In a temperature control apparatus for controlling the temperature of a load by supplying high-temperature circulating liquid to the load, a device in which a helical channel portion of a first heat exchange channel through which circulating liquid flows is housed in a second heat exchange channel formed of a channel space in a hollow shell through which coolant flows is used as a heat exchanger for cooling the circulating liquid, cylindrical members are individually fitted on an inflow channel portion and an outflow channel portion connected to opposite ends of the helical channel portion of the first heat exchange channel, and the cylindrical members are each fixed to the shell of the heat exchanger with a weld.

The present invention provides systems and methods for providing cross-device native functionality for a native app. More specifically, the invention is directed to a JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) data exchange format for use with a native app running on a user's mobile device, wherein the exchange format is configured to improve user experience and interaction with the app. The present invention may be particularly useful in a mobile-based crowdsourcing platform in which data is continually exchanged between remote user devices and a cloud-based service for collecting and managing user-driven data based on user interaction with native apps on their devices.

A water heating system can include a water heater having a tank, an inlet line, and an outlet line, where the inlet line provides unheated water to the tank, and where the outlet line draws heated water from the tank. The water heating system can also include multiple sensing devices, where each sensing device of the plurality of sensing devices measures a parameter associated with the tank. The water heating system can further include a controller communicably coupled to the plurality of sensing devices, where the controller determines an amount of heated water in the tank based on measurements made by the plurality of sensing devices.

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for performing load reduction optimization. In one aspect, a method includes accessing load reduction parameters for a load reduction event, accessing energy consumption models for multiple systems involved in the load reduction event, and performing, based on the load reduction parameters and the energy consumption models, a plurality of simulations of load reduction events that simulate variations in control parameters used to control the multiple systems. The method also includes optimizing, against a load reduction curve, the load reduction event by iteratively modifying the control parameters used in the plurality of simulations of load reduction events, and outputting the optimal load reduction event with optimized control parameters.

An air-conditioning system includes: a controller configured to: extract a lower limit load that occurs at a minimum, in a load that occurs in an air-conditioned space and that changes depending a time period; distribute a proportion at which the extracted lower limit load is to be processed, as a processing proportion stored in a memory; control each of air-conditioning apparatuses that are at a second place and subsequent places in apparatus rankings, such that the lower limit load is processed and distributed, and to control an air-conditioning apparatus that is at a first place in the apparatus rankings, such that a remaining load of the lower limit load and a fluctuating load that occurs over the lower limit load are processed.

Methods and systems for controlling a heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) intake. An air-conditioning control device receives the detected ambient air from an ambient air sensor, and the detected air temperature at a front of a condenser. The two temperatures are compared to determine whether to change the HVAC intake. In response to determining the air temperature at the front of the condenser is higher than the ambient air, the HVAC intake is placed into a recirculate position to allow air from the vehicle compartment to enter the HVAC intake.

A system includes a refrigerant compressor, an electric motor and configured to drive the refrigerant compressor, and a controller. The controller is configured to operate the compressor in a liquid clearing start mode where electrical current through the motor is prevented from exceeding a predetermined current limit for a period of time not to exceed a predetermined period of time, and is configured to operate the compressor in a run mode in response to determining the motor exceeds a predetermined speed threshold at or before expiration of the predetermined period of time, wherein the run mode does not prevent electrical current through the motor from exceeding said predetermined current limit.

A method for processing water and a control apparatus are provided. According to the method, a processor in communication with an apparatus for processing water may determine a water usage amount for an object; determine water usage time for the object; calculate time required for water preparation according to the water usage amount, a water preparation speed of the apparatus for processing water and a current amount of residual water; and determine time of starting water preparation according to the time required for water preparation and the water usage time.

A method for processing water and a control apparatus are provided. According to the method, a processor in communication with an apparatus for processing water may determine a water usage amount for an object; determine water usage time for the object; calculate time required for water preparation according to the water usage amount, a water preparation speed of the apparatus for processing water and a current amount of residual water; and determine time of starting water preparation according to the time required for water preparation and the water usage time.

A method, a system, and a computer program product for managing noise generated by active cooling devices of an electronic device. The method includes determining a current noise level of at least one active cooling device of an electronic device. The method further includes measuring, by at least one microphone of the electronic device, a level of ambient noise within a surrounding environment. The method further includes measuring, via at least one thermal sensor, a heat load generated by at least one heat generating device of the electronic device. The method further includes applying, to the at least one active cooling device, at least one adjustment that mitigates the heat load and minimizes noise generated by the at least one active cooling device relative to the level of ambient noise.