A thermal energy exchange and ventilated hollow core slab system and method within a building where the slab has an air passage with an inlet and outlet, an air handler unit having adjustable heating/cooling structure and, and ventilation structure connected to the hollow core concrete slab, and a building control connected to the hollow core concrete slab and air handler system for relative thermal exchange between the air and hollow core concrete slab to control user comfort; where the building is grid enabled.

A geothermal heating and cooling system that uses a water source to provide a heat transfer medium is provided. Elements of the system may include a water source, one or more circulation loops coupled to the water source, a heat exchanger and/or heat pump, and/or a monitoring component configured to monitor for conditions within the system, including leak integrity and water quality.

Waste heat generated by devices as a byproduct of their operation is utilized to increase and maintain the temperature of non-potable water to neutralize biological contaminants, thereby rendering such water potable. The potable water can then be utilized for evaporative cooling of the devices. A temperature sensor monitors the temperature of the non-potable water and a controller controls the pump to provide sufficient time for the water to remain in the heat exchanger above a predetermined temperature to neutralize biological contaminants and render such water potable. To the extent that different devices generate different quantities and intensities of waste heat, multiple heat exchangers are utilized, with lower intensity waste heat serving to preheat the water and, thereby, reduce the amount of time needed to reach the target temperature in a primary heat exchanger. Waste heat not utilized to generate potable water can be utilized for other heat-driven processes.

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.

There is disclosed a system for cooling a water-cooled apparatus having a water inlet and a water outlet. The system has: a circuit in fluid communication with the water inlet and the water outlet, the circuit having a valve upstream of the water inlet connected to a source of water, and an outlet in fluid communication with a sewer; an air-cooled cooling unit in heat exchange relationship with water in the circuit; and a pump fluidly connected to the circuit; the system operable between a closed-loop configuration and an open configuration, the valve being closed and the pump circulating water between the water-cooled apparatus and the air-cooled cooling unit in the closed-loop configuration, and the valve being open and water in the circuit circulating from the source of water, through the water-cooled apparatus, and to the sewer in the open configuration.

Methods and functional elements for enhanced thermal management of predominantly enclosed spaces to enable the construction of buildings with reduced power requirements for heating and/or air-conditioning systems. The methods may be 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 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. In some instances the invention reduces the time to reach desired temperatures inside such buildings, habitats, or other predominantly enclosed spaces.

The present application provides a temperature control device for fluids, which comprises a furnace, a fluid pipe, a plurality of regenerative members, a burner, and an air control device. The burner heats the furnace to store heat to the regenerative members inside the furnace and conduct the thermal energy to the fluid pipe. The fluid pipi outputs a heated liquid. In addition, the regenerative members further produce and transport heated air to the air control device. The air control device converts the heated air to output cooled air.

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.

There is disclosed a system for cooling a water-cooled apparatus having a water inlet and a water outlet. The system has: a circuit in fluid communication with the water inlet and the water outlet, the circuit having a valve upstream of the water inlet connected to a source of water, and an outlet in fluid communication with a sewer; an air-cooled cooling unit in heat exchange relationship with water in the circuit; and a pump fluidly connected to the circuit; the system operable between a closed-loop configuration and an open configuration, the valve being closed and the pump circulating water between the water-cooled apparatus and the air-cooled cooling unit in the closed-loop configuration, and the valve being open and water in the circuit circulating from the source of water, through the water-cooled apparatus, and to the sewer in the open configuration.

A method of modulating the impact of electromagnetic irradiance on the thermal energy budget of a predominantly enclosed space includes providing at least an inner shell of the predominantly enclosed space, and placing a plurality of functional elements in an exterior position relative to an outside facing side of the inner shell. The outside facing surfaces of the functional elements have higher reflectivity in the visible (VIS) and near infrared (NIR) wavelength range relative to the (MIR) wavelength range. The inside facing surfaces of the functional elements have higher reflectivity in the NIR and mid-infrared (MIR) wavelength range relative to the (VIS) wavelength range. A thickness of the functional elements is equal to or smaller than a thickness of the inner shell.