초록 ▼

Systems and methods in accordance with embodiments of the invention implement air conditioning systems that are operable to establish/maintain a desired temperature for a target space and simultaneously establish/maintain a temperature lower than the desired temperature for the target space for an i

Systems and methods in accordance with embodiments of the invention implement air conditioning systems that are operable to establish/maintain a desired temperature for a target space and simultaneously establish/maintain a temperature lower than the desired temperature for the target space for an included cold thermal energy storage unit. In one embodiment, an air conditioning system includes: a condensing unit; a liquid pressurizer and distributor ensemble; a cold thermal energy storage unit; a target space; and a suction gas/equalizer; where the listed components are operatively connected by piping such that vapor compression cycles can be simultaneously implemented that result in the cooling of the cold thermal energy storage unit and the target space; and the air conditioning system is configured such that the simultaneous implementation of vapor compression cycles results in cooling the cold thermal energy storage unit to a greater extent relative to the target space.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An air conditioning system comprising: a condensing unit;a liquid pressurizer and distributor ensemble;a cold thermal energy storage unit;a target space; anda suction gas pressurizer and distributor ensemble;wherein: the condensing unit, the liquid pressurizer and distributor ensemble, the cold t

1. An air conditioning system comprising: a condensing unit;a liquid pressurizer and distributor ensemble;a cold thermal energy storage unit;a target space; anda suction gas pressurizer and distributor ensemble;wherein: the condensing unit, the liquid pressurizer and distributor ensemble, the cold thermal energy storage unit, the target space, and the suction gas pressurizer and distributor ensemble are operatively connected by piping such that vapor compression cycles can be simultaneously implemented that result in the cooling of the cold thermal energy storage unit and the target space;wherein the cold thermal energy storage unit comprises: first and second expansion devices disposed in fluid communication on either end of a liquid/gas separator, anda volume of phase change material encased in thermal insulation interconnected with the second expansion device; andthe air conditioning system is configured such that when the vapor compression cycles are simultaneously implemented that result in the cooling of the cold thermal energy storage unit and the target space, the cold thermal energy storage unit can be cooled to a temperature lower than that of the target space; andand the air conditioning system is configured such that, in a discharge mode, the liquid pressurizer and distributor ensemble is operable to iteratively circulate a refrigerant between the cold thermal energy storage unit and the target space so as to cool the target space without relying on any compression of any vapor phase refrigerant downstream of the target space during said circulation of said refrigerant. 2. The air conditioning system of claim 1, wherein the suction gas pressurizer and distributor ensemble comprises: at least one of: a pressure regulator and a compressor; anda flow control apparatus operable to controllably direct vapor phase working fluid to adjoined structures. 3. The air conditioning system of claim 1, wherein the condensing unit comprises a compressor and condenser in series, and wherein the condensing unit is operable to direct received vapor phase working fluid through a compressor to compress the vapor phase working fluid, and then direct the compressed vapor phase working fluid through a condenser to condense the vapor phase working fluid, such that the condensing unit can output the corresponding liquid phase working fluid. 4. The air conditioning system of claim 1, wherein the liquid pressurizer and distributor ensemble comprises a pump that is operable to alter the pressure of received liquid phase working fluid, and a flow control apparatus operable to controllably direct received liquid phase working fluid to adjoined structures. 5. The air conditioning system of claim 1, wherein the condensing unit is operable to output heated vapor phase working fluid. 6. The air conditioning system of claim 5, wherein the condensing unit comprises an integrated heating source and is thereby operable to output heated vapor phase working fluid. 7. The air conditioning system of claim 6, wherein the integrated heating source is a gas powered heater. 8. The air conditioning system of claim 5, further comprising piping configured to direct heated vapor phase working fluid that is output by the condensing unit to the target space. 9. The air conditioning system of claim 8, wherein the condensing unit is configured to output heated vapor phase working fluid such that when the heated vapor phase working fluid is directed by the piping to the target space, it condenses into a liquid phase working fluid. 10. The air conditioning system of claim 5, further comprising: a discharge gas distributor; anda hot thermal energy storage unit;wherein the discharge gas distributor, the hot thermal energy storage unit, the liquid pressurizer and distributor ensemble, and the target space are operatively connected by piping such that heated vapor phase working fluid output by the condensing unit can be circulated, using the discharge gas distributor, to the target space and/or the hot thermal energy storage unit. 11. The air conditioning system of claim 10, wherein the condensing unit is configured to output heated vapor phase working fluid such that when the heated vapor phase working fluid is directed by piping to the target space and/or the hot thermal energy storage unit, it condenses into a liquid phase working fluid. 12. The air conditioning system of claim 11, wherein the hot thermal energy storage unit comprises a thermal storage medium encased in thermal insulation. 13. The air conditioning system of claim 1, further comprising: a hot thermal energy storage unit that is operable to act as a heat source;wherein: the hot thermal energy storage unit and the target space are operatively connected by piping; andthe hot thermal energy storage unit is configured to receive liquid phase working fluid, and heat it so that it outputs vapor phase working fluid that thereafter be directed to the target space to heat it. 14. The air conditioning system of claim 13, wherein the air conditioning system is configured such that the vapor phase working fluid that is output by the hot thermal energy storage unit and thereafter directed to the target space, transmits heat to the target space and thereby condenses. 15. The air conditioning system of claim 1, wherein the condensing unit is configured to be operable only on received vapor phase working fluid that is within a distinct pressure range, and the suction gas pressurizer and distributor ensemble is configured to output vapor phase working fluid that is within the distinct pressure range. 16. The air conditioning system of claim 1, wherein the cold thermal energy storage unit comprises a phase change material within a circuit that interfaces with the piping via a heat exchanger. 17. The air conditioning system of claim 1, further comprising piping in fluid communication with volume of phase change material and configured to bypass the first and second expansion devices and the liquid/gas separator. 18. The air conditioning system of claim 1, further comprising piping in direct fluid communication with the liquid/gas separator. 19. The air conditioning system of claim 1, further comprising a primary heat exchanger is in thermal communication with the volume of phase change material and in fluid communication with the second expansion device. 20. The air conditioning system of claim 19, further comprising piping separately interconnecting the primary heat exchanger and the liquid/gas separator. 21. The air conditioning system of claim 19, wherein the primary heat exchanger further comprises a slurry ice generator configured to generate a pump-able phase change material slurry wherein the pump-able phase change material slurry is stored in a thermal energy store. 22. The air conditioning system of claim 19, wherein the thermal energy storage unit further comprises an direct contact heat transfer type slurry ice generator wherein a cooled secondary heat transfer fluid interacts with the volume of phase change material thereby causing the volume of phase change material to freeze prior to being separated and returned to the primary heat exchanger. 23. The air conditioning system of claim 1, further comprising a suction line heat exchanger in fluid communication between the liquid/gas separator and the second expansion device. 24. The air conditioning system of claim 23, wherein the suction line heat exchanger in further fluid communication with the volume of phase change material such that the volume of phase change material is in thermal communication with the refrigerant. 25. The air conditioning system of claim 1, wherein the suction gas pressurize and distributor ensemble is in fluid communication with multiple flows of vapor phase working fluid from a plurality of cold thermal energy storage units and a plurality of target spaces; and further comprises a plurality of pressure equalizing expansion valves, wherein at least one expansion valve is configured to be in fluid communication with the plurality of cold thermal energy storage units; andwherein each of the target spaces are in fluid communication with at least one expansion valve such that the plurality of expansion valves operate to equalize the fluid pressure between the target spaces and the cold thermal energy storage units. 26. The air conditioning system of claim 1, wherein the suction gas pressurizer and distributor ensemble is in fluid communication with a plurality of streams of vapor phase working fluid each having an operating pressure, wherein at least one stream exhibits a lower operating pressure than the remaining streams; and further comprises a booster compressor in fluid communication with the at least one stream exhibiting a lower operating pressure whereby the booster compressor is configured to equalize the lower pressure stream with the remaining streams.