HIGH EFFICIENCY COOLING AND STORAGE SYSTEM BASED ON REFRIGERANTField of the Invention The present invention relates generally to systems that provide stored energy in the form of ice, and more specifically to ice storage systems used to provide cooling, especially during peak electrical demand or peak electrical demand.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION With the increasing demands of peak energy consumption, ice storage is an environmentally benign method that has been used to alternate air conditioning energy loads to times and cups after peak hours. There is a need not only to alternate the load of periods of greater demand to periods of lower demand, but also of increases in the capacity and efficiency of the air conditioning units. Current air-conditioning units that have energy storage systems have had limited success due to various deficiencies that include confidence in water chillers, which are practical only in large commercial buildings, and have difficulty inachieve high efficiency. In order to market the advantages of thermal energy storage in large and small commercial buildings, thermal energy storage systems must have minimum manufacturing and engineering costs, maintain maximum efficiency under varied operating conditions, demonstrate simplicity in the design of refrigerant handling, and maintain flexibility in multiple applications of refrigeration or air conditioning. Systems for providing stored energy have been previously contemplated in U.S. Patent No. 4,735,064, U.S. Patent No. 4,916,916 issued both to Harry Fischer and U.S. Patent No. 5,647,227 issued to Fischer et al. All of these patents use ice storage to alternate the air conditioning loads of electric rates during peak demand to lower demand hours to provide economic justification and thus are specifically incorporated as a reference for everything they teach and describe.
Brief Description of the Invention The present invention overcomes the disadvantages and limitations of the prior art by providing an efficient cooling apparatus that providescooling and energy storage based on refrigerant. When connected to a condensing unit, the system has the capacity to store energy, capacity for a period of time and to provide cooling of the stored energy during a second period of time. The system requires minimal energy to operate for any period of time, and only a fraction of the energy required to operate the system during the first period of time is required to operate the system during the second period of time using a refrigerant pump optional One embodiment of the present invention may therefore comprise a high efficiency energy storage and cooling system comprising: an air conditioning unit comprising a compressor and a condenser; an energy storage unit comprising an insulated tank containing a storage heat exchanger and at least partially filled with a phase change liquid, the storage heat exchanger further comprising a lower collection head and a storage head. top pickup connected by at least one thermally conductive member; a charge heat exchanger; a refrigeration management unit connected to the air conditioning unit, the storage unit ofenergy and the load heat exchanger; a universal refrigerant handling container within the refrigeration handling unit comprising: an outlet connection that returns the refrigerant to the air conditioning unit; an inlet connection that receives the refrigerant from the charge heat exchanger, a mixed phase regulator, a refrigerant variation and combination oil pause container, and the upper collection head of the storage heat exchanger; a first bottom hole which provides bidirectional flow of refrigerant to a bottom collection head of the storage heat exchanger, the bottom outlet which supplies liquid refrigerant for connection to the charge heat exchanger and the refrigerant variation vessel and combination oil pause; a second bottom hole which is connected to the combination oil coolant variation and pause container; and a pressure operated slide valve connected to the second bottom hole and the air conditioning unit for supplying refrigerant to the charge heat exchanger. One embodiment of the present invention may also comprise a method for providing cooling with a cooling and storage systemenergy comprising the steps of: condensing refrigerant with a condensing unit to create a first condensed refrigerant during a first period of time; supplying the first condensed refrigerant to a refrigerant variation and oil-pause vessel in combination, through a mixed phase regulator and to an inlet connection of a universal refrigerant handling vessel; supplying at least a portion of the first condensed refrigerant from a universal refrigerant handling container to a restricted evaporation unit within a tank that is at least partially filled with a phase change liquid; expanding the first condensed refrigerant within the evaporation unit to freeze a quantity of phase change liquid and form ice within the tank during the first period of time and produce a first expanded refrigerant; supplying the first expanded refrigerant from the evaporation unit to the inlet connection of the universal refrigerant handling container; returning at least a portion of the first expanded refrigerant to the condensing unit; circulate a second expanded refrigerant of universal refrigerant handling container and through the evaporation unit inside the ice block for a second period of time to condense the second refrigerantexpanded and to create a second condensed refrigerant; supply the second condensed refrigerant to the universal refrigerant handling container; circulating at least a portion of the second condensed refrigerant from the universal refrigerant handling container to the charge heat exchanger; expanding the second condensed refrigerant within the charge heat exchanger to provide cooling during the second period of time, thereby producing second additional expanded refrigerant; and returning the second expanded refrigerant to the universal refrigerant handling container. The modalities described offer the advantage of using energy from electric service companies during off-peak hours of low demand, which are usually at night, when these companies use their most efficient equipment. For example, high efficiency electric generators, typically powered by steam, produce one kilowatt-hour (KWH) for approximately 8,900 BTU. In contrast, a high-peak-hour electrical generator, such as a gas turbine, can use as much as 14,000 BTUs to produce the same KWH of electricity. Second, transmission lines also run colder at night resulting in higher energy efficiency. Finally, for conditioning systems ofair cooled, the operation of the system at night offers greater efficiency by decreasing the temperature of the condensing unit. The refrigerant-based energy storage and cooling system, described, has the advantage of operating at high efficiency providing a complete system that alternates the use of energy without significant losses of total energy and with increased efficiencies of power generation outside peak hours and cooling by compressor based refrigerant outside peak hours, a net reduction in total energy consumption and an individual unit of operation.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES In the figures, Figure 1 illustrates one embodiment of a cooling system and cold storage of high efficiency refrigerant in a mode used to cool a process fluid. Figure 2 illustrates one embodiment of a cooling and cold storage system of high efficiency refrigerant in a configuration for air conditioning with multiple evaporators. Figure 3 is a table illustrating the state of the components for a system mode ofcooling and cold storage of high efficiency refrigerant.
Detailed Description of the Invention While this invention is susceptible to modalities in many different forms, it is shown in the figures and will be described herein, in detail, specific embodiments thereof with the understanding that the present description is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and will not be limited to the specific embodiments described. Figure 1 illustrates one embodiment of a cooling system and cold storage of high efficiency refrigerant. The described embodiments minimize the additional components and use almost no energy beyond that used by the condensing unit to store the energy. The cold storage design of refrigerant is designed to provide flexibility so that it is practicable for a variety of applications. Modes may use stored energy to provide chilled water for large commercial applications or to provide air conditioning by direct refrigerant to multiple evaporators. The design incorporates multiple modes of operation, the ability to add optional components, and the integration ofIntelligent controls that allow energy to be stored and released at maximum efficiency. When a condensing unit is connected, the system stores cooling energy in a first period of time, and uses the stored energy for a second period of time to provide cooling. In addition, both the condensing unit and the cold refrigerant storage system can operate simultaneously to provide cooling for a third period of time. As shown in Figure 1, one embodiment of a high efficiency refrigerant energy cooling and storage system with four main components incorporated into the system is represented. The air conditioning unit 102 is a conventional condensing unit that uses a compressor 110 and a condenser 111 to produce high pressure liquid refrigerant distributed through a high pressure liquid supply line 112 to the refrigeration handling unit 104. . The refrigeration handling unit 104 is connected to the energy storage unit 106 which comprises an insulated tank 140 with ice making coils 142 and is filled with a phase change liquid such as water or other eutectic material. The air conditioning unit 102, the handling unit 104The refrigeration and energy storage assembly 106 act in concert to provide efficient cooling to the load heat exchanger 108 (inner cooling spiral assembly) and thereby perform the functions of the main modes of operation of the system. As further illustrated in Figure 1, the compressor 110 produces high pressure liquid refrigerant distributed through a high pressure liquid supply line 112 to the refrigeration handling unit 104. The high pressure liquid supply line 112 is divided and fed into a pause / oil variation vessel 116 and a pressure operated slide valve 118. The pause / variation vessel 116 is used to concentrate the oil in the low pressure refrigerant and return it to the compressor 110 through the dry suction return 114. Without the pause / variation vessel 116, some of the oil would remain in the storage container, eventually causing the compressor 110 to become trapped due to lack of oil, and the heat exchangers become less effective due to the failure. The vapor rises to the top of the pause / variation vessel 116 and out of the vent capillary 128, to be reintroduced into the wet suction return 124. This is done to encourage the flow of steamoutside the heat exchanger inside the pause / variation vessel 116, and in the preferred direction. The length of the venting cap 128 or similar regulated purging device is used to control the pressure in the pause / variation vessel 116 and hence the boiling speed and the volume of the refrigerant in the system. The pressure operated slide valve 118 also allows a secondary supply of high pressure liquid refrigerant which can bypass the remainder of the refrigerant handling system 104 and supplies liquid refrigerant to a liquid refrigerant pump 120 and directly to the load unit 108 . When activated, the liquid refrigerant pump 120 supplies the evaporator coils of the charge heat integrator 122 within the loading portion 108 of the cooling and energy storage system with liquid refrigerant. The low pressure refrigerant returns from the evaporator coils of the charge heat exchanger 122 with the wet suction return 124 to an accumulator or universal refrigerant handling container (URMV) 164 and to the internal heat exchanger composed of the coils 142 cooling / ice discharge. The low pressure vapor leaves the top of the URMV 146 and returns to the air conditioning unit 102 through the return 114 ofdry suction together with the distilled refrigerant enriched with oil flowing out of the bottom of the pause / variation vessel 116 through an oil return capillary 148. The oil return capillary 148 controls the speed at which oil is reintroduced into the system. The liquid refrigerant enriched with oil passes through a trap P 150, which eliminates (blocks) an undesired route for the refrigerant if the pause / variation vessel 116 is emptied. Additionally, the wet suction return 124 is connected to a splitter 130 before the URMV 146. The bifurcator supplies low pressure refrigerant from the mixed phase regulator 132 (TRVT). The mixed phase regulator 132 meters the flow of refrigerant into the system by incorporating a valve (orifice) that opens to release the mixed phase refrigerant, only when there is sufficient amount of liquid accumulated in the condenser 111. In this way, the compressor 110 that drives the system needs only to operate to feed the high pressure refrigerant, which can correspond to the cooling load. This mixed phase regulator 132 prevents the purge of steam on the low pressure side(portion of thermal load) of the system and virtually eliminates the steam supply to the URMV 146 from the compressor 110, while also lowering the pressurerequired of the condenser pressure at the saturation pressure of the evaporator. This results in greater overall system efficiency while simplifying the liquid supercharging characteristics of the refrigerant handling unit. The insulated tank 140 contains spirals 142 cooling / unloading ice dual purpose(nominally geometrically designed helical spirals), arranged for circulation by gravity and drainage of liquid refrigerant, and connected to a top head assembly 154 at the top, and to a bottom head assembly 156 at the bottom. The upper head assembly 154 extends outwardly through the insulated tank 140 to the cooling management unit 104. When the refrigerant flows through the ice freeze / discharge coils 142 and the head assemblies 154 and 156, the coils act as an evaporator and the fluid 152 solidifies in the insulated tank 140 for a period of time. The ice cooling / discharging coils 142 and the head assemblies 154 and 156 are connected to the low pressure side of the refrigerant circuitry and are arranged for circulation by gravity or by pumping and draining of liquid refrigerant. During a second period of time, the hot vapor phase refrigerant circulates through the cooling / discharge coils 142ice and the head assemblies 154 and 156 and melts the ice 152 providing a refrigerant condensing function. The central device within the refrigerant handling unit 104 is an accumulator container called the universal refrigerant handling container or URMV 146. The URMV 146 is on the low pressure side of the refrigerant circuitry and performs various functions. The URMV 146 separates the liquid and vapor refrigerant during the period of energy storage of the refrigerant and during the cooling period. The URMV 146 provides a column of liquid refrigerant during the refrigerant energy storage period that supports gravity circulation through the ice freeze / discharge coils 142 within the insulated tank 140. The URMV 146 is also a container for steam decoupling and provides coolant storage. The dry suction return 114 to the air conditioning unit 102, the compressor 110 during the energy storage period is provided by an outlet in the upper part of the URMV container 140. The dry suction return 114 is placed in such a manner to prevent the liquid refrigerant from returning to the compressor. A wet suction return 142 is provided through an inlet on top of the URMV 146 for connection toan evaporator (charge heat exchanger 122) during the period of time when the refrigerant energy storage system provides cooling. The first period of time is the period of time for storing refrigerant energy or storing energy on ice. The output of compressor 110 is high pressure refrigerant vapor that condenses to high pressure liquid (HPL). A valve (not shown) at the outlet of the refrigerant pump 120 is energized to close the connection to the load unit 108. The high pressure liquid is surrounded by low pressure liquid refrigerant in a second refrigerant vessel which is a combination oil pause / variation vessel 116 which reconnects to the underside of the refrigerant system. During the first period of time (energy storage period) the pause / variation vessel 116 is an oil pause and during the cooling period, the pause / oil variation vessel 116 acts as a refrigerant variation vessel. During the period of energy storage, an internal heat exchanger, in which the high pressure liquid refrigerant flows from the air conditioning unit 102, maintains everything, if not a small amount of low liquid refrigerant.pressure outside the pause / oil variation vessel 116. The refrigerant that is inside the container bubbles at a speed determined by two capillary tubes. A capillary is the venting capillary 128 which controls the refrigerant level in the pause / oil variation vessel 116. The second, the oil return capillary 148, returns the oil enriched refrigerant to the compressor 110 within the air conditioning unit 102 at a determined speed. The liquid refrigerant column in the URMV 146 is driven by gravity and places the pause / oil variation vessel 116 near the bottom of the URMV 146, the column maintains a stable flow of liquid supply coolant to the pause / variation vessel 116. oil. This container is connected to the low pressure liquid supply line 144 with a trap P 150 which prevents steam from entering the URMV 146 or the liquid refrigerant pump 120. The variation function allows the excess refrigerant during the cooling period to be drained from the cooling / ice discharge coils 142 in the insulated tank 140 keeping the surface area augmented to the maximum to condense the refrigerant. The physical placement of the pause / oil variation vessel 116 is a factor in its performance as a pause and variation vessel. This container 116 of pause / variationof oil additionally provides the route for the return of the oil that migrates with the refrigerant that must return to the compressor 110. The liquid refrigerant of high pressure slightly sub-cooled (cooler than the temperature of the vapor phase to liquid of the refrigerant) the refrigerant High pressure liquid leaving the pause / oil variation vessel 116 flows through a mixed phase regulator 132 (thermodynamic refrigerant vapor trap) where the pressure drop occurs. As noted above, the refrigerant handling unit 104 receives high pressure liquid refrigerant from the air conditioning unit via a supply line 112 in high pressure liquid. The high pressure liquid refrigerant flows through the heat exchanger into the pause / oil variation vessel 116, where it is subcooled, and the mixed phase regulator 132 is connected, where the pressure drop of the refrigerant. The use of a mixed phase regulator 132 provides very favorable functions in addition to the pressure drop of the liquid refrigerant. The mass amount of the refrigerant passing through the mixed phase regulator 132 will correspond to the boiling speed of the refrigerant in the ice making coils 142 during the energy storage time period. This eliminates the need forrefrigerant level control. The mixed phase regulator 132 passes subcooled liquid refrigerant, but closes when it perceives vapor (or inadequate subcooling of liquid) at its inlet. The impulse action of the refrigerant leaving the opening and the closing of the mixed phase regulator 132 creates a hammer effect in the liquid refrigerant as a static sling is produced within the closed column. This agitates the liquid refrigerant in the ice making coils 142 during the energy storage time period and improves the heat transfer as well as the aid in the segregation of the liquid phase and vapor refrigerant. The mixed phase regulator 132, in conjunction with the URMV 146, also drains the air conditioning unit 102 from the liquid refrigerant keeping its surface area available for condensation. The mixed phase regulator 132 allows the head pressure of an air-cooled condensing unit to float within ambient temperature. The system does not require a superheat or subcooling circuit that is mandatory with most condensing units connected to a direct expansion cooling device. An adjustment to the mixed phase regulator 132 allows the cooling energy storage and cooling system to manufacture or make ice with aapproach averaged four grades. The low pressure liquid refrigerant leaving the mixed phase regulator 132 passes through a bifurcation 130 to an eductor (or injection nozzle) located between the entrance to the URMV 146 and the upper head assembly 154 of the manufacturing coils 142 ice to help with the circulation of refrigerant by gravity. The bifurcador 130 reduces the pressure and flow of the liquid refrigerant. During the refrigerant energy storage time period, the eductor creates a drop in pressure as the refrigerant leaves the bifurcate 130, thereby increasing the circulation velocity of refrigerant in the ice making coils 142 and improving performance of the system. The mixed phase regulator 132 also varies the refrigerant flow in response to the evaporator load. It does this by maintaining a constant pressure in the URMV 146. This allows the condensing pressure to float within ambient air temperature. As the ambient air temperature decreases, the head pressure in the compressor 110 decreases. The mixed phase regulator 132 allows the liquid refrigerant to pass but closes when it perceives vapor. Retain the double phase mixture in a "trap". It allows the liquid (which is more dense) to pass but begins to close when passing gasless dense. The steam returns to the condenser 111 to become additionally condensed in a liquid. The mixed phase regulator 132 self-regulates (once calibrated) and has no parasitic losses (adiabatic expansion). Additionally, the mixed phase regulator 132 improves the efficiency of the heat transfer in the coils of the heat exchanger by removing liquid vapor and by creating a pulse action on the low pressure side. As noted above, the mixed phase regulator 132 opens to allow the low pressure liquid passage and then closes to trap steam on the high pressure side and creates an impulse action on the low pressure side of the regulator. This impulse action further moisturizes the inner wall of the sub-circuit to the boiling level, which aids in the transfer of heat. The low pressure liquid enters the URMV 146 vessel and the liquid and vapor components are separated. The liquid component fills the URMV 146 at a certain level and the vapor component is returned to the compressor of the air conditioning unit 102. In a normal direct expansion cooling system, the vapor component circulates from start to finish the system reducing the efficiency With this embodiment, the vapor component is immediately returned to the compressor 110. The liquid refrigerant column in the URMV 146 is driven by gravityand has two routes during the energy storage time period. One route is to the pause / oil variation vessel 116 where the spill rate is metered by the capillary tubes 128 and 148. The second route for the liquid refrigerant column is to the inner head assembly 156, through the coils 142 of ice making and assembly 154 of the upper head, and back to the compressor 110 through the URMV 146. This circulation by gravity in this way is how energy is stored in the form of ice when the tank is filled with a phase change fluid such as water. A solid column of the liquid refrigerant in the URMV 146 becomes less dense in the ice cooling coils 142, as the refrigerant becomes a vapor. This differential maintains circulation by gravity. Initially steam, and subsequently in the storage cycle the refrigerant liquid and the steam, are returned to the URMV 146. The liquid returns the column and the steam returns the compressor 110 inside the air conditioning unit 102. The circulation by gravity ensures the uniform accumulation of ice. As one of the ice making coils 142 accumulates more ice, its heat flow rate is reduced. The spiral next to it now receives more refrigerant until it has an equal heat flow velocity.
The design of the ice making coils 142 creates an ice build-up pattern that keeps the compressor suction pressure high during the storage period of ice storage. During the final phase of the energy storage time period, rapid ice formation accumulates and the suction pressure drops dramatically. This is the full charge indication that automatically turns off the condensing unit with an adjustable refrigerant pressure switch. When the air conditioning unit 102 is turned off during the energy storage time period, the high pressure liquid refrigerant forces the slide (piston) in the pressure operated slide valve to block the free flow of refrigerant to the exchanger 122 of heat load. When the energy storage system is fully charged and the air conditioning unit 102 closed, the mixed phase regulator 132 allows the pressures of the refrigerant system to be quickly equalized. With the high-pressure liquid that does not push the closed slide any longer, a spring returns the slide to the open position, allowing the refrigerant to flow into the heat exchanger 122 without restriction. In one embodiment, the charge heat exchanger 122 islocated below the energy storage system, and the refrigerant flows by gravity to the flooded evaporator in a die and operates as a thermosy. In summary, when the tank is filled with water and the refrigerant is circulated through the coils, the coils act as an evaporator, forming ice and storing energy for a period of time. During a second period of time, the refrigerant circulates through the coils and melts the ice providing a condensing portion of refrigerant. This methodology of energy discharge and storage is known as spiral ice, internal fusion. The time periods are determined by the end user, a utility, or optional intelligent controls incorporated within or attached to the system. Figure 2 illustrates one embodiment of a high efficiency refrigerant cooling and storage system in a configuration for air conditioning with multiple evaporators (including mini-split systems very common in Europe and the Far East). As shown in Figure 2, several efficiency options can be added to the refrigerant cooling and cold storage system. As noted above, a liquid refrigerant pump 120 may be added within the liquid handling unit 104.coolant downstream of the pressure operated spool valve 118 for circulating coolant to a load which is represented as mini-split evaporators 160 in this embodiment. The coils of the heat exchangers within the mini-division evaporators 160 are directly supplied with refrigerant using liquid turbocharging technology. In the wet suction return line 124, both the liquid and the steam return to the energy storage unit 106. The vapor is condensed by the discharge coils 142 within the ice 152 and the liquid refrigerant is returned to the inlet of the liquid refrigerant pump 120. Excess refrigerant that may have been used during the energy storage time period is now stored in the pause / oil variation vessel 116. The refrigerant path options represented with the pressure operated slide valve in Figure 2 allow both the air conditioning unit 102 and the energy storage unit 106 to provide condensation for the mini-division evaporators 160 within the unit 108 load. This is called the "Push" mode and operates for a third period of time. The pluralities of coils comprising the ice freeze / discharge coils 142 may have a passive water delamination system consisting ofof tubes 164 passive stratifiers in physical contact with the ice freeze / discharge coils 142 that provide a route for the displacement of water outside the ice limit. These passive stripping tubes 164, together with supports which keep the spirals properly separated provide mechanical protection for the spirals during shipping. An optional air bubbler, water pump, agitator, similar circulator can be installed to actively de-foul the fluid that promotes flow in any direction. Passive demotransformers 162 may also be used in the upper header assembly 154, the lower header assembly 156, or other heat exchange surfaces within the energy storage unit 106 to provide additional delamination and heat exchanger within the fluid. Ice 152. The pluralities of coils may also have a passive water stratification system consisting of tubes in physical contact with the coils providing a route for the displacement of water outside the ice limit. These tubes, together with supports that keep the spirals properly separated, provide mechanical protection for the spirals during shipping. An optional air bubbler, water pump, agitator, circulator or similar can be installed foractively de-stratify the fluid that promotes flow in any direction. Figure 3 is a table illustrating the state of the components for a mode of a cooling and cold storage system of high efficiency refrigerant operating in three periods of time and three modes. As shown in Figure 3, the condition of the air conditioning unit 102, the pause / oil variation vessel 116, the ice freeze / discharge coils 142 and the pressure operated slide valve 118 is shown for each one of the three periods of time and modes described. For example, in the period 1 of time, during the cold storage-mode of refrigerant, the air conditioning unit 102 is turned on, the pause / oil variation vessel 116 is operating as an oil pause, the spirals 142 of freezing / discharge of oil are making ice with refrigerant flowing from the bottom to the top, and the pressure operated valve 118 is closed. During this ice manufacturing (charging) cycle, the air conditioning unit 102 supplies hot liquid refrigerant to the system. The circuit follows the path that starts with the high pressure liquid from the condenser 111, through the mixed phase regulator 132(float) which changes the refrigerant to a high pressure liquid where it is fed into the URMV 146. The system feeds low pressure liquid to the lower head assembly 156 of the heat exchanger inside the energy storage unit 106 where it freezes gradually the majority of the water in the insulated tank 140. The vapor-phase refrigerant leaves the upper header assembly and flows back to the URMV 146. Any previous liquid falls to the bottom of the URMV 146 and repeats the circuit through the spirals 142 of Freezing / unloading of ice. The resulting "dry" low pressure steam exits the URMV 146 and the cycle starts again. In the period 2 of time, during the cooling mode also referred to as the ice cooling or melting cycle (discharge), the air conditioning unit 102 is turned off, the pause / oil variation vessel 116 is operating as a vessel of variation, the ice freeze / discharge coils 142 are condensing with coolant flowing from the top to the bottom, and the refrigerant pump 120 and the pressure operated valve 118 are open. During the periods of highest demand energy, the air conditioning unit 102 connected to the system is turned off and the system discharges the ice created during theIce making cycle. The system discharges the energy dissipation provided by the ice to allow cooling. In the described modes, there are two cooling cycle methods supported by the system module: load change and load leveling. The load change makes use of an individual cooling circuit, the system connected to a normal evaporative coil to provide both sensitive and latent cooling. The load leveling mode uses two separate cooling circuits to provide cooling: a sensitive evaporator circuit to provide sensible cooling (which removes heat from the ventilating air); and, a separate ice evaporator to provide latent cooling (moisture removal). A normal air conditioning unit 102 and the past size evaporative coil (load unit 108) comprise the sensing evaporator circuit while the second evaporator coil and the energy storage unit 106 comprise the ice evaporator circuit. The reverse can also be achieved in other modes of the load leveling system. The refrigeration circuit in the charge change mode and the ice evaporator circuit in charge leveling mode are fundamentally similar with both systems that are connected to an evaporative coil (unit108 load). The difference between the two is that in the charge change mode, the load unit 108 provides both sensible and latent cooling whereas in the load leveling, the load unit 108 mainly provides latent cooling. This allows the same basic spiral design the ability to perform different functions in multiple configurations. During the ice melt cycle, the coolant pump 120 is the driving force for the coolant to the load unit 108. A unique aspect of these systems compared to normal air conditioning systems is that the indoor unit (load unit 108 and air handler) can be as far as 150 feet from the energy storage unit 106 (normal are 8 feet maximum). This is possible because the pause / oil variation vessel 116 acts as a liquid receiver and adjusts the additional coolant required to traverse long lines. Normal liquid-thirsty air conditioning systems at these distances and provide poor performance. This allows the described systems to be applied to constructions much larger than the normal division system air conditioners. Finally, in the period 3 of time, during the "Push" mode, the air conditioning unit 102 ison, the pause / oil variation vessel 116 is acting as a mixing and oil disruption vessel in combination, the ice freeze / discharge coils 142 are condensing with coolant flowing from the top to the bottom, and the pump 120 of refrigerant and pressure operated valve 118 are open. The "Push" mode allows the compressor 110 associated with the system (for making ice) to provide cooling directly to the load unit 108. This can serve several purposes such as: providing cooling after the ice is depleted; provide additional capacity during peak hours (along with ice; and save ice for later, presumably for improved cost savings.