A method for cooling a mixed beverage formed with one or more beverage components includes circulating a refrigerant through a heat exchanger having a phase change material to cool a beverage component and sensing a temperature of the refrigerant. The method further includes detecting a first instance when the sensed temperature of the refrigerant equals a threshold refrigerant temperature, detecting a second instance when the sensed temperature of the refrigerant equals the threshold refrigerant temperature, and stopping circulation of the refrigerant when the second instance is detected.

A heat exchanger includes a plurality of heat transfer tubes housed in a predetermined case, a connecting tube body for connecting the plurality of heat transfer tubes, a predetermined tube expansion portion provided on each heat transfer tube, a first peripheral wall portion provided on the tube expansion portion, and a second peripheral wall portion that is positioned on an end portion of the connecting tube body and fitted to the tube expansion portion, wherein the first and second peripheral wall portions have different sectional shapes and are fitted together in a partial contact state including predetermined contact and non-contact portions. According to this configuration, the heat transfer tubes can be fixed to a side wall portion of the case and the connecting tube body can be connected to the heat transfer tubes easily and appropriately.

Apparatus related to thermal storage and exchange systems for use in buildings to selectively cool and/or heat a heat storage medium and cause said medium to reversibly pass between a liquid phase and a solid phase without requiring a complete discharge of a thermal reservoir between phase changes. In one embodiment, a cube filled with water and a gas or liquid within the horizontal tubing is used to charge the system, thereby freezing the water. The vertical tubing is then used to recover the energy by melting the ice, which is used for air conditioning. In one embodiment, copper tubing and fins are used to efficiently charge and discharge the system.

A heat exchanger may comprise a primary fluid path comprising an outer shell enclosing a primary cavity through which a primary fluid may flow; and a secondary fluid path coupled to the primary fluid path comprising a secondary fluid supply conduit, a secondary fluid exit conduit, and a first heat transfer element coupled fluidly between the secondary fluid supply conduit and the secondary fluid exit conduit, wherein the secondary fluid path is configured such that a secondary fluid may flow through the secondary fluid supply conduit, the first heat transfer element, and the secondary fluid exit conduit, which are in fluid communication with one another. The first heat transfer element, and additional heat transfer elements, may be disposed in the primary cavity such that the primary fluid contacts a secondary outer shell of the first heat transfer element.

A gas storage device includes a casing, a lift platform, a lift mechanism, a driving mechanism, an exhaust valve and a gas joint. The lift platform is movably disposed in the casing, wherein a gas storage space is between a bottom of the casing and the lift platform. The lift mechanism is disposed in the casing and connected to the lift platform. The driving mechanism is connected to the lift mechanism. The driving mechanism drives the lift mechanism to drive the lift platform to move. The exhaust valve is connected to the lift platform and communicates with the gas storage space. The gas joint is connected to the bottom of the casing and communicates with the gas storage space.

Exemplary embodiments are generally directed to beverage chillers for chilling a hot beverage so that the hot beverage can be served as a chilled beverage in real time on demand fashion. The beverage chillers include a beverage collection section, a heat exchanger section, and a dispensing section fluidically connected relative to each other. The beverage collection section receives a beverage in a hot state. The heat exchanger section chills the beverage from the hot state to a predetermined chilled temperature. The dispensing section dispenses the beverage at or near the predetermined chilled temperature. Exemplary embodiments are also directed to methods and systems for chilling a hot beverage in real time on demand fashion.

Heat exchangers (also referred to as exchangers herein) are provided that fit within a bottom sump of a distillation column. These heat exchangers may be at least partially submerged in the bottoms fluid of the distillation column so that the exterior surface of the heat exchanger can contribute to the total area of the heat exchanger. The internal configuration of the exchanger allows for annular coaxial flow of the hot fluid (condensing vapor stream) and eliminates the need for top and bottom channel heads.

A heat exchanger including a pipe bundle to guide a fluid between first and second pipe connectors, the pipes being distributed in layers of pipes, wherein pipes of each of the layers of pipes each includes two bends, wherein a length of a flow path section is at least 1.7 times greater than lengths of two other flow path sections. A first bend of the two bends is provided between the longer flow path section and a first of the shorter flow path section, and wherein a second of the two bends is provided between the first, shorter flow path section and the other shorter flow path section, and wherein each of the layers of pipes includes two pipe subgroups. The second bend in one of the pipe subgroups in the pipe layer is opposite to the second bend-in the other pipe subgroup of the same pipe layer.

A honey processing apparatus that is configured to provide processing of a wax/honey emulsion so as to separate the honey from the wax and provide separate collection thereof. The present invention includes a vessel having a first chamber and a second chamber. The first chamber includes an interior volume having a heating fluid disposed therein. The second chamber is also disposed within the interior volume of the first chamber and wherein the heating fluid is surroundably present thereto. A coil is present within the second chamber and the coil is fluidly coupled with the heating fluid. A pump is operably coupled to the coil and is configured to provide closed-loop recirculation of the heating fluid within the coil so as to provide heating of the wax/honey emulsion in order to facilitate the separation thereof. A honey extraction tube coupled with the second chamber provides extraction of the honey.

A dual fluid heat exchange system is presented that provides a stable output temperature for a heated fluid while minimizing the output temperature of a cooled fluid. The heated and cooled fluids are brought into thermal contact with each other within a tank. The output temperature of the warmed fluid is maintained at a stable temperature by a re-circulation loop that connects directly to the mid portion of the tank such that the re-circulated fluid flow primarily warms only a re-circulation section of the tank. The other, lower flow rate, section of the tank may be positioned so that it has a cooler temperature and thus serves to increase the efficiency of the heat exchange by extracting extra heat energy out of the cooled fluid before it leaves the tank. Alternatively, the low flow rate section of the tank may be warmer than the re-circulated section, and thus allow the re-circulated section to be cooler than the output temperature of the warmed fluid.