A thermal energy storage unit is disclosed. The system comprising: a tube having at least one inlet and at least one outlet for a first fluid; a plurality of plate-shaped or box-shaped capsules having a second fluid therein, wherein the plurality of capsules is arranged inside the tube to form a plurality of stacks of capsules; wherein: the first fluid is a heat transfer fluid for exchanging heat with the second fluid; the second fluid is a phase-change medium; wherein a plurality of defined narrow flow paths for the first fluid is provided between the capsules. The defined flow paths increase the efficiency of the system.

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 thermal energy storage unit is disclosed. The system comprising: a tube having at least one inlet and at least one outlet for a first fluid; a plurality of plate-shaped or box-shaped capsules having a second fluid therein, wherein the plurality of capsules is arranged inside the tube to form a plurality of stacks of capsules; wherein: the first fluid is a heat transfer fluid for exchanging heat with the second fluid; the second fluid is a phase-change medium; wherein a plurality of defined narrow flow paths for the first fluid is provided between the capsules. The defined flow paths increase the efficiency of the system.

An air conditioner includes a housing, a compressor system provided in the housing and including a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger, a compressor, and a throttle device that are circularly communicated, and a liquid pump system provided in the housing and including a third heat exchanger, an energy storage device, and a liquid pump device that are circularly communicated. The liquid pump system contains a coolant circulating in the liquid pump system. The energy storage device includes an energy storage medium configured to receive energy from the second heat exchanger and store the energy, and to exchange heat with the coolant.

A temperature management system for a private household or public building wherein there is one hot reservoir and one cold reservoir which are or can be coupled with at least one solar collector or outdoor heat exchanger that is installed outdoors for the purpose of heating or cooling the respective reservoir.

An evaporative air cooler includes a housing including a top portion and a bottom portion coupled to the top portion. The evaporative air cooler further includes a water tank disposed in the top portion of the housing and configured to store water therein. The water tank includes an upper portion and a lower portion extending from the upper portion. The evaporative air cooler also includes a fan disposed within the housing. The evaporative air cooler further includes a holder removably attached to a back face of the housing. The evaporative air cooler also includes an ice pack at least partially received and supported by the holder. The ice pack is configured for cooling air entering the evaporative air cooler.

The disclosed technology includes devices and methods for optimizing refrigerant flow in a heat exchanger. The disclosed technology can include a heat exchanger unit that has a first heat exchanger coil that experiences a first airflow of air passing over the first heat exchanger coil and a second heat exchanger coil that experiences a second airflow of air passing over the second heat exchanger coil. The first airflow can be less than the second air flow. The disclosed technology can include distributor tubes in fluid communication with the heat exchanger coils to direct a flow of refrigerant from an expansion valve to the heat exchanger coils. The first distributor tube can reduce a flow rate of refrigerant to the first heat exchanger coil such that a greater amount of refrigerant is directed to the second heat exchanger coil and refrigerant exits each heat exchanger coil as a superheated vapor.

This application relates to an apparatus for generating refrigeration. The apparatus may include a cooling collector configured to collect cooling energy at a predetermined cooling collection temperature. The apparatus may also include a cooler thermally coupled to the cooling collector so as to cool the cooling collector. The apparatus may further include a refrigeration gate configured to block and release the collected cooling energy. The refrigeration gate may refrigerate a target region by releasing the collected cooling energy.

Disclosed are methods and functional elements for enhanced thermal management of predominantly enclosed spaces. In particular, the invention enables the construction of buildings with reduced power requirements for heating and/or air-conditioning systems since under certain conditions less energy for heating or cooling is required to maintain, within certain boundaries, desirable temperatures inside such buildings, habitats, or other enclosed spaces.

In some instances the invention is in part based on dynamically changing functional elements with variable properties, or effective properties, in terms of their electromagnetic radiative behavior and/or their thermal energy storage properties, or the spatial distribution of the stored thermal energy, which permits the application of methods and algorithms to control the overall thermal behavior of the entire structure in such a way that desired levels of inside temperature can be reached with reduced consumption of external energy (typically electricity, gas, oil, or coal).

In some instances no conventional heating of cooling is required at all, whereas in other instances the expenditure of external energy for conventional heating or cooling is reduced. In some instances the invention enables the reduction of the time to reach desired temperatures inside such buildings, habitats, or other predominantly enclosed spaces.

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.