The invention provides, in some aspects, a thermal energy storage and retrieval system with a cavity containing a working fluid and a heat transfer surface disposed in the cavity transverse to a gravity field and in thermal coupling with an ice that is formed from and floating in the working fluid. The heat transfer surface transfers to that ice heat from a heat transfer medium that is thermally coupled to the heat transfer surface. According to aspects of the invention in which the ice is less dense than the working fluid, the heat transfer surface is disposed above (with respect to the gravity field) a region of the cavity where that ice is formed or inlet. According to aspects of the invention in which the ice is more dense than the working fluid, the heat transfer surface is disposed below that region.

Secondary loop air conditioning and heat pump systems include a reservoir with a capsule holding a phase change material.

Disclosed is a technique for characterizing a product utilizing novel measurements based on the reactive and resistive signals exhibited by the product in an electromagnetic field.

An system and method for cooling of electronic equipment, for example a computer system, in a subsurface environment including a containment vessel in at least partial contact with subsurface liquid or solid material. The containment vessel may be disposed in a variety of subsurface environments, including boreholes, man-made excavations, subterranean caves, as well as ponds, lakes, reservoirs, oceans, or other bodies of water. The containment vessel may be installed with a subsurface configuration allowing for human access for maintenance and modification. Cooling is achieved by one or more fluids circulating inside and/or outside the containment vessel, with a variety of configurations of electronic devices disposed within the containment vessel. The circulating fluid(s) may be cooled in place by thermal conduction or by active transfer of the fluid(s) out of the containment vessel to an external heat exchange mechanism, then back into the containment vessel.

The present invention intends to provide a drinking water circulation device (2) for cold water consumption, which is compactly accommodable in a building, universally and easily connectable to different cooling devices, easy to operate and, in addition, little failure-prone and easy to install. This drinking water circulation device (2) comprises a heat exchanger for cooling the drinking water, a return connection (24) for feeding drinking water returned from a circulation pipe into the drinking water circulation device (2), a supply connection (26) for discharging the cooled drinking water from the drinking water circulation device (2), a drinking water circulation pump (10) provided between the return connection (24) and the supply connection (26), a buffer tank (4) for a cooling medium (22), a cooling medium pump (22) provided in a cooling medium flow path between the buffer tank (4) and the heat exchanger (6), a control device (12) for controlling the cooling medium pump (8) and a supply temperature sensor (56), which is associated with the supply and is data-connected to the control device (12).

Dry ice cooling systems and methods of making dry ice cooling systems are disclosed. According to embodiments, dry ice cooling systems include a compression container including compressed liquid carbon dioxide. The dry ice cooling systems include a dry ice container coupled to the compression container to receive the liquid carbon dioxide and house dry ice as it forms. The dry ice container includes a liquid coolant. Further, the dry ice cooling system includes a heat exchanger to couple a heat-generating source to the dry ice container.

A cooling or freezing device which includes a helical coil into which a compressed gas is forced; a cylindrical chamber that is disposed adjacent to the helical coil; and an insulating sleeve. The coil is formed in a cylindrical form and enclosed within the insulating sleeve, while the insulating sleeve is constructed and arranged for receiving a bottle or can for cooling. A compressed gas cylinder is disposed within the cylindrical chamber; and an actuation member is coupled with the cylindrical chamber and constructed and arranged to selectively expel the compressed gas from the compressed gas cylinder to the helical coil.

According to various aspects, exemplary embodiments are disclosed of chiller systems including thermoelectric modules, and corresponding control methods. In an exemplary embodiment, a compressor chiller system generally includes a refrigerant loop having a refrigerant fluid, a compressor connected in the refrigerant loop to compress the refrigerant fluid, and a condenser connected in the refrigerant loop to receive the compressed refrigerant fluid from the compressor and to condense the compressed refrigerant fluid. The system also includes a heat transfer component connected in the refrigerant loop to receive the condensed refrigerant fluid from the condenser, and a coolant loop having a coolant fluid. The heat transfer component is connected in the coolant loop to transfer heat from the coolant fluid to the condensed refrigerant fluid. The system further includes a thermoelectric module connected in the coolant loop. The thermoelectric module is adapted to transfer heat into and/or out of the coolant fluid.

The present invention provides a slushy cup capable of realizing quick heat exchange. The slushy cup capable of realizing quick heat exchange includes an inner core, an outer cup body, and a sealing connection sleeve sleeving the outer cup body, wherein the sealing connection sleeve stores a refrigerant in an interlayer in a sealing manner through multi-layer sealing, and convex ribs are distributed on an outer circumferential side wall of a main body portion of the inner core, thereby increasing a contact area of heat exchange and enhancing the strength of an outer wall of the inner core. Through full contact between the convex ribs on an outer surface of the inner core and the refrigerant, cold energy of the refrigerant in the interlayer is quickly conducted to a drink in the inner core to quickly cool the drink into a slushy drink.

A cold storage box 1 comprises a housing 2 internally having a storage space S for a cold storage object, and one or more heat exchanger tubes 3 provided in the storage space S; wherein the heat exchanger tubes 3 are each a multilayer tube comprising an outer tube with thermal conductivity having an outer surface facing the storage space S, and as inner tube provided inside the outer tube; a first brine solution that does not freeze at 0 C. is contained between the outer tube and the inner tube; and a refrigerant, or a second brine solution that does not freeze at 0 C. is contained inside the inner tube.