Air conditioning system having supercooled phase change material

Abstract

An air conditioning system includes a chiller system including a compressor, a condenser, an expansion device and an evaporator; a phase change material in thermal communication with the condenser; an actuator coupled to the phase change material; and a controller providing a trigger signal to the actuator to initiate changing the phase change material from a supercooled state to a solid state.

1 . An air conditioning system comprising:
 a chiller system including a compressor, a condenser, an expansion device and an evaporator;   a phase change material in thermal communication with the condenser;   an actuator coupled to the phase change material; and   a controller providing a trigger signal to the actuator to initiate changing the phase change material from a supercooled state to a solid state.   
     
     
         2 . The air condition system of  claim 1  wherein:
 the condenser is embedded in the phase change material. 
 
     
     
         3 . The air condition system of  claim 1  further comprising:
 an ambient temperature sensor providing an ambient temperature signal to the controller. 
 
     
     
         4 . The air condition system of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a phase change material sensor providing a phase change material temperature signal to the controller. 
 
     
     
         5 . The air condition system of  claim 1  wherein:
 the phase change material includes an internal airway for allowing ambient air to flow through the phase change material. 
 
     
     
         6 . The air condition system of  claim 5  further comprising:
 a fan for drawing air through the airway. 
 
     
     
         7 . The air condition system of  claim 1  wherein:
 the phase change material includes a coolant supply line in thermal communication with the phase change material, the coolant supply line coupled to the chiller system. 
 
     
     
         8 . The air condition system of  claim 1  wherein:
 the actuator generates a sound wave to initiate changing the phase change material from the supercooled state to the solid state. 
 
     
     
         9 . The air condition system of  claim 1  wherein:
 the actuator includes frozen phase change material, the frozen phase change material being placed in contact with the phase change material to initiate changing the phase change material from the supercooled state to the solid state. 
 
     
     
         10 . The air condition system of  claim 9  wherein:
 the actuator includes a valve separating the frozen phase change material from the phase change material, the controller opening the valve to initiate changing the phase change material from the supercooled state to the solid state. 
 
     
     
         11 . The air condition system of  claim 1  wherein:
 the controller predicts a nighttime temperature profile in response to climate zone data and ambient temperature; and 
 the controller determining if the phase change material will supercool in response to the nighttime temperature profile. 
 
     
     
         12 . The air condition system of  claim 11  wherein:
 the controller providing the trigger signal to the actuator in response to the nighttime temperature profile. 
 
     
     
         13 . The air condition system of  claim 11  wherein:
 the phase change material includes an internal airway for allowing ambient air to flow through the phase change material; 
 when the controller determines that the phase change material will not supercool in response to the nighttime temperature profile, the controller activating a fan for drawing air through the airway to supercool the phase change material. 
 
     
     
         14 . The air condition system of  claim 11  wherein:
 the phase change material includes a coolant supply line in thermal communication with the phase change material, the coolant supply line coupled to the chiller system; 
 when the controller determines that the phase change material will not supercool in response to the nighttime temperature profile, the controller activating the chiller system to cool the coolant supply line to supercool the phase change material. 
 
     
     
         15 . A method for operating an air conditioning system having a chiller system including a compressor, a condenser, an expansion device and an evaporator, a phase change material in thermal communication with the condenser, and an actuator coupled to the phase change material, the method comprising:
 determining whether an ambient temperature profile will result in supercooling of the phase change material; and   in response to the determining, triggering the actuator to initiate changing the phase change material from a supercooled state to a solid state.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein:
 triggering the actuator includes determining a trigger time in response to the ambient temperature profile and triggering the actuator at the trigger time. 
 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising:
 running a condenser fan in response to determining that the ambient temperature profile will not result in supercooling of the phase change material. 
 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  further comprising:
 running the chiller system in response to determining that the ambient temperature profile will not result in supercooling of the phase change material and the running the condenser fan will not result in supercooling of the phase change material. 
 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein:
 running the chiller system includes cooling the phase change material with coolant. 
 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15  wherein:
 determining whether the ambient temperature profile will result in supercooling of the phase change material includes predicting a nighttime temperature profile in response to climate zone data, daytime temperature and a phase change material temperature.