Patent ID: 8051903

Claim:
A cooling and/or heating device ( 10 , 60 ) comprising: one or more heating or cooling units ( 8 a - 8 c ), a conduit network having flow conduits and return conduits ( 14 , 16 ; 68 , 70 ) leading to and from the units, one or more circuits ( 12 a - 12 c ; 32 - 38 ; 74 - 78 ) located in the one or more units and connected to the flow conduits and return conduits ( 14 , 16 ; 68 , 70 ), at least one valve ( 28 ) provided in each circuit for adjusting a volumetric flow through each circuit, a heat transfer medium disposed in the conduit network, at least one consuming device ( 22 ) disposed in each circuit ( 12 a - 12 c ; 32 - 38 ; 74 - 78 ), a control unit ( 40 ) connected to the valves ( 28 ) located in each circuit for adjusting a passage opening of each valve ( 28 ) to achieve hydraulic balancing in the conduit network, sensors ( 38 a , 38 b ) provided in each circuit ( 12 a - 12 c ; 32 - 38 ; 74 - 78 ), at least a first sensor ( 38 a ) located in a supply conduit for each circuit and at least a second sensor ( 38 b ) located in a return conduit for each circuit, the sensors ( 38 a , 38 b ) sending signals to the control unit and forming part of a control circuit of the control unit ( 40 ), the control unit adjusting the valves ( 28 ) of each circuit as a function of the signals transmitted from the sensors ( 38 a , 38 b ) to the control unit, for providing hydraulic balancing between the individual circuits ( 12 a - 12 c ; 32 - 38 ; 74 - 78 ), and wherein the valves ( 28 ) in each circuit ( 12 a - 12 c ; 32 - 38 ; 74 - 78 ) form the only automatically adjustable flow restrictors of each circuit ( 12 a - 12 c ; 32 - 38 ; 74 - 78 ), the flow restricted over a predetermined adjustment range of opening of each valve ( 28 ).