Patents Examined by Travis Ruby
  • Patent number: 10072867
    Abstract: An air-conditioning control system, which controls a central-type air-conditioning system, includes a plurality of auxiliary controllers respectively set in a plurality of areas and a main controller capable of communicating with each auxiliary controller. Each auxiliary controller includes a sound wave receiving unit, which receive sound waves that are outputted from a portable apparatus capable of outputting sound waves, and a sound wave strength information transmitting unit which transmits, to the main controller, sound wave strength information indicating sound wave reception strength. By the main controller, a first operating mode is set for at least a single area in which the auxiliary controller of a transmission source for specific sound wave strength information, which indicates a sound wave strength that is a predetermined threshold or higher is set, and a second operating mode is set for at least one of the remaining areas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: DENSO WAVE INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Taku Isono, Takahiro Miyajima
  • Patent number: 10060688
    Abstract: A boiler system includes a boiler having at least one heat exchanger having a surface on which a deposit may form. The boiler system further includes at least one retractable sootblower having a lance tube for carrying a high pressure fluid into the boiler. The lance tube is configured such that the high pressure fluid impacts the heat exchanger surface to effect a vibration thereof. The boiler system also includes at least one vibration measuring device coupled to the boiler system. The vibration measuring device is configured to measure the vibration of the heat exchanger surface, and the measured vibration indicates presence or absence of the deposit on the heat exchanger surface. The vibration measuring device may optionally detect a vibration caused by the release of the deposit from the surface of the heat exchanger or the impact of the released deposit with a surface in the boiler system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: Integrated Test & Measurement (ITM)
    Inventor: Timothy M. Carlier
  • Patent number: 10060638
    Abstract: Multiple-zone chilled beam air conditioning systems for cooling multiple-zone spaces, methods of controlling chilled beams in multi-zone air conditioning systems, and chilled-beam pump modules for controlling zones of a chilled-beam heating and air conditioning system. Embodiments include a pump serving each zone that both recirculates water within the module and chilled beam and circulates water in and out of a chilled water distribution system through one or more valves to control the temperature of the water delivered to the chilled beams. Different embodiments adjust the temperature of the beam to avoid condensation, change pump speed to save energy or increase capacity, provide heating as well as cooling, use check valves to reduce the number of control valves required, can be used in two- or four-pipe systems, or a combination thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: SEMCO LLC
    Inventors: John C. Fischer, Kirk T. Mescher, Richard K. Mitchell, Stephen P. Glen, Steven S. Carroll
  • Patent number: 10054473
    Abstract: An airflow sensor for a heat sink has a substantially flat base portion and a deformable upper portion electrically coupled to the base portion that contacts a conductive strip. As airflow increases, the deformable upper portion deforms and moves away from the source of airflow, which moves the point of contact between the deformable upper portion and the conductive strip farther away from the source of the airflow. The difference in the point of contact is measured, and is used to characterize the airflow sensor for different airflows. Data from the airflow sensor can then be logged during system operation. When needed, the data from the airflow sensor can be read from the log and converted to airflow using the airflow sensor characterization data. In this manner the airflow through a heat sink may be dynamically measured, allowing analysis and correlation between system events and airflow through the heat sink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: William J. Anderl, Bret P. Elison, Phillip V. Mann, Chelsie M. Peterson
  • Patent number: 10054318
    Abstract: The heat medium transport paths are arranged between the first building and the second building and transport heat media that transport heat energy. A temperature distribution acquisition means acquires the temperature distribution of the heat media that have temperatures being different from each other in the heat medium transport paths and that are sequentially transported in a state of having a predetermined length in the transport direction in the heat medium transport paths. A control means receives a load request of an air conditioner of the first building, and when a heat medium having the heat energy that satisfies the load request received reaches the first building, based on the temperature distribution acquired by the temperature distribution acquisition means, the control means causes the air conditioner of the first building to take out the heat energy from the heat medium reached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignees: OSAKA CITY UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Masaki Nakao, Masatoshi Nishioka, Craig Farnham, Tsuyoshi Nagahiro, Youichi Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 10058008
    Abstract: The present invention provides a temperature control system having adjacently-installed temperature equalizer and heat transfer fluid and application device thereof, in which one or more adjacently-installed temperature equalizer formed with a heat transferring adjacent surface is provided, a fluid channel thereof is utilized for allowing a heat transfer fluid to pass thereby enabling to perform temperature equalizing heat transfer with the external surface and/or the internal surface of an object (103) disposed to the adjacent surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Inventor: Tai-Her Yang
  • Patent number: 10046617
    Abstract: A traction battery thermal management system is provided. The thermal management system includes a battery loop for regulating the traction battery temperature. A motor loop is provided for regulating a motor temperature. The thermal management system also includes a radiator. A radiator valve selectively controls fluid flow through the radiator. A battery valve selectively couples the battery loop and the motor loops. The battery loop, the motor loop are in fluid communication and arranged in parallel to be cooled by the radiator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Mark G. Smith, William Samuel Schwartz, Kenneth J. Jackson, David Fabricatore
  • Patent number: 10041745
    Abstract: A heatsink comprising a heat exchange device having a plurality of heat exchange elements each having a surface boundary with respect to a heat transfer fluid, having successive elements or regions varying according to a fractal relationship. According to one embodiment, a noise spectrum due to fluid flow is wideband. According to another embodiment, surface boundary layers are disrupted to increase heat transfer. Flow-induced vortices may be generated at non-corresponding locations of the plurality of fractally varying heat exchange elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: FRACTAL HEATSINK TECHNOLOGIES LLC
    Inventor: Alexander Poltorak
  • Patent number: 10029557
    Abstract: A hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) cooling system includes an engine cooling circuit configured to cool an engine by circulation of coolant cooled by an engine heat exchanger using an engine water pump. An engine reservoir tank is configured to temporarily store the coolant cooled by the engine heat exchanger and replenish insufficient coolant. An HEV cooling circuit is configured to cool an inverter and motor by circulation of coolant cooled by an HEV heat exchanger using an HEV water pump. An HEV reservoir tank is configured to temporarily store the coolant cooled by the HEV heat exchanger and replenish insufficient coolant. A connector (30) configured to intermittently connect the engine cooling circuit to the HEV cooling circuit. An engine coolant amount detection sensor and an HEV coolant amount detection sensor are respectively configured to detect amounts of the coolant stored in the engine and HEV reservoir tanks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY
    Inventor: Kyung-Su Han
  • Patent number: 10006676
    Abstract: A temperature control device has a flow line (15) for supplying a consumer, connected to the flow line (15), with a liquid medium at a predetermined temperature. A return line (17) is connected to the consumer for returning at least one part of the liquid medium from the consumer to a mixing device (41). In a predefinable ratio, the liquid medium of the return line (17) is mixed in the mixing device with a storage medium provided in a tank (25). The mixing device has a mixing chamber (41) arranged below the filling level of the tank (25) with the storage medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: HYDAC COOLING GMBH
    Inventors: Artur Kraus, Juergen Hof
  • Patent number: 10006668
    Abstract: An underground heat exchange system is provided to reduce energy consumption for circulation of a heat transfer medium and reduce construction, management, and maintenance costs. The underground heat exchange system includes: a double-pipe heat exchanger that is buried underground to convert a heat transfer medium into a usable form; a medium collector that collects the heat transfer medium that has dispersed its heat via a heat consumption area to circulate the same to the ground heat exchanger; and a plurality of circulation loops. The medium collector includes first and second reservoirs that are arranged in two tiers: upper and lower, spaced apart from each other, an upstream pump is provided in a first circulation loop between the first and second reservoirs, and the second reservoir is placed higher than the first reservoir. The ground heat exchanger may enhance heat exchange efficiency by increasing the contact area and time between the ground and the heat transfer medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: UNIVERSITY OF SEOUL INDUSTRY COOPERATION FOUNDATION
    Inventors: Byung Deok Yu, Hyunsoo Min, Junjin Jeon
  • Patent number: 10006647
    Abstract: An air conditioning system may include an outdoor device disposed in an outdoor space, the outdoor device including a compressor and an outdoor heat exchanger, a plurality of indoor devices disposed in an indoor space, the plurality of indoor devices including an indoor heat exchanger, and a distributor that distributes and introduces a refrigerant into the plurality of indoor devices. The outdoor device may include an outdoor branch branched into a plurality of refrigerant paths, a first outdoor tube that extends from the outdoor branch to guide the refrigerant to a first heat exchanger of the outdoor heat exchanger, a second outdoor tube that extends from the outdoor branch to guide the refrigerant to a second heat exchanger of the outdoor heat exchanger, and a bypass tube that extends from the outdoor branch to allow the refrigerant to bypass the outdoor heat exchanger, thereby guiding the refrigerant to the compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Jaehwa Jung, Chiwoo Song, Kakjoong Kim
  • Patent number: 10001304
    Abstract: In a heat medium relay unit, a drain pan is configured to have width and depth dimensions larger than dimensions of an outer shell of a heat medium relay unit main body. The outer shell includes side panels, upper frames, lower frames, and an upper end surface, the position of which is higher than those of upper end surfaces of the lower frames.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Koji Nishioka, Yuji Motomura, Daisuke Shimamoto, Osamu Morimoto
  • Patent number: 9983143
    Abstract: A cooling apparatus includes a container configured to contain a coolant within a space. The apparatus further includes a cooling block positioned substantially within the space and having a high heat capacity such that the space not occupied by the cooling block is filled with a coolant to a level at or below the top of the cooling block, and a placement structure having high thermal conductivity positioned on top of the cooling block and outside of the space. A method for cooling an object is also provided, which includes inserting a coolant into a container configured to contain the coolant within a space, and placing the object on a placement structure outside the space. For this method, the placement structure has a high thermal conductivity and is coupled to a cooling block, the cooling block having a high heat capacity and positioned substantially within the space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: Gemological Institute of America, Inc. (GIA)
    Inventors: Shane Elen, Matt Hall, Wuyi Wang
  • Patent number: 9976812
    Abstract: An apparatus for cooling an electrical heat source is disclosed. A heat exchanger has two principal sub-assemblies. A closed-loop fluid flow is provided through a second sub-assembly, disposed next to a heat source. An open-loop fluid flow is provided though a first sub-assembly in communication with a second sub-assembly. Each of the first and second sub-assemblies has a rotational element. The fluid flow entering the first sub-assembly rotates the first rotational element, and magnetic communication between the rotational elements causes movement of the second rotational element, thereby achieving fluid movement within the second sub-assembly. Operationally, the closed-loop sub-assembly removes heat from the heat source and transfers it to the open-loop sub-assembly for subsequent heat transfer in a downstream fluid flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Maurice F. Holahan, Eric V. Kline, Paul N. Krystek, Michael R. Rasmussen, Arvind K. Sinha, Stephen M. Zins
  • Patent number: 9976819
    Abstract: A header for a heat exchanger orients the position of an inlet port at an angle offset from the position of the outlet port on the header body in order to simplify the plumbing of the header within a system. In one implementation of a header for a heat exchanger, the header forms a header cavity defined by an external wall and which is separated into an inlet chamber and an outlet chamber by a dividing wall. An inlet port is defined within the external wall and is in fluid communication with the inlet chamber. Similarly, an outlet port is defined within the external wall and is in fluid communication with the outlet chamber. The inlet port is oriented on the external wall at an offset angle with respect to a position of the outlet port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: ZODIAC POOL SYSTEMS LLC
    Inventors: David B. Nibler, Emily R. Colomes, Peter M. Owenson
  • Patent number: 9969244
    Abstract: A vehicle air circulating system comprises a controller, an interior condition sensor attached to the controller, an instrument panel, and a deployable register assembly attached to the controller and pivotably attached to the instrument panel. The register assembly includes a first register and a second register and is movable between a closed position in which the first register is recessed within the instrument panel and is thus obstructed and an open position in which the first register is deployed. The second register remains unobstructed whether the register assembly is in its closed or open position. The deployable registers provide directional control for pull down conditions. Once the desired conditions are achieved, the deployable registers lower into the instrument panel and the other registers provide a larger opening to direct the air overhead at lower velocities keeping the vehicle cabin cool while not blowing in the direction of the occupants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: James R. Hurd, Paul Bryan Hoke, Fred Koberstein
  • Patent number: 9956845
    Abstract: A vehicle climate control system. An air conditioner and heater are operatively connected to a controller and control the temperature of the cabin area of a vehicle. A processor, operatively connected to the controller, determines the amount of time for an operator of the vehicle to travel between their location and the location of the vehicle. The processor determines an amount of time required to adjust the temperature of the cabin area of the vehicle to a selected temperature by using one of the air conditioner and the heater. The processor automatically operates one of the air conditioner and the heater to begin adjusting the temperature of the cabin area to the selected temperature when the amount of time required for the operator to travel between their location and the location of the vehicle is less than or equal to the amount of time required to adjust the temperature of the cabin area vehicle to the selected temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC.
    Inventors: Gregory J. Boss, Andrew R. Jones, Charles S. Lingafelt, Kevin C. McConnell, John E. Moore, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9951994
    Abstract: A mechanical draft cooling tower employs air cooled condenser modules and operates by mechanical draft to exchange heat between atmospheric air and steam. The cooling tower utilizes a modular air cooled condenser with heat exchange deltas having tube bundles that are manufactured and assembled prior to being shipped to the tower site.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: SPX DRY COOLING USA LLC
    Inventors: Michel Vouche, Christophe Deleplanque, Fabien Fauconnier
  • Patent number: 9945617
    Abstract: Thermal ground planes, thermal ground plane structures, and methods of thermal energy management, are disclosed. Embodiments of the disclosure provide for thermal ground planes and/or thermal ground plane structures for both fully passive and active two-phase heat spreaders, as well as the cooling devices and thermal management methods enabled by these planes and/or structures that enable heat dissipation from one or more high heat flux domains followed by spreading the heat laterally over a large area achieving essentially the spatially isothermal plane, structure, system, or device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: Georgia Tech Research Corporation
    Inventor: Andrei G. Fedorov