Patents Examined by Travis Ruby
  • Patent number: 9945620
    Abstract: A room perimeter heating/cooling radiator with a non symmetrical elliptical transverse cross section, that utilizes low to medium temperature heat transfer fluid (generally water or water/glycol) in a new design with an enhanced ‘primary only’ heat transfer surface having an internal spiral or helix to circulate the water around the inside of the primary surface to enhance the heat transfer, and an internal conduit that provides both freeze damage protection and the ability to cross connect multiple identical radiators for increased efficiency. The primary intended location is within inches of the building windows.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Inventor: Thomas Middleton Semmes
  • Patent number: 9938931
    Abstract: A surface cooler for turbomachines includes an inner layer and an outer layer disposed adjacent to the inner layer and including a metal foam, a carbon foam, or a combination thereof, wherein the metal foam, the carbon foam or a combination thereof is configured to augment heat transfer and enhance acoustic absorption. Further, the outer layer includes a plurality of fins, wherein the plurality of fins are configured to augment heat transfer and enhance acoustic absorption, and wherein the plurality of fins includes metal foam, a carbon foam, or a combination thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Trevor Howard Wood, Todd Garrett Wetzel, Jonathan Glenn Luedke, Thomas Michael Tucker
  • Patent number: 9939207
    Abstract: A process is for the pre-conditioning of one or more latent heat storage elements in the case of which the temperature or the narrow temperature range of the phase transition defines a target temperature and the latent heat storage elements are heated up to the target temperature. The latent heat, storage elements are cooled to an initial temperature below the target temperature and this initial temperature is determined. The latent heat storage elements at the initial temperature are introduced into a thermally insulated container and the container is then closed. The interior of the closed container is, or has been, connected to a heating device of which the thermal output which takes effect in the interior of the closed container is known.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: VA-Q-TEC AG
    Inventors: Joachim Kuhn, Fabian Eschenbach, Martin Heinemann
  • Patent number: 9933170
    Abstract: A water-cooled split air conditioning system includes an indoor unit, an outdoor unit, and a plurality of connecting hoses. The outdoor unit includes an outdoor housing and a water cooling unit. The water cooling unit includes a pumping device, a top water collection basin, a fill material unit provided underneath the top water collection basin, a bottom water collection basin provided underneath the fill material unit, and a plurality of heat exchanging pipes provided in the bottom water collection basin and immersed in the cooling water. The cooling water collected in the bottom water collection tank is arranged to be guided to flow back into the top water collection basin. A predetermined amount of refrigerant is arranged to flow through the heat exchanging pipes to perform highly efficient heat exchanging process with the cooling water for lowering a temperature of the refrigerant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Inventor: Lee Wa Wong
  • Patent number: 9924639
    Abstract: The temperature control structure for indoor gardens is a temperature controlled space that protects plants from heat stress. The temperature control structure for indoor gardens is a water cooled structure. A plurality of fans are also provided to provide air flow through the structure. The temperature control structure for indoor gardens comprises a cooling structure and a basin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Inventor: Chandler A. Arrighi
  • Patent number: 9920996
    Abstract: The system and method of controlling a level of flooding to remain substantially constant within a flooded heat exchanger wherein steam flows into a steam side and condenses to form condensate that partly floods the steam side and that flows out of the steam side, and wherein cold water flows into a water side in heat exchange relationship with the steam side to heat the cold water and form heated water that flows out of the water side, comprises collecting the water condensate flowing out of the heat exchanger condensate outlet into a level controller through a controller condensate inlet; connecting the level controller to a steam source having a pressure equivalent to that of the heat exchanger steam side; and controlling the level of condensate in the level controller to remain substantially constant with a controller valve that allows condensate to be exhausted out through a controller condensate outlet if the level of the condensate in the level controller rises beyond a valve activation threshold where
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: MAXI-THERME INC.
    Inventor: Raymond Lach
  • Patent number: 9920940
    Abstract: A rotary wheel assembly is configured for use with a system for conditioning air to be supplied to an enclosed structure. The rotary wheel is configured to be positioned within a supply air stream and an exhaust air stream. The assembly includes a cassette frame, a wheel rotatably secured within the cassette frame, and a self-adjusting seal subassembly configured to maintain sealing engagement with respect to a surface of the wheel. The self-adjusting seal subassembly includes at least one seal member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Nortek Air Solutions Canada, Inc.
    Inventors: Blake Norman Erb, Manfred Gerber, Maury Brad Wawryk, David Martin Wintemute, Paul Lorenzo Pieper
  • Patent number: 9920939
    Abstract: The dehumidifier uses an all-plastic air-to-air heat exchanger together with an integral chiller to cool the incoming air to remove water vapor, and then exchange heat with incoming air to cool the incoming air and re-heat the outgoing air. The degree of dehumidification and the temperature of the outgoing air can be controlled by varying the speed of a variable speed fan so as to provide varying degrees of cooling as well as dehumidification. A programmable controller can be used to operate the dehumidifier automatically, either together with a humidistat and thermostat, or in accordance with a predetermined time profile for the conditioned space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Inventor: Klas C. Haglid
  • Patent number: 9920530
    Abstract: Light-weight, heat-managing structures feature open-cell lattice, honeycomb, and/or corrugated (prismatic) arrangements in their substructures, combined with heat pipe/heat plate arrangements for managing heat to which the structures are subjected. The structures are well suited to aerospace applications and may be employed in the leading edge of wings or other airfoil-shaped components; gas turbine engine components; rocket nozzles; and other high-heat, high-stress environments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: University of Virginia Patent Foundation
    Inventors: Haydn N. G. Wadley, Douglas T. Queheillalt
  • Patent number: 9914337
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for the continuous operation of an air conditioning unit or climate control system in a vehicle. The system may include a power generating unit, such as an engine or a fuel cell stack, and an exhaust loop in fluid communication with the power generating unit. First and second adsorption-based thermal batteries are provided in thermal communication with the exhaust loop. The vehicle may be configured to simultaneously operate in both an air conditioning operational mode powered by the first thermal battery, and a charging operational mode that regenerates the second thermal battery. A thermoelectric generator may also be provided such that the system is entirely self-powered, reducing or eliminating a need for supplemental, i.e. plug-in, charging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Feng Zhou, Ercan Mehmet Dede
  • Patent number: 9897400
    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 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Inventor: Tai-Her Yang
  • Patent number: 9891001
    Abstract: A hybrid closed circuit heat exchanger having a dry indirect section and an evaporative indirect section. The evaporative indirect section has multiple sub-sections. An evaporative fluid distribution system is configured to selectively distribute evaporative fluid over all, part, or none of the sub-sections. A process fluid flow path control system is configured to selectively direct the process fluid through one or more sub-sections. The process fluid flow path control system may send all of the process fluid through two or more sub-sections in equal amounts or in different amounts. There is preferably no evaporative heat exchange section bypass flow path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: Evapco, Inc.
    Inventors: Tom W. Bugler, Jennifer Jane Hamilton
  • Patent number: 9874363
    Abstract: An air conditioning system having a supply fan for supplying air to a supply duct; a fan motor for driving the supply fan; and a controller for controlling a speed of the fan motor, the controller operating the fan motor at a first speed in a first mode, a second speed lower than the first speed in a second mode and a third speed lower than the second speed in a ventilation mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: CARRIER CORPORATION
    Inventors: James Del Toro, Jade R. Reynolds
  • Patent number: 9873309
    Abstract: A radiant heater air-conditioning system includes: a heater main body having a heating portion energized to generate heat so as to radiate a radiant heat into a vehicle interior; an energization setting unit that sets an energization enable state for enabling energization of the heating portion and an energization disable state for disabling the energization of the heating portion; and an air-conditioning control apparatus that controls an air-conditioning output of a heating operation in the vehicle interior. The air-conditioning control apparatus reduces the air-conditioning output when the energization enable state is set, compared with when the energization disable state is set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Sagou, Koji Ota, Asami Okamoto, Manabu Maeda, Takuya Kataoka
  • Patent number: 9862246
    Abstract: An air conditioning control device of a vehicle in which an air conditioner for adjusting a temperature in a cabin is mounted is provided. The air conditioning control device includes a setting portion, a detector, and an electronic control unit. The setting portion is configured to set an execution schedule of pre-air conditioning that the air conditioner is actuated before a user gets in a vehicle. The detector is configured to detect boarding on the vehicle. The electronic control unit is configured to actuate the air conditioner in accordance with the set execution schedule of the pre-air conditioning, and is also configured to notify the user about execution of the pre-air conditioning when the boarding of the user on the vehicle is detected after the air conditioner is actuated in accordance with the set execution schedule of the pre-air conditioning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takuro Kikuchi, Yoshihiro Nomura
  • Patent number: 9862495
    Abstract: An aircraft system includes a fan, a differential pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, and a system controller. The fan provides airflow for at least one heat exchanger. The differential pressure sensor senses a pressure difference between an inlet of the fan and a diffuser exit of the fan. The temperature sensor senses a temperature at the inlet of the fan. The system controller is configured to receive the sensed pressure difference, the sensed temperature, and a speed of the fan, and determines an operating point of the fan based upon the sensed pressure difference, the speed of the fan, and the sensed temperature. The operating point is indicative of contamination of the at least one heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas M. Zywiak, Harold W. Hipsky
  • Patent number: 9857095
    Abstract: In an indoor unit for an air-conditioning apparatus, a casing has an air inlet formed in an upper part and an air outlet formed below a front part. The casing accommodates a heat exchanger and fan. A horizontal airflow-direction louver is mounted pivotally inside the air outlet to guide airflow in a horizontally changeable manner. A vertical airflow-direction louver is mounted to cover the air outlet in a closed position and to guide airflow in a vertically changeable manner. An infrared sensor projects downward from the casing at a position in a horizontal end portion of the casing and in front of the air outlet. An airflow blocking portion is located behind the infrared sensor, and has a side wall on or beside one edge of the air outlet. The side wall is located closer to a center of the air outlet in the horizontal direction than the infrared sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Seiji Hirakawa, Hidetomo Nakagawa, Nobutaka Tanabe, Motoshi Tezuka
  • Patent number: 9845980
    Abstract: An air conditioning system using a predetermined amount of refrigerant includes an evaporator unit, a compressor unit, an evaporative cooling system including at least one multiple-effect evaporative condenser connected to the compressor for effectively cooling the refrigerant. Each of the multiple-effect evaporative condensers includes an air inlet side and an air outlet side which is opposite to the air inlet side, a pumping device adapted for pumping a predetermined amount of cooling water at a predetermined flow rate, a first cooling unit and a second cooling unit. The refrigerant flows through heat exchanging pipes in the first cooling unit and the second cooling unit. The cooling water is arranged to pass through the first cooling unit and the second cooling unit in a sequential order and perform heat exchange with the refrigerant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Inventor: Lee Wa Wong
  • Patent number: 9840967
    Abstract: An aircraft may have a heat generating component and an engine, at least one of which generates a heat load, and a thermal management system to cool the heat load. The engine may have a duct and an engine fan configured to draw an inlet air stream into an inlet portion of the duct, where at least a portion of the inlet air stream may be used as an engine air stream. The thermal management system may include a cooling circuit configured to circulate a fluid through the heat load such that at least a portion of it may be transferred to the fluid, a heat exchanger configured to enable heat transfer between the fluid and a cooling air stream, and a pumping device. The pumping device may be configured to draw the cooling air stream through the heat exchanger and into a portion of the engine air stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas J. Snyder, Kenneth M. Pesyna
  • Patent number: 9843250
    Abstract: An Electro Hydro Dynamic, EHD, thruster (105) comprising a first set of electrodes (210), a second set of electrodes (220) and a supporting structure (103) for supporting the first set of electrodes (210) and the second set of electrodes (220). The EHD thruster (105) is configured to generate airflow of ionized air for cooling a heat sink (101). Further, the EHD thruster (105) is electrically isolated from the heat sink (101).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Vadim Tsoi, Yake Fang