Systems and Methods Using Thermal Energy Storage

The present application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 120 as a Divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/604,281, filed on Mar. 13, 2024, and entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS USING THERMAL ENERGY STORAGE,” which claims the benefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/902,772, filed on Sep. 2, 2022, and entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS USING THERMAL ENERGY STORAGE,” which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/240,512, filed on Sep. 3, 2021, and entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS USING THERMAL ENERGY STORAGE,” the entire contents of all of which are hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.

The present invention relates generally to refrigeration systems, and in particular to refrigerated containers or enclosures that employ mechanical refrigeration systems to maintain goods at a desired temperature.

This description and the accompanying drawings that illustrate aspects, embodiments, implementations, or applications should not be taken as limiting—the claims define the protected invention. Various mechanical, compositional, structural, electrical, and operational changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this description and the claims. In some instances, well-known circuits, structures, or techniques have not been shown or described in detail as these are known to one skilled in the art. Like numbers in two or more figures represent the same or similar elements.

In this description, specific details are set forth describing some embodiments consistent with the present disclosure. Numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. It will be apparent to one skilled in the art, however, that some embodiments may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. The specific embodiments disclosed herein are meant to be illustrative but not limiting. One skilled in the art may realize other elements that, although not specifically described here, are within the scope and the spirit of this disclosure. In addition, to avoid unnecessary repetition, one or more features shown and described in association with one embodiment may be incorporated into other embodiments unless specifically described otherwise or if the one or more features would make an embodiment non-functional.

Many goods and items, including a substantial portion of the world's food supply, are preserved using mechanical refrigeration systems to maintain such goods and items at a desired temperature. Given that the per-square-foot cost for refrigeration is higher than any other use of energy, the need for efficiency here is greater than ever.

Various techniques have been developed to provide more efficient refrigeration systems. These include a bimodal refrigeration system and method, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,758,057, and a forced air thermal energy storage system, as described in U.S. Patent Application Pub No. 2017/0321912, both of which are incorporated by reference herein. Such systems and methods employ phase change material (PCM) in conjunction with mechanical refrigeration systems.

According to various embodiments, systems and methods are provided to further improve upon employing PCM (e.g., contained in one or more bottles, cells, or other containers) in conjunction with mechanical refrigeration systems. These include the combination of energy efficiency and operating strategies to reduce greenhouse gases, address climate change, optimize energy usage for “off-peak” hours, combining or modifying operations to coordinate with wind, solar, or other renewable sources of energy generation or energy market dispatch signals, meeting the increasing demand for fresh “real” foods, and resiliency protection against rolling power blackouts and disasters (earthquakes, flooding, fire, hurricanes, terrorist attacks) that may impact the power grid.

The systems and methods can integrate into existing refrigeration or cooling systems of any size, including in larger commercial or industrial warehouse installations, retail installations (e.g., in grocery stores), and residential applications (e.g., home refrigeration and freezer units). This technology includes sensors and controls added to various zones and key points (condensers, doors) of a facility or refrigeration system; monitoring equipment (local and remote) and analytics to process the collected data; control interfaces; communications through Internet of Things (IoT) and cloud-based networks; portal service; remote access from portable devices (e.g., smartphones, notebooks, tablet computers); connection to, and integration with, third-party hardware, apps, and channel partners (third party controls, smart meters, power utilities).

The systems and methods can be employed or used in retail installations, such as grocery and convenience stores. Various issues or problems may arise in refrigeration systems for retail installations. For example, many grocery store refrigeration systems are custom configured for a particular location and may employ a common bank of compressors for multiple refrigeration needs (e.g., reach-in freezers, case coolers, inventory storage, produce, meat, dairy, etc.). This can lead to challenges in controlling temperature across multiple units (each with its own respective target or desired temperature range), controlling over time of energy consumption via TES, and overall energy efficiency. Other issues or considerations for such installations include:

In retail installations, systems of methods of the present disclosure can be applied, incorporated, employed, or implemented in freezers, coolers, storage or display cases, open cases (without doors), closed cases (with doors), rack systems (with compressors located remotely), self-contained refrigeration systems (with embedded compressors), applications without fan control, etc. The technology of the present disclosure (e.g., control systems, PCM cells) may be deployed and distributed throughout grocery store installations for optimization and increased energy efficiency, for example, to monitor, control, and improve operational visibility on door openings, occupancy, temperatures, equipment, power outages, overall system performance, and other key indicators.

Embodiments of the present disclosure may utilize a bimodal refrigeration system. The bimodal refrigeration system employs an endothermic storage material within a refrigerated container or housing in a manner that leverages the features of conventional mechanical refrigeration units, such as mechanical refrigeration units employing forced-air chilling. In conjunction with the “active” heat exchange mode provided by the forced-air mechanical refrigeration unit, the bimodal refrigeration system employs a “passive” heat exchange mode in the form of an endothermic storage apparatus (e.g., comprising one or more PCM cells) compatibly deployed within the refrigerated container or housing. As used herein, a “bimodal” refrigeration system may refer to a heat extraction/absorption system employing a passive heat exchange mechanism in the form of an endothermic storage material in conjunction with an active heat exchange mechanism in the form of a forced-air mechanical refrigeration system. Furthermore, the bimodal cooling mechanism of the present disclosure reduces the required active operating time and excessive cycling of the mechanical refrigeration system, thereby reducing the overall energy supply requirements and also reducing repair and maintenance costs of the mechanical refrigeration system.

illustrates an exemplary bimodal system, in partial cross-section, in accordance with some implementations. An application for such systemcan be, for example, as a display case or storage in a commercial or retail facility for one or more food, drink, or other items that are preferably kept at a lower temperature.

As shown, the systemcomprises a housing formed at least in part by a wallextending along the top, back, and bottom of the display case or system. The wallmay comprise a layer of foam or other insulating material located or sandwiched between skins of durable material (e.g., metal or plastic) on either side. The wall, at least in part, defines an interior and an exterior for the housing. The interior of the housing is used to hold or store various items or packages (e.g., for food or drink) that are preferably kept at a lower temperature than the ambient surroundings or environment. In some embodiments, the skin adjacent the interior of the housing can be formed of plastic, and the skin adjacent the exterior of the housing can be formed of metal. In other embodiments, both skins are formed of the same material, such as metal. The foam or insulating material in the wallprovides a thermal break to insulate and minimize or reduce thermal exchange between the interior and exterior of the housing.

Supportsand(e.g., formed of metal) may provide structural support at the rear and bottom of the unit. One or more metal shelves and shelf supports, attached to or proximate the back of the display case or wall, can be used to hold various items or packages (e.g., for food or drink). Users (e.g., customers or employees) of the commercial or retail facility may “reach-in” to systemin order to access, place, or retrieve items to and from the interior of the system housing.

In some examples, the systemcomprises one or more doorswhich can be opened to access the food or drink items or packages. In a commercial or retail setting, doorscan be formed at least in part of glass or clear plastic to allow a user (e.g., shopper) to see the items stored or kept within the housing interior of system. The wall(with layer of foam) and doorinsulate the interior of systemfrom the ambient environment or temperature outside the unit. In some examples, systemmay not have any doors; that is, it is an open format unit where the interior is open to the ambient environment. In some applications or installations, because cold air from open format units is assumed to “spill” into the surrounding environment, such units are considered or used in conjunction with conventional heating, ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC) systems for overall cooling needs.

In some embodiments, systemmay be connected or in fluid communication with a refrigeration system. In some embodiments, the refrigeration system may employ or comprise a common bank of compressors for multiple refrigeration needs (e.g., reach-in coolers and freezers, case coolers, inventory storage, produce, meat, dairy, etc.) in the retail installation. In some embodiments, the refrigeration system operates to cool a liquid refrigerant which is then circulated or supplied through a network of pipes, ducts, valves, pumps, etc. or other fluid communication to system, which may be just one of multiple units that is located throughout a retail or commercial facility and supplied with cooling via the liquid refrigerant. In other embodiments, the refrigeration system may generate chilled air, which is then circulated or moved by a forced air convection system for delivery to system.

In some embodiments, systemincludes mechanisms for handling the air (including chilled air) within the unit, including to address convection. These mechanisms can include various blowers, fans, louvers, vents, ducts, etc. for allowing, moving, or distributing air coming into and within unit. As seen in, systemcomprises an air grill, one or more air ducts,through which chilled air is delivered into the unit. In some embodiments, the chilled air may be produced by circulating air across coils or pipes carrying the cooled liquid refrigerant supplied from the common refrigeration system. In some embodiments, these coils are located in relatively close proximity to system. Air ductmay be located between the top portion of walland sheet metal spaced from the wall, and air ductis located between the back portion of the walland sheet metal spaced from the wall skin. Systemmay include a fan system comprising one or more fan motors and bladesto provide, support, or promote circulation of the chilled air throughout the interior of system. In an open format unit, one or more fans may be used to provide or support an “air curtain” to help isolate the refrigerated space from the ambient environment. The fan system may be implemented or comprise a reversible fan, which can cause the air to flow in different directions throughout the system. For example, arrowindicates one direction of air flow from the top air grill. A fan plenummay be formed or defined by bottom foam wall skin and one or more coil covers. In some embodiments, systemcomprises an evaporator coil.

According to some embodiments of the present invention, systems and methods implement or utilize the latent energy state of PCM within a refrigeration system to optimize the control and refrigeration system operations. In some embodiments, this is accomplished by the addition of Thermal Energy Storage (TES) capacity in the form of one or more discrete, scaled cells, packets, bottles, or containers of PCM to the system. As shown in, these PCM cells,,,,,,,,, andcan be distributed or integrated throughout the unit. PCM cellis integrated into the structure of the top air duct. PCM cellis mounted in top air duct. Cellsare formed into a module that rests on a shelf. PCM cellis located in rear air duct. PCM cellsare integrated into the structure of the rear air duct. PCM cellsare integrated into the structure of the evaporator coil. PCM cellsare located in the fan plenum. PCM cellsare integrated into the structure of the fan and coil cover. PCM cellsare secured to the bottom of the shelving. PCM cellsare integrated into the structure of the shelving.

In some examples, one or more PCM cells-may comprise a bottle or container made of, for example, high density polyethylene plastic. The shape of the PCM cell may be, for example, cylindrical, rectangular, in the form of a panel, or any other suitable shape. Likewise, the PCM cells can be configured in any suitable size. In some examples, the PCM cells-used with unitmay be configured with multiple or different shapes and sizes, as or appropriate for placement and distribution in different areas in reach-in unit.

The PCM cells-can include or contain thermally chargeable material. In some embodiments, the thermally chargeable material can comprise an endothermic storage material, which in some examples, can change phase (e.g., from solid to liquid, and vice versa) as the material absorbs heat, thereby reducing the surrounding temperature. In some embodiments, the quantity and/or type of phase change material (PCM) may be set based on a desired temperature range at which the goods or items contained in the unit are to be maintained. The PCM cells-may be brought to stasis by maintaining the PCM material at a specified stasis temperature for sufficient period, typically several hours. Once activated or charged, the PCM material within PCM cells-remains active (i.e. in a phase change or stasis condition) for an extended period of time. As ambient heat infiltrates the interior housing of the system, this heat is selectively absorbed by the PCM material rather than the goods, such that the temperature of the goods and the interior housing of systemremains below a predetermined maximum temperature for longer period than if the PCM cells-were not present. PCM cells-are brought to stasis by the chilled air derived from the chilled delivery medium (e.g., cooled liquid refrigerant) from the refrigeration system, as circulated or distributed by the fans, louvers, vents, ducts, etc. of system. This insures that PCM cells-reach stasis within the shortest possible time.

The PCM can be specially configured with a formulation that provides properties for phase change or stasis temperature that are suitable or appropriate for the products or items to be kept cold. For example, water/ice may not be the ideal PCM eutectic for many applications, as the temperature at which it solidifies or melts is 32° F. (0° C.). Most freezers normally run at 0° F. and most refrigerators normally run above 32° F. Thus, according to some embodiments, the PCM eutectic is matched to the operating system or compartment and the kinds of goods to be contained therein. In other words, the phase change material may be formulated or configured with a solid-liquid phase temperature based on a desired temperature profile or range of the unit. In one or more embodiments, the phase change material may be a combination of water and one or more salts, where the quantity of the salts is selected, at least in part, on a desired temperature profile—i.e., so that the solid-liquid phase change transition temperature is set somewhere between the maximum and minimum ends of the desired temperature range. In some embodiments, different PCM formulations may be used for different compartments, regions, locations, or zones in the same system, for example, if the target temperature profile for some items is different from other items. For example, some frozen meat and ice cream products are preferably kept chilled at temperatures different from those for other frozen foods. Likewise, some varieties of white wine are preferably kept chilled at lower temperatures than some varieties of red wine. Different formulations of PCM are selected and placed in the different zones for white and red wines as appropriate for the preferred temperature profiles.

In operation for reach-in system, the convective airflow, for example, supported by fan system of the system, causes air to pass by the PCM cells-, thereby exchanging heat with the PCM cells. This heat exchange causes PCM cells to undergo eutectic change—changing from liquid phase to solid phase, or vice versa. When the refrigeration system is active, and chilled delivery medium (e.g., cooled liquid refrigerant) is provided or circulated to the unit, some of the PCM within the cells may change from liquid phase to solid phase, thus charging the PCM cells as Thermal Energy Storage (TES). When the refrigeration system is not active, or the chilled refrigerant is not being provided or circulated to the unit, some of the PCM with the cells may undergo eutectic change in the other direction, changing from solid phase to liquid phase, thereby discharging the TES and absorbing heat to regulate or maintain the temperature within the unitat a desired temperature range.

illustrates an exemplary bimodal system, in partial cross-section, in accordance with some implementations. An application for such systemunit can be, for example, as a single deck freezer display case or storage in a commercial or retail facility for one or more food items.

As shown, the systemcomprises a housing, defined or formed in party by a wallextending along the left, bottom, and right sides of the unit. The wallmay comprise a layer of foam or other insulating material located or sandwiched between skins on either side. The layer of foam acts as an insulator. The skins can be made of metal, plastic, or any other suitable material. The wall, at least in part, can defines an interior and an exterior for the housing of the system. In some examples, freezer systemis an open format system—i.e., the unit does not include a door or lid to close off the unit, and as such, the interior of the system is open to the ambient environment.

In some embodiments, systemmay be connected or in fluid communication with a refrigeration system which generates and delivers or circulates cooled liquid refrigerant via ductwork, pipes, valves, pumps, etc., as described above. Systemcomprises an air grill, one or more air ducts,through which chilled air (e.g., which is chilled by the cooled liquid refrigerant) is delivered into the unit. A fan system (e.g., reversible) comprising one or more fan motors and bladesto provide, support, or promote circulation of the chilled air throughout the interior of system. A fan plenummay be formed or defined by bottom foam wall skin and one or more coil covers. In some embodiments, systemcomprises an evaporator coil. With an open format, such as system, these mechanisms—e.g., fans, ducts, louvres, etc.—can be configured to handle air flowand convection to provide or support an “air curtain” between the interior of the systemand the ambient environment.

According to some embodiments, freezer systemmay comprise one or more PCM modules, bottles, or cells,,,,,, and, which can be distributed or integrated throughout the system. PCM cellis mounted in right air duct. PCM cellsare integrated into the structure of the evaporator coil. PCM cellsare located in the fan plenum. PCM cellis mounted in left air duct. PCM cellsare integrated into the structure of the left air duct. PCM cellsare integrated into the structure of the fan and coil cover. PCM cellsintegrated into the structure of the left air duct. PCM cells-provide TES capacity, e.g., to optimize operations for systemand the rest of the systems and infrastructure with which it cooperates. Systemoperates similarly to system, as described above. PCM cells-can include or contain thermally chargeable material that is specially configured with a formulation appropriate for system, as already described above.

According to some embodiments, each of the reach-in systemofand the freezer systemofmay also comprise one or more sensors to take measurements or monitor various operating conditions, both within and external to the units. In some examples, these operation conditions can include the temperature at one or more zones of the interior space, temperature of products (e.g., food or drink items), ambient temperature of the environment (e.g., host room) where the unitoris located (including potentially heat impact of the room temperature), PCM temperature (e.g., freeze status), coil temperature (e.g., is refrigeration working), door status (openings and length of time), airflow speeds, product loading and incoming temperatures, Time Of Use (TOU) electric utility tariff for optimizing consumption time/costs, metrics related to other utility incentive programs (shed schedules or dispatch signals), Green House Gas (GHG) metrics for the electrical service to optimize consumption GHG impacts (e.g., California local note GHG API system). Such sensors can be implemented as thermometers, motion sensors, proximity sensors, or any other suitable device.

In some embodiments, information or data regarding the measurements taken by the various sensors and monitors may be collected and/or provided, for example, through wired or wireless communication (e.g., WiFi, Bluetooth, cellular) to one or more controllers. The controllers may be configured to control the generation or cooling of the liquid refrigerant by the refrigeration system, and the operation of the system or network of pipes, ducts, valves, pumps, etc. for circulating or delivering the cooled liquid refrigerant to the systemsand, the direction of fan or air circulation systems within systemsandto regulate their temperature, as well as the temperature of any other units throughout the same retail facility. The controllers may, for example, turn on/off one or more compressors in the refrigeration bank, set, increase, or decrease the temperature within the units (or various zones therein), e.g., according to a predetermined or flexible schedule, independently control airflow fans in the units and/or the liquid refrigerant circulation or delivery system, etc.

illustrates a systemcomprising a plurality of cooling units, a refrigeration system, a liquid refrigerant circulation system, and a control system.

In some embodiments, each of the plurality of cooling units may comprise a reach-in system, a freezer system, or other similar system which holds and makes available items (e.g., food, drink, etc.) that are preferably kept at a lower temperature. As shown in, systemincludes four cooling units which are reach-in systems(with doors), and another three cooling units which may be freezer systems.

The refrigeration system may comprise a mechanical refrigeration system that operates to generate or cool a delivery medium, such as liquid refrigerant. As shown, in, the refrigeration system may comprise a condenser fan, a condenser coil, and a bank of compressors.

The liquid refrigerant circulation system operates to deliver and circulate the cooled liquid refrigerant from the refrigeration system to the cooling units of system. A shown, the liquid refrigerant circulation system comprises a suction line, discharge line, liquid line, and liquid receiver or tank.

Control systemprovides or supports intelligent control of the system, both in the aggregate and for the individual components. Control systemmay receive input signal from, for example, one or more temperature sensorsthat are located throughout the system. In some embodiments, at least one temperature sensoris provided in each cooling unit (systemor system). Control systemmay control the turning on/off of the refrigeration system. Control systemmay control the circulation of cooled liquid refrigerant, e.g., via a liquid line solenoid valve. According to some embodiments, control systemmay provide or support intelligent controls (e.g., algorithms) for optimizing use of PCM in a bimodal system for thermal energy storage (TES), e.g., as implemented in any of system, system, and system.

These algorithms for intelligent controls analyze or take into account multiple factors or variables, including the number and kinds of cooling units (e.g., systems,, and the like) in the system, and for each such unit, the charge/discharge cycle of the PCM, cooling load, type of good or product (e.g., fresh food, frozen food, pharmaceutical, or bio-science material), overall roundtrip efficiency, variable utility rates, integration with wind, solar, or any other renewable power source or market dispatch signal, total energy consumption (kW and kWh) and grid/societal impact, energy costs combining Time Of Use (TOU) and other factors, real-time accommodations for variables (doors, product loading, etc.), space versus product temperature simulations and modeling, unique defrost sequences, and future aggregate dispatch requests or operating signals. Intelligent controls can be implemented at least in part as Software as a Service (SaaS).

Other considerations or factors of intelligent control by control systemcan include the following.

Comprehensive consideration both in-front of and behind the power meter. Conventional techniques for cooling system optimization typically stand on one side or the other of the power meter. That is, they attempt to increase efficiency of the installation “behind the meter” by reducing overall power consumption; or alternatively, they attempt to optimize based on considerations “in front” of the meter, e.g., for variable utility rates. Often, the latter creates the wrong incentives, as operators may be driven to consume more overall power just to take advantage of “off-peak” rates in addition to new counter-intuitive utility operating constraints such as Local Node Pricing (LNP). In contrast, systems and methods of the present disclosure, e.g., as implemented with control system, consider or analyze what is happening on both sides of the power meter and can manage competing objectives when controlling for optimization, delivering higher efficiency and reduced overall power consumption, at lower costs. Inclusion of TES as an offset capacity (against compressor operations) for any utility program and dispatchability as an addressable load control device can be used for utility dispatch or load aggregators now able to leverage behind-the-meter systems within the wholesale and other dispatchable front-of-the-meter energy markets.

Reporting and Recommendations. With all of the information and data collected and stored by the control and monitoring systems, the systems and methods of the present disclosure, e.g., as implemented with control system, generate various notices and reports for their users or operators, including how much energy was reduced and energy costs saved through the use of the technology at individual installations or in the aggregate, and how long an installation may be operated without turning on the mechanical refrigeration system while still maintaining the quality of the cooled products or goods. Furthermore, the systems and methods are able to make recommendations to its customers, such as, for example, adding or relocating PCM bottles or containers and/or products, changing refrigeration capacity and equipment operating sequences, instituting building improvements to reduce heat infiltration, migration to new equipment such as Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs), and other business improvements, etc. to further increase efficiency, and reduce costs.

Cloud-based approach. Systems and methods may be implemented or incorporate a cloud-based approach, where information, data may be uploaded to a site remote from the location of the installation, stored, and processed. An advantage of the cloud-based approach is that the systems and methods are able to leverage the information and data collected for some installations, users, or operators (e.g., for energy usage, temperature changes, warchouse practices) to make recommendations and suggestions to other installations, users, or operators. In some embodiments, the systems and methods can apply analytics across the broader set of all installation, user, and operator data (anonymized if necessary for privacy concerns) to increase efficiency, develop best practices suggestions, working with not only private entities but with utilities and governments (e.g., State of California) as well to develop solutions and address issues that are much bigger and more comprehensive that a single site. Additionally, cloud computing facilitates the deployment of artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Installation format. This includes the physical array spacing and installation configurations for PCM bottles or containers as a small heat-exchanger or energy storage (attached to roof, racks, shelves, either separate from or interspersed among items to be kept cold) which is able to use convective airflow (does not require a supplemental fan for air movement) to optimize efficiency. Present configurations include a laydown module, universal module, wire deck module, movable wire basket(s), telescoping module(s), floor option, and associated installations for the same. The configurations provide flexibility to install within un-used space in the freezer (not consuming space for product storage) and can be modular, allowing more PCM bottles to be added when and where needed in order to handle increased cooling demands (e.g., more items or lower temperatures).

Control systemcan be implemented with the one or more controllers. In some embodiments, the controllers can be implemented as one or more computing devices.illustrates an embodiment of a computing devicewhich may be used in the systems and methods of the present disclosure, including in conjunction with reach-in systemof, the freezer systemof, and the network systemof.

The computing deviceincludes one or more computer processorscoupled to computer storage (memory), and communication equipment(e.g., for radio communications).

Operation of computing deviceis controlled by processor, which may be implemented as one or more central processing units, multi-core processors, microprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), graphics processing units (GPUs), tensor processing units (TPUs), and/or the like in computing device.

Memorymay be used to store software executed by computing deviceand/or one or more data structures used during the operation of computing device. Memorymay include one or more types of machine-readable media. Some common forms of machine-readable media may include a floppy disk, a flexible disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, any other magnetic medium, CD-ROM, any other optical medium, punch cards, paper tape, any other physical medium with patterns of holes, RAM, PROM, EPROM, EEPROM, FLASH-EPROM, any other memory chip or cartridge, and/or any other medium from which a processor or computer is adapted to read.

Processorand/or memorymay be arranged in any suitable physical arrangement. In some embodiments, processorand/or memorymay be implemented on the same board, in the same package (e.g., system-in-package), on the same chip (e.g., system-on-chip), and/or the like. In some embodiments, computer systemmay be located on-site at the retail installation where unitor unitare located. In some embodiments, processorand/or memorymay include distributed, virtualized, and/or containerized computing resources. Consistent with such embodiments, processorand/or memorymay be located in one or more data centers and/or cloud computing facilities. In some examples, memorymay include non-transitory, tangible, machine-readable media that include executable code that when run by one or more processors (e.g., processor) may cause the computing device, alone or in conjunction with other computing devices in the environment, to perform any of the methods described further herein

The computing device or equipmentmay include one or more user input devices, such as a keyboard, a mouse, trackball, touch pad, touch screen, pen or the like, for interacting with a graphical user interface (GUI) provided by the browser on a display (e.g., a monitor screen, LCD display, etc.) of the computing devicein conjunction with pages, forms, applications and other information provided by deviceor other systems or servers. For example, the user interface device can be used to access data and applications hosted by system, and to perform searches on stored data, and otherwise allow a user to interact with various GUI pages that may be presented to a user.

Communication equipmentof computing devicemay comprise or be implemented with, for example, one or more radios, chips, antennas, etc. for allowing the deviceto send and receive signals for conveying information or data to and from other devices. Under the control of processor, wireless communication equipmentmay provide or support communication over Bluetooth, Wi-Fi (e.g., IEEE 802.11p), and/or cellular networks with 3G, 4G, or 5G support.

In some embodiments, one or more computing devices or equipment are connected or configured in a network. The network can be any network or combination of networks of devices that communicate with one another. For example, the network can be any one or any combination of a LAN (local area network), WAN (wide area network), telephone network, wireless network, point-to-point network, star network, token ring network, hub network, or other appropriate configuration. The network can include a TCP/IP (Transfer Control Protocol and Internet Protocol) network. Some implementations are suitable for use with the Internet, although other networks can be used instead of or in addition to the Internet, such as an intranet, an extranet, a virtual private network (VPN), a non-TCP/IP based network, or the like.

Each computing deviceor groups of computing devicesmay comprise or incorporate suitable network interfaces. Such network interface provides or supports communications, signaling, etc. between and among the computers of the network, as well as with other systems. In some examples, network interface can comprise or be implemented using one or more HTTP servers. In some embodiments, the network interface provides or includes load sharing functionality, such as load balancing and distribute incoming HTTP requests over a plurality of servers in the system.

In some examples, the various systems and methods described herein (including the use of PCM, sensors, controllers, etc.) can be incorporated or applied in home or residential refrigerator and/or freezer appliances.