless state therebetween, and a flange fastening mechanism configured to fasten the cold head-side flange to the sleeve-side flange.

A system for vibration control of a cryocooler that cools an imager. The system includes a vibration sensor that is physically affixed to the cryocooler. The vibration sensor senses a physical vibration of the cryocooler and to generates a vibration signal therefrom. The system also includes cryocooler drive electronics operatively coupled to the vibration sensor and the cryocooler. The cryocooler drive electronics output a drive waveform that drives the cryocooler so as to reduce the vibration impact of the cryocooler. The harmonic content of the cryocooler drive waveform is controlled by the cryocooler drive electronics based on the vibration signal.

A system for vibration control of a cryocooler that cools an imager. The system includes a vibration sensor that is physically affixed to the cryocooler. The vibration sensor senses a physical vibration of the cryocooler and to generates a vibration signal therefrom. The system also includes cryocooler drive electronics operatively coupled to the vibration sensor and the cryocooler. The cryocooler drive electronics output a drive waveform that drives the cryocooler so as to reduce the vibration impact of the cryocooler. The harmonic content of the cryocooler drive waveform is controlled by the cryocooler drive electronics based on the vibration signal.

A refrigerator is provided which includes a cabinet. A first compartment and second compartment are disposed within the cabinet. A first door provides access to the first compartment and a second door provides access to the second compartment. A beverage dispensing system is operatively connected to the cabinet. A machine vision system associated with the beverage dispensing system. The machine vision system has an imaging device.

A charge-verification system for a circuit including a condenser having an inlet, an outlet, and a coil circuit tube extending between the inlet and the outlet is provided. The charge-verification system may include a first of coil temperature sensor located on the coil circuit tube a first distance from the inlet and a second of coil temperature sensor located on the coil circuit tube a second distance from the inlet. The charge-verification system may also include a controller receiving a first signal from the first temperature sensor indicative of a first temperature and a second signal from the second temperature sensor indicative of a second temperature. The controller may determine which of the first signal and the second signal is closer to an actual saturated condensing temperature of the condenser.

Thermal management systems include an open circuit refrigeration system featuring a first receiver configured to store a gas, a second receiver configured to store a liquid refrigerant fluid, an evaporator configured to extract heat from a heat load that contacts the evaporator, and an exhaust line, where the first receiver, the second receiver, the evaporator, and the exhaust line are connected to provide a refrigerant fluid flow path.

A system for facilitating communication of information between an information source positioned inside a refrigerated environment and a position outside the refrigerated environment comprising a transmitter for transmitting a signal including the information, a planar antenna fixed to a gasket for resonating the transmitted signal, the gasket providing a seal between the refrigerated compartment and a door providing access to the refrigerated compartment, and a receiver for receiving the signal including the information. The information could include information concerning at least one container positioned in a refrigerated environment. The system may utilize a Wi-Fi device, a Bluetooth® device, RFID device, or other devices for transmitting the information.

A logistics system for monitoring and signaling the thermal condition of unit loads of PCM panels during a thermal conditioning cycle as between deep frozen, thermally dampened frozen, and thermally spent, and method of managing thermal conditioning of PCM panels utilizing such signals.

A heating device includes a heating element, a temperature sensor, a first heat pump element, a first heating block, a second heating block and a controller. The heating element is to receive an energy of the controller and convert the energy into a first thermal energy provided to the first heating block. A sensing result is generated by the temperature sensor according to the first thermal energy. The first heat pump element is to receive the energy of the controller for generating a temperature difference. The first thermal energy is conducted to the first heat pump element for forming a second thermal energy. The second heating block is to receive the second thermal energy. The controller correspondingly outputs the energy to the heating element and the first heat pump element according to the sensing result, and thereby controls the first thermal energy and the temperature difference.

A heating device includes a heating element, a temperature sensor, a first heat pump element, a first heating block, a second heating block and a controller. The heating element is to receive an energy of the controller and convert the energy into a first thermal energy provided to the first heating block. A sensing result is generated by the temperature sensor according to the first thermal energy. The first heat pump element is to receive the energy of the controller for generating a temperature difference. The first thermal energy is conducted to the first heat pump element for forming a second thermal energy. The second heating block is to receive the second thermal energy. The controller correspondingly outputs the energy to the heating element and the first heat pump element according to the sensing result, and thereby controls the first thermal energy and the temperature difference.