Patent ID: 7124594

Claim:
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 that contains a storage heat exchanger and at least partially filled with a phase change liquid, said storage heat exchanger further comprising a lower collection header and an upper collection header connected by at least one thermally conductive member; a load heat exchanger; a refrigeration management unit connected to said air conditioning unit, said energy storage unit and said load heat exchanger; a universal refrigerant management vessel within said refrigeration management unit comprising: an outlet connection that returns refrigerant to said air conditioning unit; an inlet connection that receives refrigerant from said load heat exchanger, a mixed phase regulator, a combination oil still and refrigerant surge vessel, and said upper collection header of said storage heat exchanger; a first bottom port that provides bi-directional flow of refrigerant to a bottom collection header of said storage heat exchanger, said bottom outlet that supplies liquid refrigerant for connection to said load heat exchanger and said combination oil still and refrigerant surge vessel; a second bottom port that is connected to said combination oil still and refrigerant surge vessel; and, a pressure operated slide valve connected to said second bottom port and said air conditioning unit to supply refrigerant to said load heat exchanger.