Comfort units and systems, methods, and devices for use thereof

Radermacher, K. Reinhard; Aute, Vikrant C.; Hwang, Yunho; Ling, Jiazhen; Srebric, Jelena; Muehlbauer, Jan; Dhumane, Rohit; Du, Yilin; Dalgo Reyes, Daniel Alejandro; Mattise, Nicholas W.

Title: Comfort units and systems, methods, and devices for use thereof

Abstract

Despite otherwise uncomfortable conditions in a surrounding environment, a customizable microenvironment can be created around a user to maintain a comfortable temperature and/or humidity level using a comfort unit. For example, the environment may be an office building where conditions are out of the comfortable range to save on energy or for other reasons, a factory/shop environment that is poorly conditioned, or an outdoor location with little to no conditioning. A sensing unit can monitor biometric and environmental data and can determine a comfort level of the user. The comfort unit can then dynamically respond to the determined comfort level and adjust the microenvironment to improve the user's comfort level. The comfort unit can follow the user as the user moves within the macro-environment, or can otherwise move within the macro-environment to achieve certain functions, such as recharging or spatial shifting of thermal load within the overall macro-environment.

Inventors:: Radermacher, K. Reinhard; Aute, Vikrant C.; Hwang, Yunho; Ling, Jiazhen; Srebric, Jelena; Muehlbauer, Jan; Dhumane, Rohit; Du, Yilin; Dalgo Reyes, Daniel Alejandro; Mattise, Nicholas W.

Issue Date:: 2020-10-13

Research Org.:: Univ. of Maryland, College Park, MD (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E)

OSTI Identifier:: 1771502

Patent Number(s):: 10801750

Application Number:: 15/735,538

Assignee:: University of Maryland, College Park (College Park, MD)

Patent Classifications (CPCs):: F - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING F24 - HEATING F24H - FLUID HEATERS, e.g. WATER OR AIR HEATERS, HAVING HEAT GENERATING MEANS, IN GENERAL

A - HUMAN NECESSITIES A61 - MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE A61B - DIAGNOSIS

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F - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING F24 - HEATING F24H - FLUID HEATERS, e.g. WATER OR AIR HEATERS, HAVING HEAT GENERATING MEANS, IN GENERAL
F24H9/2064 - {for air heaters}

A - HUMAN NECESSITIES A61 - MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE A61B - DIAGNOSIS
A61B5/0531 - {Measuring skin impedance}

F - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING F24 - HEATING F24F - AIR-CONDITIONING
F24F5/0017 - {using cold storage bodies, e.g. ice}

F - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING F24 - HEATING F24H - FLUID HEATERS, e.g. WATER OR AIR HEATERS, HAVING HEAT GENERATING MEANS, IN GENERAL
F24H9/1854 - {for air heaters}

G - PHYSICS G05 - CONTROLLING G05D - SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES
G05D23/1928 - {sensing the temperature of one space}

F - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING F24 - HEATING F24F - AIR-CONDITIONING
F24F5/0021 - {using phase change material [PCM] for storage}

F - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING F24 - HEATING F24H - FLUID HEATERS, e.g. WATER OR AIR HEATERS, HAVING HEAT GENERATING MEANS, IN GENERAL
F24H7/04 - with forced circulation of the transfer fluid

F - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING F24 - HEATING F24F - AIR-CONDITIONING
F24F2221/38 - Personalised air distribution

Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y02 - TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE Y02E - REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
Y02E60/14 - Thermal storage

G - PHYSICS G05 - CONTROLLING G05D - SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES
G05D23/1927 - {using a plurality of sensors

F - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING F24 - HEATING F24F - AIR-CONDITIONING
F24F2221/42 - Mobile autonomous air conditioner, e.g. robots

A - HUMAN NECESSITIES A61 - MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE A61B - DIAGNOSIS
A61B5/01 - Measuring temperature of body parts
A61B5/024 - Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate

G - PHYSICS G05 - CONTROLLING G05D - SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES
G05D22/02 - characterised by the use of electric means

F - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING F24 - HEATING F24H - FLUID HEATERS, e.g. WATER OR AIR HEATERS, HAVING HEAT GENERATING MEANS, IN GENERAL
F24H7/06 - the released heat being radiated

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DOE Contract Number:: AR0000530

Resource Type:: Patent

Resource Relation:: Patent File Date: 06/11/2016

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Citation Formats


                    Radermacher, K. Reinhard, Aute, Vikrant C., Hwang, Yunho, Ling, Jiazhen, Srebric, Jelena, Muehlbauer, Jan, Dhumane, Rohit, Du, Yilin, Dalgo Reyes, Daniel Alejandro, and Mattise, Nicholas W. Comfort units and systems, methods, and devices for use thereof.  United States: N. p., 2020. 
        Web.

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                    Radermacher, K. Reinhard, Aute, Vikrant C., Hwang, Yunho, Ling, Jiazhen, Srebric, Jelena, Muehlbauer, Jan, Dhumane, Rohit, Du, Yilin, Dalgo Reyes, Daniel Alejandro, & Mattise, Nicholas W. Comfort units and systems, methods, and devices for use thereof.  United States.

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                    Radermacher, K. Reinhard, Aute, Vikrant C., Hwang, Yunho, Ling, Jiazhen, Srebric, Jelena, Muehlbauer, Jan, Dhumane, Rohit, Du, Yilin, Dalgo Reyes, Daniel Alejandro, and Mattise, Nicholas W. Tue .  
        "Comfort units and systems, methods, and devices for use thereof".  United States.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1771502.

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@article{osti_1771502,

  title        = {Comfort units and systems, methods, and devices for use thereof},

  author       = {Radermacher, K. Reinhard and Aute, Vikrant C. and Hwang, Yunho and Ling, Jiazhen and Srebric, Jelena and Muehlbauer, Jan and Dhumane, Rohit and Du, Yilin and Dalgo Reyes, Daniel Alejandro and Mattise, Nicholas W.},

  abstractNote = {Despite otherwise uncomfortable conditions in a surrounding environment, a customizable microenvironment can be created around a user to maintain a comfortable temperature and/or humidity level using a comfort unit. For example, the environment may be an office building where conditions are out of the comfortable range to save on energy or for other reasons, a factory/shop environment that is poorly conditioned, or an outdoor location with little to no conditioning. A sensing unit can monitor biometric and environmental data and can determine a comfort level of the user. The comfort unit can then dynamically respond to the determined comfort level and adjust the microenvironment to improve the user's comfort level. The comfort unit can follow the user as the user moves within the macro-environment, or can otherwise move within the macro-environment to achieve certain functions, such as recharging or spatial shifting of thermal load within the overall macro-environment.},

  doi          = {},

  journal      = {},
number       = ,

  volume       = ,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {2020},

  month        = {10}

}

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Similar Records

Title: Comfort units and systems, methods, and devices for use thereof

Abstract

Citation Formats

Thermal energy transfer unit and method patent, December 2006

Evaporator phase change thermal siphon patent, October 2015

Portable cooling unit patent, April 2006

Energy-smart home system patent-application, March 2003

Portable cordless electric hair dressing appliance utilizing stored heat patent, July 1988

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Autonomous personal service robot patent, January 2013

Evaporator having a phase change material louvered clam shell housing patent, December 2016

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Phase change material evaporator charging control patent, July 2016

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Robotic pick up and deliver system patent, April 2003

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Evaporator phase change thermal siphon patent, March 2013

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Portable cooling unit
patent, April 2006

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Portable cordless electric hair dressing appliance utilizing stored heat
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Phase change material evaporator charging control
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Robotic pick up and deliver system
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