US 2026/0276249 A1 · TRIM COOLING SYSTEM WITH A POWER GENERATION MODE

Abstract

A cooling system (CS) includes a first heat exchanger (HE) having a first inlet and a first outlet and configured to be coupled to a facility-cooling loop; a second HE having a second inlet and a second outlet; an expansion valve (EV) having an EV inlet and an EV outlet; a pump having a pump inlet and a pump outlet; and an expander having a first flow terminal (FT) and a second FT, wherein in a first CS operating mode, the pump inlet is coupled to the first outlet, the pump outlet is coupled to the second inlet, the first FT is coupled to the second outlet, the second FT is coupled to the first inlet, and the expander is configured to convert heat into electric power, and in a second CS operating mode, the EV inlet is coupled to the first outlet, the EV outlet is coupled to the second inlet, the first FT is coupled to the first inlet, the second FT is coupled to the second outlet, and the expander is configured to operate as a compressor to provide cooling.

Claims24

Dependent claims

A cooling system, comprising:

a first heat exchanger including a first inlet and a first outlet, the first heat exchanger configured to be coupled to a facility-cooling loop;
a second heat exchanger including a second inlet and a second outlet;
an expansion valve including an expansion-valve inlet and an expansion-valve outlet;
a pump including a pump inlet and a pump outlet;
and
an expander including a first flow terminal and a second flow terminal, wherein
in a first operating mode of the cooling system, the pump inlet is coupled to the first outlet, the pump outlet is coupled to the second inlet, the first flow terminal is coupled to the second outlet, the second flow terminal is coupled to the first inlet, and the expander is configured to convert heat into electric power, and
in a second operating mode of the cooling system, the expansion-valve inlet is coupled to the first outlet, the expansion-valve outlet is coupled to the second inlet, the first flow terminal is coupled to the first inlet, the second flow terminal is coupled to the second outlet, and the expander is configured to operate as a compressor to provide cooling.

5 more elements

A method of assembling a cooling system including a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger, an expansion valve, a pump, an expander, and a plurality of switching valves including a first switching valve, a second switching valve, a third switching valve, a fourth switching valve, a fifth switching valve, and a sixth switching valve, the method comprising:

coupling the first switching valve to the first heat exchanger, the expansion valve, and the pump;
coupling the second switching valve to the second heat exchanger, the expansion valve, and the pump;
coupling the third switching valve to the first heat exchanger, the fourth switching valve, and the fifth switching valve;
coupling the fourth switching valve to a first flow terminal of the expander and to the sixth switching valve;
coupling the fifth switching valve to a second flow terminal of the expander and to the sixth switching valve;
and
coupling the sixth switching valve to the second heat exchanger.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Trim cooling system with a power generation mode

Life of this patent

Trim cooling system with a power generation mode

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims24