Micro environmental control system
AssigneeSyracuse University
InventorHussein Ezzat Khalifa
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A micro environmental control system that can remove or add 30W from or to the near range personal microenvironment of a user. For cooling, the μX uses a micro vapor compression system during the un-occupied period to freeze a phase-change-material in a thermal storage module. A fan then moves air over the phase-change-material to deliver cooled air. Heating is delivered by a small electric heater integrated into a condensing unit. The resulting system is inexpensive to build and uses a limited amount of energy.
Claims12
A micro environmental control system, comprising:
- a micro vapor compression system having a compressor, a condenser coupled to the compressor, an expansion valve coupled to the condenser, a reversing valve, and a refrigerant circulating through the micro vapor compression system;
- a thermal storage module including a solid-liquid phase change material and an evaporator that is embedded in the solid-liquid phase change material and coupled to the expansion valve;
- at least one fan positioned to selectively direct a stream of air through the solid-liquid phase change material or over the condenser;
- and
- a controller coupled to the compressor and the fan that is programmed to operate the micro environmental control system in a cooling mode wherein the compressor is operated to cool the solid-liquid phase change material during a first predetermined time period, and the fan is operated to direct the stream of air through the solid-liquid phase change material during a second predetermined time period.
A method of providing micro environmental control, comprising the steps of:
- providing a micro vapor compression system having a compressor, a condenser coupled to the compressor, an expansion valve coupled to the condenser, a reversing valve, and a refrigerant circulating through the micro vapor compression system;
- a thermal storage module including a solid-liquid phase change material;
- an evaporator embedded in the solid-liquid phase change material;
- a fan positioned to selectively direct a stream of air through the solid-liquid phase change material;
- and
- using a controller to operate the unit in a cooling mode by cooling the solid-liquid phase change material during a first predetermined time period, and using the fan to direct the stream of air through the solid-liquid phase change material or over the condenser during a second predetermined time period.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.