Free Cooling Patents (Class 62/DIG22)
  • Patent number: 6116035
    Abstract: A hot heat source heat exchanger (1) receives heat from a primary refrigerant circuit (A) to evaporate liquid refrigerant. The hot heat source heat exchanger (1) is connected to a cold heat source heat exchanger (2) through a gas flow pipe (4) and a liquid flow pipe (5). An indoor heat exchanger (3) is connected to the gas flow pipe (4) through a gas pipe (6) and connected to the liquid flow pipe (5) through a liquid pipe (7). Gas refrigerant evaporated in the hot heat source heat exchanger (1) flows into at least the cold heat source heat exchanger (2). In the cold heat source heat exchanger (2), the gas refrigerant is condensed and refrigerant flow with respect to the indoor heat exchanger (3) is changed in accordance with a cooling or a heating operation requested by the indoor heat exchanger. In the indoor heat exchanger (3), refrigerant is condensed or evaporated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2000
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Osamu Tanaka, Takashi Matsuzaki, Kazuhide Mizutani, Yasushi Hori, Toru Inazuka
  • Patent number: 6053239
    Abstract: As a supplement to this inventor's prior U.S. Pat. No. 5,727,621, this invention provides, in the combination with that patent, the additional concept of a terminal receiver means. It provides appropriate cleansing and testing features for the water which has served its geothermal purpose.The thermally-used geoexchange water is routed back to the primary water line at an inlet thereinto which is close to the primary water line's outlet from which that water had been drawn, providing a great savings of a lengthy "return" line, entered upstream of the distant primary water-treatment means as contemplated in that prior patent as being the presumably necessary way of certainty of elimination of any contamination entered to water by the geothermal usage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2000
    Assignee: Hardin Geotechnologies, LLC.
    Inventor: James R. Hardin
  • Patent number: 6023935
    Abstract: An air conditioner has a refrigeration circuit formed by sequentially connecting a compressor 1, a condenser 2, an electronic expansion valve 4 and an evaporator 7 by pipes (6, 10). A compressor bypass pipe 12 is provided to connect an outlet of the evaporator 7 with an inlet of the condenser 2. A first on-off valve 11 is located in the bypass pipe 12. The air conditioner is controlled to switch to either a forced circulation operation or a natural circulation operation. In the forced circulation operation, the first on-off valve 11 is closed, the expansion valve 4 is opened to a first degree to allow refrigerant to pass therethrough, and the compressor 1 is operated in a running state. In the natural circulation operation, the first on-off valve 11 is opened, the expansion valve 4 is opened to a second degree, different from the first degree, to allow refrigerant to pass therethrough, and the compressor 1 is stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2000
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Okazaki, Yoshihiro Sumida, Akihiro Matsushita, Itsutarou Akiyama, Yasunori Shida, Akio Fukushima
  • Patent number: 5931017
    Abstract: The invention relates to an arrangement for cooling supply air in an air-conditioning installation, comprising a heat transfer device for transferring heat between supply air and exhaust air by means of heat transfer surfaces; and a humidifying device for humidifying heat transfer surfaces on the exhaust air side. In order that supply air could be cooled more efficiently, the heat transfer surfaces on the side of supply air and exhaust air are separated into separate heat exchangers; and the heat transfer surfaces are selected in such a way that the surface temperature of the heat transfer surfaces on the exhaust air side is close to the dew-point temperature of exhaust air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 3, 1999
    Assignee: ABB Installaatiot OY
    Inventors: Seppo Kalevi Kanninen, Ingmar Erik Rolin, Seppo Juhani Leskinen
  • Patent number: 5878588
    Abstract: A dehumidifier/cooling apparatus for use in a room having an elevated temperature and/or humidity is provided which utilizes the natural coolness of tap water to condense water vapor from the air or merely cool the air. The tap water line is diverted into a heat exchanger upstream of a hot water heater to dehumidify and/or cool the air in the room the air and remove the latent heat given off during condensation to cool and/or dehumidify the room air and to pre-heat the water entering the hot water heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 9, 1999
    Inventor: Robert P. Biancardi
  • Patent number: 5727621
    Abstract: A geothermal energy installation and system, in which the field of potable water is utilized by a secondary conduit system to route potable water from an inlet in the user's line coming from the potable water field but upstream of the user's meter, through the heat exchanger equipment of a user, and back to the field at a point upstream of the final treatment processing stage of the field. Thus, the thermal energy of the water of the field is utilized without adding the cost of the volume of potable water use by the user, and is re-processed if somehow contaminated in the secondary conduit systems; and although the secondary conduit system delivers water back to the field at a changed temperature, depending upon the heat exchanger effect, the relatively large volume of water of the potable water field assures that the returned water does not even substantially alter the temperature of the potable water field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 17, 1998
    Assignee: Geotech, LLC (a non-incorporated company)
    Inventor: James R. Hardin
  • Patent number: 5606865
    Abstract: A portable air cooler for installation near a kitchen or similar sink using tap water as a refrigerant. The portable air cooler comprises a fan and an air cooling coil at the inlet opening of the fan. The cooling coil comprises hose means to circulate a flow of cold water from the faucet of a kitchen sink, through the coil and back into the sink. The fan and the cooling coil are contained within a housing which has baffle means to expel air upwardly. The baffle means on the housing provides for mixing a naturally rising warm air with a naturally falling cold air within a room to be cooled. The still cold water flowing out of the cooling coil and into the kitchen sink cools the surface of the sink. The portable air cooler is adapted to generate an air circulation over the surface of the sink whereby warm air is pre-cooled before entering the fan. The kitchen sink is used as a heat exchanger in series with the cooling coil inside the unit to cool ambient air through the fan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 4, 1997
    Inventor: Leofred Caron
  • Patent number: 5564284
    Abstract: An improved recycling water cooler for a water cooled refrigeration system comprising first conduits interconnecting the water cooled refrigeration system and the recycling water cooler and the ambient water source for enabling the flow of water therebetween. Second conduits interconnect the water cooled refrigeration system and the recycling water cooler and the drain for enabling the flow of water therebetween. A first and second valve is interposed in the first and second conduits for enabling heated water discharged from the water cooled refrigeration system to enter the recycling water cooler to be cooled thereby and to be returned to the water cooled refrigeration system when the first and second valves are disposed in a first position. The first and second valves interconnect the water cooled refrigeration system to the ambient water source and to a drain for operating the water cooled refrigeration system in a conventional manner when the first and second valves are disposed in a second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 15, 1996
    Inventor: Darrell Pugin
  • Patent number: 5339893
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a hybrid thermosyphon which may be rapidly deployed to create a frozen soil barrier for containing toxic spills. In a particular embodiment, a plurality of thermosyphons are deployed for freezing the soil around and under a defined area of soil; each thermosyphon contains a working fluid and includes an evaporator section for contact with the soil for removing heat therefrom by evaporation of the working fluid. A condenser section in flow communication with evaporator section and remote from the soil transfers heat from the working fluid to ambient by heat exchange and subsequent condensation of the working fluid when the ambient is lower than the temperature of the soil. An active refrigeration stage in heat exchange relation with at least a portion of the condenser section removes heat from the working fluid by heat exchange when the ambient is above the soil temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 23, 1994
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventors: Francis D. Haynes, John P. Zarling, William F. Quinn
  • Patent number: 5327734
    Abstract: A thermosyphon for use in frozen or unfrozen soil includes an evaporator tion embedded in the soil, a condenser section exposed to ambient air, an intermediate section connecting the two sections and a heat exchanger connected to a mechanical refrigeration source and operable to cool either the condenser or the intermediate section of the thermosyphon during periods when the ambient temperature is higher than that at which passive thermosyphonic cooling occurs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 1992
    Date of Patent: July 12, 1994
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventors: Francis D. Haynes, John P. Zarling, William F. Quinn
  • Patent number: 4969509
    Abstract: In the airplane of the present invention, a part of the outer skin (10) is not provided with an insulating layer (11). A cold air chamber (13) is provided behind this part being in heat exchange with the ambient air via the outer skin (10). A flow-in duct leads from the cold air chamber (13) to the cooling chamber (16) and a flow-out duct (21) leads from the cooling chamber (16) back to the cold air chamber (13). The cold air chamber (13) and the cooling chamber (16) form a closed recirculation system, thereby cooling the cooling chamber (16) suited for receiving a service trolley (29). A thermostat (25) controls air quantity regulating valves (22;24) and a van (23) in order to maintain a desired temperature within the cooling chamber (16).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 1989
    Date of Patent: November 13, 1990
    Assignee: Deutsche Lufthansa Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Harald Merensky