Air conditioning system with thermal energy storage and load leveling capacity

An air conditioning system comprising:

• a compressor, a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger operably interconnected to define a first circuit, said second heat exchanger being in heat exchange relationship with a supply air stream for an indoor space;
• a thermal energy storage unit including a tank containing a thermal energy storage medium;
• a third heat exchanger operably interconnected with said tank, said compresser and said first heat exchanger to define a second circuit;
• a refrigerant circulation device operably interconnected with said third heat exchanger and said tank to define a third circuit;
• a fourth heat exchanger operably interconnected with said tank and said refrigerant circulation device to define a fourth circuit, said fourth heat exchanger being in heat exchange relationship with the supply air stream;
• and
• a control device adapted to selectively control operation of said compressor to effect flow of a first refrigerant in said first circuit for cooling the supply air stream with said second heat exchanger, to control said compressor to effect flow of the first refrigerant in said second circuit and said refrigerant circulation device to effect flow of a second refrigerant in said third circuit simultaneously with the flow of the first refrigerant in said second circuit, whereby the second refrigerant is cooled by the first refrigerant and the storage medium is cooled by the second refrigerant, and to control said refrigerant circulation device to circulate the second refrigerant in said fourth circuit for cooling the supply air stream with said fourth heat exchanger, the first refrigerant being a compressible phase change fluid and the second refrigerant being a substantially incompressible liquid.

An air conditioning system comprising:

• a compressor, a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger operably interconnected to define a first circuit, said second heat exchanger being in heat exchange relationship with a supply air stream for an indoor space;
• a thermal energy storage unit including a tank containing a thermal energy storage medium;
• a third-heat exchanger external to said tank and operably interconnected with said tank, said compressor and said first heat exchanger to define a second circuit;
• a refrigerant circulation device operably interconnected with said third heat exchanger and said tank to define a third circuit;
• a fourth heat exchanger operably interconnected with said tank and said refrigerant circulation device to define a fourth circuit, said fourth heat exchanger being in heat exchange relationship with the supply air stream;
• and
• a control device adapted to selectively control operation of said compressor to effect flow of a first refrigerant in said first circuit for cooling the supply air stream with said second heat exchanger, to control said compressor to effect flow of the first refrigerant in said second circuit and said refrigerant circulation device to effect flow of a second refrigerant in said third circuit simultaneously with the flow of the first refrigerant in said second circuit, whereby the second refrigerant is cooled by the first refrigerant and the storage medium is cooled by the second refrigerant, and to control said refrigerant circulation device to circulate the second refrigerant in said fourth circuit for cooling the supply air stream with said fourth heat exchanger.