A refrigeration system includes a compressor, a condenser, a heat transfer component, and a refrigerant loop arranged to allow a flow of a refrigerant fluid. The compressor, the condenser, and the heat transfer component are connected in the refrigerant loop. The system further includes a bypass path extending between an output side of the compressor in the refrigerant loop and an input side of the heat transfer component in the refrigerant loop. A bypass valve is connected in the bypass path. A control circuit is in communication with the bypass valve. The control circuit is configured to open the bypass valve to allow the refrigerant fluid to pass to the heat transfer component thereby increasing the refrigerant fluid provided to the heat transfer component and artificially increasing a load on the refrigeration system. Other examples refrigeration system and examples methods are also disclosed.

Embodiments of the present invention reduce the amount of energy required to operate air-conditioners and refrigerators by providing a vapor-compression system that harnesses a low- or no-cost source of energy, namely, heat, and uses the harnessed heat to power a new kind of compressor, called a “burst compressor” and a new kind of pump, called a “vapor pump.” The heat-driven burst compressor pressurizes the refrigerant, while also providing “push and pull” vapor refrigerant to the vapor pump. The vapor pump, actuated by the high pressure refrigerant in gaseous form provided by the burst compressor, is configured to pump a combination of gaseous, vaporous and liquid refrigerant out of the receiver tank and inject that low pressure refrigerant mix into the burst compressor, where it is heated to change the state of the refrigerant to a heated, pressurized gas. Then the heated, pressurized gas is released in bursts into the other components of the vapor compression cycle. Thus, embodiments of the present invention use heat to provide cold. Because of this arrangement, vapor-compression systems constructed and arranged to operate according to embodiments of the present invention are able to provide air-conditioning and/or refrigeration much more efficiently and with much less expense than traditional vapor compression systems for air-conditioning and refrigeration.

A refrigeration system includes a compressor, a condenser, a heat transfer component, and a refrigerant loop arranged to allow a flow of a refrigerant fluid. The compressor, the condenser, and the heat transfer component are connected in the refrigerant loop. The system further includes a bypass path extending between an output side of the compressor in the refrigerant loop and an input side of the heat transfer component in the refrigerant loop. A bypass valve is connected in the bypass path. A control circuit is in communication with the bypass valve. The control circuit is configured to open the bypass valve to allow the refrigerant fluid to pass to the heat transfer component thereby increasing the refrigerant fluid provided to the heat transfer component and artificially increasing a load on the refrigeration system. Other examples refrigeration system and examples methods are also disclosed.

Versatile temperature control systems adaptable to many different applications employ different states and proportions of a pressurized dual phase medium in direct contact with a thermal load. In one aspect of the invention, thermal energy generated by pressurization of a gaseous medium is stored at a selected temperature level so that it is later readily accessible. In addition, in accordance with the invention temperature control of a two-phase medium can be exercised across selectable dynamic ranges and with different resolutions. In accordance with such features, the control can be exerted by varying the input flow rate of a mixture applied to a thermal load, or by controlling the back pressure of the flow through the thermal load. In accordance with another feature of the invention, substantial energy conservation can be effected by employing an ambient temperature evaporator configuration between the thermal load and the input to the compressor. This variant also utilizes the two-phase characteristics of the medium. Moreover, the system can be configured compactly utilizing a thermal reservoir for retaining thermal energy for special purposes. In a food processing system for providing a frozen product, for example, the thermal reservoir can be accessed to utilize the refrigerant itself in different operating modes, such as rapid heating and system cleansing. In the food processing application, target temperatures can be set and maintained on a platen which is to receive food ingredients using energy flows at two different enthalpies, to enable rapid freezing or temperature elevation.

The invention is an impulse system and a method for heat transfer in thermal nonequilibrium state through a heat-transferring wall of a heat transferring volume. The system is based on a heat transferring volume and an impulse device in fluid, pressure and thermal communication with each other, where the impulse device delivers a heat load to the heat transferring volume through a working medium in condensed phase impulses. The impulse device controls the rate of delivery of impulses such that each subsequent impulse is received before the heat capacity of the heat transferring wall returns to an equilibrium state thereby resulting in an accumulation of the changes in heat capacity of the heat transferring wall and subsequent changes in the temperature of the heat-transferring wall above or below the wall thermal equilibrium state to increase the heat transfer flow through the wall.

A rotary valve unit includes a rotary valve and a reversible motor. The rotary valve operates according to a cooling valve timing for cooling a pulse tube cryocooler when the reversible motor rotates in a forward direction and is operated according to a heating valve timing for heating the pulse tube cryocooler when the reversible motor rotates in a backward direction. The cooling valve timing is designed to generate a working gas pressure oscillation in a pulse tube and apply a first phase delay to a working gas displacement oscillation in the pulse tube with respect to the working gas pressure oscillation. The heating valve timing is designed to generate the working gas pressure oscillation in the pulse tube and apply a second different phase delay to the working gas displacement oscillation in the pulse tube with respect to the working gas pressure oscillation.

Described is, among other things, a method and an apparatus for control of a cooling device. The cooling device comprise a circuit in which a refrigerant fluid is circulated in a fluid path where the circuit comprises a compressor and a condenser provided down streams the compressor. A fluid expansion device is provided down streams the condenser and an evaporator is provided between the fluid expansion device and the compressor. The circuit further comprises a valve provided in the fluid path between the condenser and the fluid expansion device. The method comprises to during an on-cycle of the compressor controlling the valve opening to provide a variable fluid mass flow of the refrigerant fluid circulated in the circuit where the valve opening is controlled to decrease during the on-cycle of the compressor.

A refrigeration system includes a compressor, a condenser, a heat transfer component, and a refrigerant loop arranged to allow a flow of a refrigerant fluid. The compressor, the condenser, and the heat transfer component are connected in the refrigerant loop. The system further includes a bypass path extending between an output side of the compressor in the refrigerant loop and an input side of the heat transfer component in the refrigerant loop. A bypass valve is connected in the bypass path. A control circuit is in communication with the bypass valve. The control circuit is configured to open the bypass valve to allow the refrigerant fluid to pass to the heat transfer component thereby increasing the refrigerant fluid provided to the heat transfer component and artificially increasing a load on the refrigeration system. Other examples refrigeration system and examples methods are also disclosed.

Embodiments of the present invention reduce the amount of energy required to operate air-conditioners and refrigerators by providing a vapor-compression system that harnesses a low- or no-cost source of energy, namely, heat, and uses the harnessed heat to power a new kind of compressor, called a burst compressor and a new kind of pump, called a vapor pump. The heat-driven burst compressor pressurizes the refrigerant, while also providing push and pull vapor refrigerant to the vapor pump. The vapor pump, actuated by the high pressure refrigerant in gaseous form provided by the burst compressor, is configured to pump a combination of gaseous, vaporous and liquid refrigerant out of the receiver tank and inject that low pressure refrigerant mix into the burst compressor, where it is heated to change the state of the refrigerant to a heated, pressurized gas. Then the heated, pressurized gas is released in bursts into the other components of the vapor compression cycle. Thus, embodiments of the present invention use heat to provide cold. Because of this arrangement, vapor-compression systems constructed and arranged to operate according to embodiments of the present invention are able to provide air-conditioning and/or refrigeration much more efficiently and with much less expense than traditional vapor compression systems for air-conditioning and refrigeration.

An evaporator for use in a refrigeration system includes one or more Coanda evaporation chambers having an integrated, internal expansion device. The internal expansion device is a linear atomization tube having a plurality of ejection holes arranged in a series of spiral rows. Liquid refrigerant introduced into the linear atomization to is ejected onto the inner wall of the Coanda evaporation chamber, covering it completely with a thin layer of liquid refrigerant. Liquid refrigerant is fed to the linear atomization device in a series of rapid pulses.