Patent ID: 7107784

Claim:
A thermal management system for generating refrigeration or heating, comprising: one or more heat acceptors, which remove heat from one or more warm-temperature heat sources; one or more absorption heat pumps which use heat removed from the warm-temperature heat sources to generate refrigeration or heating; a transfer system for directing heat from the warm-temperature heat sources to the absorption heat pumps; a transfer system for directing heat from the absorption heat pumps to one or more heat sinks if the absorption heat pumps are generating refrigeration; a transfer system for directing heat from one or more cool-temperature heat sources to the absorption heat pumps if the absorption heat pumps are generating heating; a transfer system for directing heat from one or more cooling loads to the absorption heat pumps if the absorption heat pumps are generating refrigeration; and a means for transferring heat from the absorption heat pumps to one or more heating loads if the absorption heat pumps are generating heating.