A plate-type heat exchanger, in particular for motor vehicles, is described which includes plate pairs. In one example, a plate pair includes a first plate and a second plate that form a first flow path and a second flow path between the plates. In this configuration, the first and the second plate are associated with a first attachment plate and a second attachment plate, respectively. A third flow path is formed between the first plate and the second attachment plate and the first flow path is formed between the second plate and the first attachment plate. Alternatively, the third flow path is formed between the first plate and the first attachment plate and the first flow path is formed between the second plate and the second attachment plate. A spatial region for a fourth flow path may also be formed between adjacent plate pairs.

A ventilation and air conditioning system (6) is for a room (2) containing a heat source and the ventilation and air conditioning system (6) comprising a cooled air supply (12) and a ventilation duct (10). The ventilation duct (10) includes a primary inlet (24) connected to the cooled air supply (12) and an outlet (14) leading into the room (2). A number of heat storage elements (30) is arranged inside the ventilation duct (10) between the primary inlet (24) and the outlet (14), such that during operation of the cooled air supply (12) there is a forced stream of cooled air through the ventilation duct (10), thereby cooling and preferably freezing the heat storage elements (30). A secondary inlet (36) into the ventilation duct (10) is in flow communication with the room (2) and during operation of the cooled air supply (12) is closed by a damper (40). The damper (40) is designed to automatically open in a passive manner when the forced stream of cooled air from the cooled air supply (12) stops, such that a natural convection airflow through the ventilation duct (10) is supported, and the natural convection airflow is cooled by transferring heat to the heat storage elements (30).

A refrigerator includes a cabinet, a first inner case that defines a freezing compartment, a second inner case that defines a refrigerating compartment, a thermal siphon unit that is configured to carry a working fluid for heat transfer and that has a closed loop shape that includes a first part arranged at an outer side of the first inner case and a second part arranged at an outer side of the second inner case, and a cool air storage unit arranged in a space partitioned in the first inner case. The cool air storage unit is configured to accommodate cool air of the freezing compartment and transfer the cool air to the first part of the thermal siphon unit arranged outside of the first inner case.

In order to provide a cold storage medium container that can be smoothly and reliably filled with a cold storage medium to thereby increase productivity. In a cold storage medium container 5, a body of the container 5 constituted of a pair of container members 10 and 12, and the body has an inner fin 11 therein and is filled with the cold storage medium through a cold storage medium filling opening 20 at an end of the body therein. Furthermore, in the cold storage medium container, an engagement portion 13 projects toward inside of the body to engage a part of a corrugated end surface at each end of the inner fin 11, to thereby position the inner fin 11 in the body, and a gap is disposed between the end surface at each end of the positioned inner fin 11 and an inner wall of the body.

A cooling circuit comprising a liquid circulation path and arranged on the path: in series, an engine and a radiator, mounted on a first branch in parallel between the inlet and outlet of the radiator, a store-exchanger containing at least one volume: enclosing elements for storing and releasing thermal energy, involving a phase change material PCM, placed in a heat exchange relationship with said liquid, and around which are arranged at least one first layer containing a PCM and one second layer containing a porous thermally insulating material, and valves so positioned as to direct the circulation of the liquid arriving from the engine toward the radiator and/or the store-exchanger.

A system including a chilled air generation system, a forced air convection system, one or more phase change material (PCM) modules, and a controller. The controller is configured to regulate the temperature of a facility by selectively utilizing the chilled air generation system and the forced air convection system based on multiple factors, which may include energy source type(s), relative costs of the energy from the source(s), availability of energy from the source(s), facility temperature, PCM module temperature, and/or temperature of goods stored within the facility, among other considerations. The controller may thus advantageously and cost-effectively control the periods of time during which the chilled air generation system is used and those during which the thermal energy stored in the PCM modules is used.

The evaporator (12) for a motor vehicle air conditioning device comprises at least one refrigerant tube (22, 22A) intended to allow the circulation of a refrigerant fluid and at least one storage member (10) comprising at least one housing (16, 20) comprising a material referred to as a thermal storage material (21) intended to store frigories and release them to a ventilation fluid intended to circulate towards an interior of the vehicle. The housing (16) has a substantially hemispherical shape.

A thermal-storage container used in thermal systems to exchange heat by fluid flow though phase-changing material disposed inside the thermal-storage container, including a thermal-storage container housing, a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, and one or more capsules containing the phase-change material, and defining a plurality of passages configured to direct the flow of the fluid at different portions inside the housing, wherein an actual fluid flow length from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet is longer than a direct length measured between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet through all sections through which the fluid flows. Related apparatus and methods are also described.

In one aspect, methods of managing the temperature of a room are described herein. In some embodiments, such a method described herein comprises disposing a fixture in an interior of the room, wherein the fixture comprises or contains a phase change material. Additionally, in some cases, the fixture is a decorative fixture, such as a piece of artwork.

An apparatus includes multiple layers of phase-stable material, where adjacent layers of the phase-stable material are separated by multiple spaces. The apparatus also includes liquid phase change material in the spaces between the adjacent layers of the phase-stable material. The liquid phase change material is configured to become gaseous phase change material based on thermal energy absorbed by the liquid phase change material. The apparatus further includes at least one release configured to block passage of the liquid phase change material out of the spaces between the adjacent layers of the phase-stable material. The at least one release is also configured to allow passage of the gaseous phase change material out of the spaces between the adjacent layers of the phase-stable material.