Abstract: A battery cooler includes at least one support plate and at least one structure plate coupled to the at least one support plate. The at least one structure plate includes a flow channel for receiving a fluid therein. A cross-section of the flow channel has a width greater than a height thereof. The flow channel includes a plurality of webs, wherein one of the webs is disposed adjacent another one of the webs in respect of a direction of flow of the fluid, and the webs decrease the cross-section of the flow channel.

Abstract: An air-conditioning apparatus, including a refrigerant circuit connecting a compressor, a heat source side heat exchanger, an expansion valve, and a use side heat exchanger in order with a refrigerant piping. A compressor heater is provided for heating the compressor when the compressor is not in operation. A compressor temperature sensor is provided for detecting a compressor temperature. A refrigerant temperature detection sensor is provided for detecting a refrigerant temperature in the compressor. A controller is configured to estimate an amount of liquid refrigerant in the compressor by integrating the temperature difference between the compressor temperature and the refrigerant temperature during a period in which the compressor temperature becomes lower than the refrigerant temperature, and control the heating operation, which is carried out by the compressor heater, on the basis of the estimated liquid refrigerant amount when the compressor is not in operation.

Abstract: A lubrication system thermostat for controlling the flow of oil in a lubrication system includes a valve and an actuator. The valve is configured to modulate between an unmodulated position and a modulated position, each of which may be in an open position or a closed position. In the open position, at least a portion of the oil flow is unobstructed, and in the closed position, the oil flow is substantially blocked. The actuator is configured to modulate the valve. The actuator includes a thermal element configured to generate mechanical displacement when subjected to a temperature change such that the valve is movable from and returnable to the unmodulated position. The lubrication system thermostat may be in a normally-open configuration, in which the unmodulated position is the open position, or a normally-closed configuration, in which the unmodulated position is the closed position.

Abstract: A refrigerator, a sealed refrigerant system, and method are provided where the refrigerator includes at least a refrigerated compartment and a sealed refrigerant system including an evaporator, a compressor, a condenser, a controller, an evaporator fan, and a condenser fan. The method includes monitoring a frequency of the compressor, and identifying a fault condition in the at least one component of the refrigerant sealed system in response to the compressor frequency. The method may further comprise calculating a compressor frequency rate based upon the rate of change of the compressor frequency, wherein a fault in the condenser fan is identified if the compressor frequency rate is positive and exceeds a condenser fan fault threshold rate, and wherein a fault in the evaporator fan is identified if the compressor frequency rate is negative and exceeds an evaporator fan fault threshold rate.

Abstract: COP deteriorates when a dehumidification operation is executed. In an air conditioner of the present invention, an indoor heat exchanger includes an auxiliary heat exchanger 20 and a main heat exchanger 21 provided leeward from the auxiliary heat exchanger 20. When the air conditioner is driven in a predetermined dehumidification operation mode, a liquid refrigerant supplied to the auxiliary heat exchanger 20 fully evaporates midway in the auxiliary heat exchanger 20. For this reason, only an upstream part of the auxiliary heat exchanger functions as an evaporation region, and an area downstream of the evaporation region of the auxiliary heat exchanger 20 is a superheat region. When the load is high at the selection of a dehumidification operation to start driving, a cooling operation is started and then switching to the dehumidification operation is executed in accordance with the decrease in the load.

Abstract: A fan mechanism includes fan units having fan panels, motors mounted inwardly of said fan panels, fans positioned inwardly of the fan panels and driven by the motors, where a pair of vertical rails is mounted on both sides of each of discharge openings inwardly of the front plate so that the inner portions thereof face each other, panel retainers are attached inwardly to the lower portions of the discharge openings, press portions are formed at upper portions of both sides of the fan panels, both sides of each fan panel are pushed down into the vertical rails downward from above while being guided by the pair of vertical rails, the lower edge of the fan panel rides on the panel retainer, and the press portions are pushed down into the vertical rails, so that the fan panel is pressed against the inside of the front plate.

Abstract: A heat pipe structure includes a main body having a chamber. The chamber has a first side and a second side. A first capillary structure and a second capillary structure are respectively disposed on the first and second sides. A working fluid is filled in the chamber. The first capillary structure has a radial extension range larger than or equal to one half of a circumference of inner wall face of the chamber and larger than a radial extension range of the second capillary structure. The first and second capillary structures are connected with each other. The first and second capillary structures and the inner wall face of the chamber together define at least one vapor passage. By means of the heat pipe structure, the amount of transferred heat is increased and the heat transfer efficiency is greatly enhanced.

Abstract: A refrigerator includes a secondary cooling path for circulating liquid coolant through the refrigerator wherein the liquid coolant is cooled by the freezer compartment and wherein the liquid coolant cools the ice maker and the ice bin as the liquid coolant circulates through the secondary cooling path. A pump is positioned along the secondary cooling path for pumping the liquid coolant through the secondary cooling path. A tube having a first end proximate the pump and an opposite end exposed to atmosphere may control suction pressure associated with the pump. The refrigerator reduces frost build up through configuration of the secondary cooling path or performing ice harvesting operations which melt frost. The secondary cooling path may be used to provide for circulating hot liquid. The secondary cooling path may be used to provide for circulating liquid coolant during a power outage.

Abstract: Methods of providing dehumidification control in unoccupied spaces are disclosed. An illustrative method can include the steps of providing a controller having an away mode of operation adapted to provide dehumidification within the interior space of a building or room, providing one or more system components adapted to control the humidity and/or temperature within the interior space, initiating the away mode of operation within the controller, and operating the one or more system components for at least one cycle to reduce the humidity within the interior space.

Abstract: A suction modulation valve is throttled when conditions in a refrigerant system indicate that an undesirable amount of liquid refrigerant might otherwise be delivered to the compressor. As an example, the throttling would occur at start-up, among other conditions. Throttling the suction modulation valve reduces the amount of refrigerant reaching the compressor and thus ensures that any liquid refrigerant would be likely “boiled off” before raising any problems in the compressor. Other control steps can also be performed to alleviate flooded compressor operation with liquid refrigerant. Such steps, for example, can include actuating heaters, discharge valve throttling, by-passing refrigerant from an intermediate compression point back to suction, controlling the speed of the condenser fan can be performed independently or in combination including the suction modulation valve throttling.

Abstract: A thermostat includes a wiring terminal having a moveable component that is actuatable to enable insertion of an HVAC system conductive wire within the wiring terminal. Insertion of the HVAC system conductive wire within the wiring terminal electrically connects the wiring terminal and the HVAC system conductive wire. The actuation of the moveable component opens a loop of an electrical circuit that does not include the HVAC system conductive wire. The loop may enable power harvesting for the thermostat.

Abstract: Some modular heat-transfer systems can have an array of at least one heat-transfer element being configured to transfer heat to a working fluid from an operable element. A manifold module can have a distribution manifold and a collection manifold. A decoupleable inlet coupler can be configured to fluidicly couple the distribution manifold to a respective heat-transfer element. A decoupleable outlet coupler can be configured to fluidicly couple the respective heat-transfer element to the collection manifold. An environmental coupler can be configured to receive the working fluid from the collection manifold, to transfer heat to an environmental fluid from the working fluid or to transfer heat from an environmental fluid to the working fluid, and to discharge the working fluid to the distribution manifold.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for compressing a cryogenic fluid using a multi-stage compressor. Coolant in a first coolant loop cools cooling jackets of the compression stages and/or inter-stage heat exchangers and warms a pre-compression heat exchanger. The temperature of the coolant in the first heat exchanger is moderated by ambient-air heat exchange. The process fluid is electively cooled by one of the interstage heat exchangers after each of the compression stage if the temperature of the process fluid is above a temperature criterion. This enables the system to operate through a transient period (cool down period) without venting process fluid. The interstage heat exchangers are preferably bypassed when the system reaches steady-state operating temperature.

Abstract: An air conditioning apparatus has a refrigerant circuit in which a compressor, a four-way switching valve, an outdoor heat exchanger, an expansion valve, and an indoor heat exchanger are interconnected. The outdoor heat exchanger uses multi-hole flat tubes as heat transfer tubes. When stopping a heating operation, the air conditioning apparatus performs pressure equalization control that switches the four-way switching valve from a heating cycle state to a cooling cycle state, thereafter stops the compressor, and equalizes the pressure in the refrigerant circuit.

Abstract: An apparatus for plugging a bore of a tube sheet, the apparatus includes cantilevered members that project radially outward from a body on the inner surface of the tube sheet. Slots can be drilled into a tube the projects into the bore and the cantilevered members set into the slots. The cantilevered members can slide radially outward from within the body, or can be pivotingly attached on an end of the body. One end of a bolt threadingly attaches to the body, and attaches on its other end to a nut circumscribing the tube sheet bore on its outer surface. A deformable collar circumscribes the bolt between the body and nut and provides a seal within the tube sheet bore. The apparatus can also be used to plug bores that do not include tubes.

Abstract: A spiral exchanger has a winding axis and includes an outer sheet and an inner sheet secured to one another in a fastening plane before winding, and delimiting a space for a fluid between them. The outer sheet and the inner sheet are wound on themselves and each sheet includes a plurality of flexible areas and a plurality of rigid areas. The flexible areas are more flexible than the rigid areas during folding. The flexible areas and the rigid areas are extended along the winding axis, and at least one flexible area of the outer sheet and at least one flexible area of the inner sheet that delimit the space between them form a pair of flexible areas that are aligned in the same radial direction.

Abstract: A cryopump system includes a cryopump configured to perform a preparatory operation including a cooldown from a room temperature to a cryogenic temperature and to perform a vacuum pumping operation at the cryogenic temperature, a compressor unit of a working gas for the cryopump, a gas line connecting the cryopump and the compressor unit, a gas volume adjuster configured to increase a quantity of the working gas in the gas line during the vacuum pumping operation in comparison with that during the preparatory operation, and a control device configured to control the compressor unit so as to provide a pressure control for the gas line.

Abstract: An air conditioning system includes an exterior housing, and a motor having fan blades rotatably coupled thereto located within the exterior housing. The air conditioning system further includes a controller coupled to the motor and configured to, based upon climate conditions proximate the exterior housing, alternate between an ON cycle during which the fan blades are rotated and an OFF cycle during which the fan blades are not rotated.

Abstract: A refrigerator includes a separate cool air supply channel formed in an ice making chamber door so as to supply cool air to a crushing chamber formed in the ice making chamber door, which is connected to the front portion of an ice bank storing ice dropped from an ice making tray, to open and close an ice making chamber, thereby preventing ice remaining in the crushing chamber from melting.

Abstract: A cascade CO2 refrigeration system includes a medium temperature loop for circulating a medium refrigerant and a low temperature loop for circulating a CO2 refrigerant. The medium temperature loop includes a heat exchanger having a first side and a second side. The first side evaporates the medium temperature refrigerant. The low temperature loop includes a discharge header for circulating the CO2 refrigerant through the second side of the heat exchanger to condense the CO2 refrigerant, a liquid-vapor separator collects liquid CO2 refrigerant and directs vapor CO2 refrigerant to the second side of the heat exchanger. A liquid CO2 supply header receives liquid CO2 refrigerant from the liquid-vapor separator. Medium temperature loads receive liquid CO2 refrigerant from the liquid supply header for use as a liquid coolant at a medium temperature. An expansion device expands liquid CO2 refrigerant from the liquid supply header into a low temperature liquid-vapor mixture for use by the low temperature loads.