A method of operating a cooling apparatus is described that allows flexible cooling lines connecting an inlet manifold to an outlet manifold to be safely added or removed during operation of the cooling apparatus without causing unstable two-phase flow. The method can include providing a cooling apparatus having an inlet manifold, an outlet manifold, and a bypass extending from the inlet manifold to the outlet manifold. Each manifold can include a plurality of connection ports, such as quick-connect couplers, to accommodate adding and removing cooling lines between the inlet manifold and the outlet manifold. The method can include providing a flow rate of single-phase liquid coolant to the inlet manifold and setting a pressure regulator in the bypass to provide a certain flow rate through the bypass. The flow rate through the bypass can be determined as a function of an average flow rate through each of the cooling lines.

[Problem]

A refrigerant supply device with a small lateral width and a capacity to supply refrigerant evenly among heat receivers disposed in multiple tiers needs to be provided.

[Solution]

A refrigerant supply device for distributing, by force of gravity, liquid phase refrigerant to heat receivers disposed in a plurality of tiers includes: a first conduit for supplying the refrigerant to the heat receivers; a second conduit provided in parallel with the first conduit; a first aperture provided in the first conduit for supplying the refrigerant to one of the heat receivers; a first blocking means provided below the first aperture for blocking the first conduit; a first communication opening provided above the first aperture and communicating the first conduit and the second conduit; a second communication opening provided below the first blocking means and communicating the first conduit and the second conduit; and a second blocking means provided below the second communication opening for blocking the second conduit.

An airstream cooling assembly includes an evaporator and a first and second condenser. The evaporator is configured to have a first airstream directed over its outer surface and to change the phase of a primary cooling medium from liquid to gas. The first condenser is configured to have a second airstream directed over its outer surface, transfer heat from the primary cooling medium, and change the phase of the primary cooling medium from gas to liquid. The second condenser is configured to accept a secondary cooling medium, and when accepting the secondary cooling medium, to receive the primary cooling medium from the evaporator, transfer heat from the primary cooling medium, and change the phase of the primary cooling medium from gas to liquid. The evaporator is configured to receive the primary cooling medium in the liquid phase from at least one of the first condenser and the second condenser.

An arrangement for cryogenic cooling comprising a cryogen tank (14), a cryogenic recondensing refrigerator (12) arranged to cool a heat exchanger which is exposed to the interior of the cryogen tank (14) and an arrangement (16; 26) for conducting heat from a cooled article (10) to the cryogen tank. A further cryogen tank (20) is provided below the heat exchanger and arranged to receive cryogen liquid recondensed on the heat exchanger.

A defrost system includes: a cooling device in a freezer, and includes a casing, a heat exchanger pipe with a difference in elevation in the casing, and a drain receiver unit below the heat exchanger pipe; a refrigerating device to cool and liquefy CO.sub.2 refrigerant; and a refrigerant circuit for permitting the cooled and liquefied CO.sub.2 refrigerant to circulate to the heat exchanger pipe. The defrost system includes a bypass pipe of the heat exchanger pipe to form a CO.sub.2 circulation path; an on-off valve in the heat exchanger pipe to be closed during defrosting so that the CO.sub.2 circulation path is a closed circuit; a pressure adjusting unit for adjusting pressure of the CO.sub.2 refrigerant during defrosting; and a brine circuit as a first heating medium, in which the defrost system permits the CO.sub.2 refrigerant to naturally circulate in the closed circuit during defrosting by a thermosiphon effect.

An apparatus for maintaining the temperature of an article at a temperature that is below the ambient air temperature includes an enclosure having an outer wall that defines an interior chamber for holding a volume of sealed air. An insert is disposed inside of the chamber and has a body that is made of a porous graphite foam material. A vacuum pump penetrates the outer wall and fluidly connects the sealed air in the interior chamber with the ambient air outside of the enclosure. The temperatures of the insert and article is maintained at temperatures that are below the ambient air temperature when a volume of a liquid is wicked into the pores of the porous insert and the vacuum pump is activated to reduce the pressure of a volume of sealed air within the interior chamber to a pressure that is below the vapor pressure of the liquid.

A cooling pipe system, including an evaporation pipe slantly arranged, a water inlet pipe, and a water removal assembly. An output end of the water inlet pipe is connected to an input end of the evaporation pipe, the water inlet pipe is connected to a three-way valve for introducing low molecular weight gas into the evaporation pipe. The water removal assembly is located below the evaporation pipe and includes a water sealing cavity, the output end of the evaporation pipe is connected to the water sealing cavity by means of a recovery pipe, the water sealing cavity is connected to a first pipeline extending upwards and communicated with the input end of the evaporation pipe, a lower end of the first pipeline is connected to a molecular sieve for preventing water vapor from passing through, and the water removal assembly is configured for absorbing the water vapor.

A cooling system, in particular for use on board an aircraft, includes a cooling circuit allowing circulation of a two-phase refrigerant therethrough, an evaporator disposed in the cooling circuit, and a condenser disposed in the cooling circuit. A plurality of subcoolers is arranged in series in the cooling circuit downstream of the condenser.

In some embodiments, a refrigeration device includes: walls substantially forming a liquid-impermeable container configured to hold phase change material internal to the refrigeration device; at least one active refrigeration unit including a set of evaporator coils positioned at least partially within the liquid-impermeable container; a unidirectional thermal conductor with a condensing end and an evaporative end, the condensing end positioned within the liquid-impermeable container; a first aperture in the liquid-impermeable container, the first aperture of a size, shape and position to permit the set of evaporator coils to traverse the aperture; a second aperture in the liquid-impermeable container, the second aperture including an internal surface of a size, shape and position to mate with an external surface of the unidirectional thermal conductor; and one or more walls substantially forming a storage region in thermal contact with the evaporative end of the unidirectional thermal conductor.

A container with active temperature control system is provided. The active temperature control system is operated to heat or cool a chamber sized to receive a beverage therein.