A hydronic system is provided that includes a primary fluid loop that includes a thermal source for heating or cooling a working fluid, dual secondary fluid loops that include respective thermal loads, and a decoupler. One leg of a supply tee at an output of the source places the output in fluid communication with one end of a decoupler and, beyond the decoupler, with the input of a thermal load of a first secondary fluid loop. Another leg of the supply tee places the source output in fluid communication with the input of a thermal load in a second secondary fluid loop. One leg of a return tee at an input of the source places the input in fluid communication with the other end of the decoupler and, beyond the decoupler, with the output of the thermal load of the first secondary fluid loop. Another leg of the return tee places the input of the source in fluid communication with the input of the thermal load in the second secondary fluid loop.

A water distribution apparatus and method including cold and hot water supplies, a fan coil (or chilled beam device), a control valve having cold and hot water inlets and outlets, cold and hot water outputs configured to supply cold and hot water to the fan coil, cold and hot water return inlets configured to receive from the fan coil the water supplied by the cold and/or water outputs and outputting the cold and/or hot water to the cold and hot water supply lines, respectively, via the cold and hot water outlets, respectively. Cold and hot water is supplied from the cold and/or hot water outputs to the fan coil and received into the cold and hot water return inlets, respectively, and the cold and hot water supplied by the cold and hot water outputs to the fan coil is output to the cold and hot water supply lines, respectively.

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 method for controlling a district thermal energy distribution system is presented. The method comprises: determining whether a local pressure difference between a feed line (111) and a return line (112) of a distribution grid (110) is below a predetermined threshold; upon the local pressure difference is determined to be below the predetermined threshold, generating a control signal comprising information instructing a local distribution system (150) to reduce outtake of heat or cold from the distribution grid (110); sending the control signal to a local control unit (140) of the local distribution system (150); and reducing, in response to the control signal, the outtake of heat or cold of the local distribution system (150) from the distribution grid (110). The distribution grid (110) may be a district heating grid or a district cooling grid. Also, a control server and a district thermal energy distribution system is presented.

Conditioning systems and methods for providing cooling to a heat load can include an evaporative cooler arranged in a scavenger plenum with a recovery coil downstream of the evaporative cooler. The conditioning systems can operate in various modes, including an adiabatic mode and an evaporative mode, depending on outdoor air conditions. The systems can operate in a blended mode between the adiabatic mode and the evaporative mode by varying the distribution of return water from the recovery coil into at least partially isolated sections of a storage tank, and selectively directing cold water from the evaporative cooler into the tank. The mix of warm and cold water exiting the tank can be varied to maintain the cold-water supply at or near a set point temperature for the heat load. in an example, the systems can include a pre-cooler in the plenum upstream of the evaporative cooler for pre-conditioning the scavenger air,

A free cooling system includes a plurality of free cooling outdoor units each including a heat medium circuit, a controller, and a communication unit, the heat medium circuit being configured by connecting a heat medium pump, a first heat exchanger, and a heat source side of a second heat exchanger by pipes, a heat medium circulating in the heat medium circuit, the controller configured to control the heat medium pump, and the communication units performing communication with each other, wherein the plurality of free cooling outdoor units are coupled with each other by a load pipe that allows a load heat medium to flow to or flow out from a load side of each second heat exchanger.

A method of conditioning wastewater includes flowing wastewater into and through a first fluid tube and flowing a heat transfer fluid into and through a second fluid tube. The heat transfer fluid entering the second fluid tube has a different temperature than the wastewater entering the first fluid tube. The first fluid tube and said second fluid tube are positioned within a first casing that is surrounded by insulation. The first casing and the insulation are positioned within a second casing. The wastewater in said first fluid tube and said heat transfer fluid in said second fluid tube are arranged to allow heat transfer between the wastewater in said first fluid tube and the heat transfer fluid in said second fluid tube.

A heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system includes first and second fluids, a heat exchanger, a refrigerant sub-system, and at least one closed loop sub-system. The heat exchanger includes a membrane for channeling the first fluid through the heat exchanger and is disposed for heat transfer between the first fluid and the second fluid. The membrane defines an inlet having an inlet height relative to grade. The closed loop sub-system transfers heat from the heat exchanger to the refrigerant sub-system and includes an expansion tank containing the first fluid. A level of the first fluid within the expansion tank has a level height relative to grade. The expansion tank is positioned relative to the heat exchanger such that the inlet height is greater than the level height and the membrane is maintained in a collapsed configuration.

The present invention relates to HVAC-systems operating under new ZERO-MIXING (ZM) water flow condition as innovative way to promote consistent highly energy efficient performance on SOURCE-heating/cooling thermal production and BUILDING's system distribution (FIG. 1). ZM technology is applicable; but not limited, to large-residential, commercial, institutional, and industrial facilities. Current state on HVAC technology, for system hydronics loop-flow, do not provide flows temperature segregation mechanisms between heating/chiller-plants hot/cold water supply and warmer water system returns. The result, a system that continuously operates at WATER MIXING conditions that impair equipment efficiency and output, and therefore, overall system energy performance.

Fluid detection systems and methods using the same are disclosed. In embodiments the fluid detection systems include a sensor module and an electronics module. The sensor module includes a sensor housing that includes a liquid flow path and a sensor element disposed around at least part of the liquid flow path. The sensor element can detect a capacitance of the liquid flow path and provide a sensor signal to a controller in the electronics module. The electronics module can determine a detected capacitance in the liquid flow path based at least in part on the sensor signal, and can determine whether a wet event has occurred based on a comparison of the detected capacitance to a threshold capacitance. Methods using the fluid detection systems and fluid supply systems including the fluid detection systems are also disclosed.