System and method of refrigerating at least one enclosure

A system for refrigerating at least one enclosure comprising:

• at least one air-to-liquid heat exchanger capable of placing a coolant in a coolant loop in thermal communication with at least one interior of the at least one enclosure such that the coolant can carry heat away from the at least one interior;
• an eutectic thermal battery in fluid communication with the at least one air-to-liquid heat exchanger in the coolant loop;
• at least one liquid-to-direct heat pump capable of rejecting the heat carried by the coolant in the coolant loop, wherein the liquid-to-direct heat pump is in fluid communication with the eutectic thermal battery in the coolant loop, and wherein the liquid-to-direct heat pump is one of a thermoelectric or thermionic liquid-to-direct heat pump;
• and
• a cold heat sink in thermal communication with the at least one liquid-to-direct heat pump, wherein the cold heat sink is capable of receiving the heat rejected by the at least one liquid-to-direct heat pump, and wherein the cold heat sink comprises at least a portion of an aircraft fuselage skin structure.

A system for refrigerating at least one enclosure comprising:

• at least one air-to-liquid heat exchanger capable of placing a coolant in a coolant loop in thermal communication with at least one interior of the at least one enclosure such that the coolant can carry heat away from the at least one interior;
• a liquid-to-direct heat exchanger capable of receiving the coolant in the coolant loop;
• an eutectic thermal battery including a phase change material, wherein the eutectic thermal battery is capable of receiving the coolant from the air-to-liquid heat exchanger and placing the coolant in thermal communication with the phase change material such that the phase change material can absorb the heat carried away by the coolant in the coolant loop;
• and
• a cold heat sink in thermal communication with the liquid-to-direct heat exchanger, wherein the cold heat sink is capable of absorbing the heat carried by the coolant received by the liquid-to-direct heat exchanger, the cold heat sink being configured to absorb the heat absorbed by the phase change material, and wherein the cold heat sink comprises at least a portion of an aircraft fuselage skin structure.

A system for refrigerating at least one enclosure comprising:

• at least one air-to-liquid heat exchanger in thermal communication with at least one interior of the at least one enclosure;
• an eutectic thermal battery in fluid communication with the at least one air-to-liquid heat exchanger via a first coolant loop;
• a liquid-to-direct heat exchanger in fluid communication with the eutectic thermal battery via a second coolant loop, and in thermal communication with a cold heat sink;
• and
• at least one liquid-to-direct heat pump in fluid communication with the eutectic thermal battery via the second coolant loop, and in thermal communication with the cold heat sink,
• wherein the system is capable of controllably operating in at least one of a direct passive mode, an indirect passive mode, a direct active mode and an indirect active mode whereby a coolant is capable of selectively flowing in at least one of the first and second coolant loops through at least one of the at least one air-to-liquid heat exchanger, the eutectic thermal battery, the liquid-to-direct heat exchanger and the at least one liquid-to-direct heat pump.

A system for refrigerating at least one enclosure comprising:

• at least one air-to-liquid heat exchanger in thermal communication with at least one interior of the at least one enclosure;
• an eutectic thermal battery including a phase change material, wherein the eutectic thermal battery is capable of receiving the coolant from the air-to-liquid heat exchanger via a first coolant loop and placing the coolant in thermal communication with the phase change material such that the phase change material can absorb the heat carried away by the coolant in the coolant loop;
• a liquid-to-direct heat exchanger in fluid communication with the eutectic thermal battery via a second coolant loop;
• and
• at least one liquid-to-direct heat pump in fluid communication with the eutectic thermal battery via the second coolant loop, wherein the liquid-to-direct heat pump is one of a thermoelectric or thermionic liquid-to-direct heat pump;
• and
• a cold heat sink in thermal communication with at least one of the liquid-to-direct heat exchanger and liquid-to-direct heat pump, the cold heat sink being configured to absorb the heat absorbed by the phase change material, wherein the cold heat sink comprises at least a portion of an aircraft fuselage skin structure.