Abstract: An electrocaloric with active regeneration includes first and second electrocaloric capacitors proximate one another enabling heat transfer there between. In the system, complementary first and second electric fields are applied to their respective electrocaloric capacitors such that when the electric fields are applied the temperature of the first electrocaloric capacitor increases while the temperature of the second electrocaloric capacitor decreases or vice-versa. Shifting of one or both of the electrocaloric capacitors relative to one another assists in heat transfer between the two and may additionally transfer heat from an object to be cooled, which is connected to the first electrocaloric capacitor, to a heat sink, which is connected to a second electrocaloric capacitor.

Abstract: A heating and cooling system includes an evaporator, a compressor, and a condenser. A heat exchanger, which may be an outdoor heat exchanger, is configured to receive the refrigerant from the condenser, to selectively extract heat from or to add heat to the refrigerant, and to transfer the refrigerant to the evaporator. First control valving, disposed between the condenser and the heat exchanger, is configured to regulate flow of the refrigerant from the condenser to the heat exchanger in a first mode of operation. Second control valving, disposed between the condenser and the heat exchanger, is configured to regulate flow of the refrigerant from the heat exchanger to the evaporator in a second mode of operation. The system may be operated in a variety of modes by appropriate control of the valving and other system components.

Abstract: A heat sink assembly is disclosed for cooling a power electronics module, such as a variable frequency drive. The heat sink assembly includes a housing and a heat sink structure. The housing defines an interior chamber for enclosing the power electronics module and also defines a cooling air flow channel exterior to the interior chamber. The heat sink structure is disposed in conductive heat transfer relationship with the interior chamber and has a heat transfer surface positioned within the exterior cooling air flow channel in convective heat transfer relationship with the cooling air flow.

Abstract: This invention provides a cold trap using a Stirling refrigerator. A refrigerator includes a drive piston configured to drive a free piston so as to reciprocally move a working medium between a heat dissipation portion and a heat absorption portion, a vibration sensor configured to measure a vibration of a case, a dynamic vibration absorber configured to reduce the vibration of the case when the drive piston is driven, and a frequency adjustment device configured to adjust a driving frequency to reduce the vibration of the case when the drive piston is driven in a state in which the case is connected to a vacuum device.

Abstract: A refrigerator having an ice and water dispenser has a seal to sealingly engage the ice compartment when the refrigerator door is closed. The seal is flexible to accommodate manufacturing tolerance. The seal may be impregnated with a friction reducing agent to increase life of the seal.

Abstract: A refrigerator includes a freezing compartment and a refrigerating compartment, a refrigerating compartment door, an ice maker disposed in the freezing compartment, and an ice bank disposed on the door. The refrigerator also includes an ice transfer device configured to transfer ice made by the ice maker to the ice bank through an ice chute. The ice transfer device includes a housing and a transfer member configured to transfer ice from the housing into the ice chute. An inlet end of the ice chute is located at a point that is spaced upward from a bottom surface of the housing and extends upward from a horizontal plane at an angle that is less than an angle between the horizontal plane and a tangent that passes through an outer circumferential surface of the housing at a lower end of the inlet end of the ice chute.

Abstract: Arrangements for the use of energy harvested by adaptive cooling and energy harvesting arrangements for use in information technology and other heat-producing equipment are disclosed. The arrangements provide for cooling and energy harvesting subsystems, each of which can operate in isolation and can be interconnected with additional subsystems in peer and hierarchical relationships. Each subsystem comprises at least one thermoelectric device capable of acting as a thermoelectric cooler and as a thermoelectric generator, a control system, and electronics controlled to selectively configure the thermoelectric device in at least in a thermoelectric cooler operating mode and in a thermoelectric generation operating mode. The thermoelectric device can incorporate quantum-process and quantum-well materials for higher heat transfer and thermoelectric generation efficiencies.

Abstract: An egg chiller is provided that can be used to chill both raw and hard-boiled eggs. The egg chiller has a base tray and at least one additional tray. An interior volume of both the base tray and the at least one additional tray is filled with an amount of water through an interior opening. A plug is inserted into the interior opening of both the base tray and the at least one additional tray in order to prevent the amount of water from leaking out. After the amount of water is allowed to freeze, eggs are placed within a plurality of egg-bottom recesses of both the base tray and the at least one additional tray. The at least one additional tray is then stacked on top of the base tray, allowing for compact storage of the egg chiller.

Abstract: Aspects of the invention support simultaneous operation of a cooling side and a heating side of an apparatus to change the temperatures of a cooling serving surface and a heating serving surface, respectively. A cooling semiconductor device (which may comprise one or more Peltier devices) transfers heat from its top to its bottom while a heating semiconductor device (which may similarly comprise one or more Peltier devices) transfers heat from its bottom to its top. A heat pipe transfers waste heat from the cooling semiconductor device's bottom to the heating semiconductor device's bottom and waste cold from the heating semiconductor device's bottom to the cooling semiconductor device's bottom.

Abstract: In a heat exchanger, a refrigerant side header tank and a coolant side header tank which are connected with refrigerant tubes and coolant tubes include a plate header member, a communication intermediate plate member, a blocking intermediate plate member, and a tank header member. The communication intermediate plate member includes first and second fluid communication holes through which refrigerant and coolant flow, respectively. In this situation, with a simple configuration in that a part of the first and second fluid communication holes is blocked by the blocking intermediate plate member, a communication state between both tubes and internal spaces of the header tanks is regulated.

Abstract: A chiller system and a control method thereof includes a plurality of chiller modules in which a refrigeration cycle is performed to supply cold water, a main control device generating an operation signal to simultaneously or successively operate the plurality of chiller modules, a module control device provided in each of the plurality of chiller modules to control an operation of each of the plurality of chiller modules on the basis of the operation signal of the main control device, and a starting device communicably connected to the module control device to selectively apply power into the plurality of chiller modules.

Abstract: A self-contained thermally actuated flow-control valve assembly comprises a base, an actuator, and a return member. The base has a longitudinal axis, a stop surface and a retention wall. The actuator has a generally cylindrical guide, a piston, a diaphragm, a thermally active pellet, and a generally cylindrical cup. The guide has an exterior surface on which a plurality of retention members are configured. The piston assembly is coaxial with the longitudinal axis. The generally cylindrical cup has a leading wall, a sidewall contiguous with the leading wall, and a trailing shoulder axially opposite the leading wall. The return member has axially opposed first and second ends. The first end engages the retention members and the second end engaging the base. The return member exerts a biasing force on the actuator axially towards said base. The actuator exerts a variable actuating force in a direction axially opposite the biasing force.

Abstract: A heat exchange matrix includes a plurality of generally planar foils including a water retaining material, arranged in spaced, substantially parallel relationship. Each foil defines a main plane having a flow direction and a transverse direction and the foils include strips that extend a strip length in the transverse direction and are separated from each neighboring strip in the flow direction and each strip is offset from the main plane by a distance that is different from that of its neighbor. The matrix may be provided in a flow channel for air to be humidified and cooled.

Abstract: A cooling system includes; an evaporator evaporating a refrigerant by heat exchange with room air; a water-cooled condenser being arranged above the evaporator and condensing the refrigerant by heat exchange with cold water; a cold-water flow control valve controlling the flow rate of the cold water supplied to the water-cooled condenser; a refrigerant cooling tower being arranged above the evaporator and condensing the refrigerant by heat exchange with outside air; a blower being arranged at the refrigerant cooling tower and blowing the outside air; a refrigerant-temperature detector detecting the temperature of the refrigerant condensed by the water-cooled condenser and/or the refrigerant cooling tower; and a controller changing at least one of the opening in the cold-water flow control valve and the rotational speed of a motor in the blower according to the temperature.

Abstract: An improved humidifier system for adding humidity to an air stream of an HVAC system. The humidifier system includes an air path that is configured to accept air from a first HVAC duct and return air to a second HVAC duct. A damper is disposed in the air path to selectively substantially block the flow of air in the air path, or to substantially not block the flow of air in the air path. In some cases, the damper may be a motorized damper, and the humidifier system may include a controller that is configured to cause the motorized damper to not substantially block the flow of air in the air path during a call for humidifier operation, and to substantially block the flow of air in the air path after the call for humidifier operation ends. Alternatively, the damper may be manually actuated, and an HVAC controller may be configured to notify when the damper should be moved (e.g. between seasons).

Abstract: [Problem to be solved] To reduce the fluctuation in the driving force. [Means to solve Problem] A magnetic cooling/heating apparatus comprising: a heat transfer unit 1000A comprising a plurality of heat transfer devices 50-1, 50-2, . . . arranged in parallel at intervals, wherein the heat transfer device 50-1 comprises magnetic bodies 10A-10F with a magneto-caloric effect and heat-conductive parts 30A-30G that transfer the heat of the magnetic bodies 10A-10F, both of which are alternately arranged; a magnetic unit 2000A comprising a plurality of magnets 21A, 21C, . . . that are arranged so as to face against each of the magnetic bodies 10A-10F of the heat transfer unit 1000A and to selectively apply and remove the magnetic field to/from each of the magnetic bodies 10A-10F; and a motor 350 that moves at least one of the heat transfer unit 1000A and the magnetic unit 2000A facing each other, relative to each other in the direction in which the heat transfer devices 50-1, 50-2, . . .

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for water collection from atmospheric moisture in large quantities in uncontrolled outdoor environments where the temperature may be cold and humidity levels low. To extract water from air when the dew point is low, a heat exchanger cools to a point where water vapor is deposited on its surface as ice. The heat exchanger then cycles through a heating phase to melt the ice and generate liquid water. The accumulation of frost is advantageous. Frost accumulation enables water collection when the dew point is low. Disclosed variations enhance efficiency and environmental tolerance.

Abstract: Systems and methods for generating liquid water include multiple atmospheric water generation devices adapted to produce liquid water from atmospheric humidity, used in conjunction with a turbine. The turbine is usable to simultaneously provide power to the devices, while the air intake thereof is used to move air associated with the devices, enabling a generally continuous supply of atmospheric air to be processed while reducing the accumulation of heat associated with the devices.

Abstract: Cooling devices for use with electric submersible pump motors include a refrigerator attached to the end of the electric submersible pump motor with the evaporator heat exchanger accepting all or a portion of the heat load from the motor. The cooling device can be a self-contained bolt-on unit, so that minimal design changes to existing motors are required.

Abstract: A system for chilling a pumping system includes a Peltier cooling element, and first and second heat exchangers. The Peltier element is arranged near a pump head of a pump such that the Peltier element and the pump head are in thermal contact, where the Peltier element chills the pump head and a mobile phase flowstream prior to fluid from the mobile phase flowstream entering the pump. The first heat exchanger is attached to the Peltier element, and removes heat from the Peltier element using a circulating fluid. The second heat exchanger cools the circulating fluid, where the Peltier element and the pump head are arranged in an area that is isolated from the second heat exchanger.