Patent ID: 7827807

Claim:
A method of providing load cooling with a refrigerant-based thermal energy storage and cooling system comprising the steps of: circulating a refrigerant between a condensing unit and a primary heat exchanger in a primary cooling loop during a first time period; condensing said refrigerant with said condensing unit; and, expanding said refrigerant in said primary heat exchanger that is constrained within a tank filled with a fluid capable of a phase change between liquid and solid during said first time period to freeze a portion of said fluid within said tank and create a cooled fluid and a frozen fluid; circulating said refrigerant between said primary heat exchanger and a load heat exchanger in a secondary cooling loop during a second time period; condensing said refrigerant in said primary heat exchanger utilizing cooling from said frozen fluid; expanding said refrigerant in a load heat exchanger to provide said load cooling; and, circulating said cooled fluid to a secondary heat exchanger in thermal communication with said secondary cooling loop in said second time period to reduce the enthalpy of said refrigerant in said secondary cooling loop.