This research review focuses on air conditioning systems that cool high-heat-generating machines like computers and telecommunications equipment, and reports on various aspects related to air-flow systems and air conditioners. In particular, we introduce current R&D work on air conditioning flow systems, especially raised -floor blowing systems, and describe methods for allocating air flow for equipment with and without fans, calculating indoor temperature distribution, and evaluating energy conservation. We also describe R&D work on various types of air conditioners that operate at low compression ratios, apply the thermo-siphon principle, and have indirect and direct outside-air cooling functions to achieve efficient cooling operations when outside temperature is low, considering the need for year-round cooling.

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Trends of compressor technologies for refrigerators, freezers and condensing units are presented in this paper. HFC refrigerants such as R134a and R404C are promising candidates as an altemative for R12. Performance of reciprocating and rotary compressors in the operation with R134A is described. In addition, compressor technologies such as efficiency improvement are described in the cases of reciprocating, rotary and scroll compressors.

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There are many factors for designing the cross flow fan. Therefore, the performance of cross flow fan is not clear yet. We can analyze the transient flow of a cross flow fan using sliding mesh approach. One of the tasks using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is a way of modeling for analysis heat exchangers with cross flow fan. These tasks are very important for design. The paper has a modeling of heat exchangers and meshing the fan blades. The next tasks, we focus the ability of cross flow fan when we change the geometry of fan blades.

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To overcome the defect of conventional chilled water systems, we propose pneumatic conveying of ice cubes. We conducted experiments to investigate the pressure drops during pneumatic conveying of ice cubes in a prototype conveyance pipe, and obtained the following results : (1)The mean velocity of the ice cubes is proportional to the mean velocity of the conveying air flow regardless of balls in the pipe or the volume fraction of the ice cubes. (2) Difference in the velocity of the air flow cause variations in the density of ice cubes. If we convey ice cubes with balls, it is possible to convey a higher density. (3) The volume fraction of this method is about 10 times that of the previous experimental results. (4)The pump power of this proposed conveyance system is reduced to about 0.71 to 0.59 times that of the conventional chilled water systems.

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This paper has dealt with the direct contact heat and mass transfer characteristics of dehumidification of flowing moist air bubbles in a cold water solution (propylene glycoI). The saturated water-vapor humidity of propylene glycol water solution was measured under some conditions of temperature and mass concentration of the water solution. Experiments on dehumidification of air bubbles were performed by ascending air bubbles in the water absorbing solution for various parameters of air temperature, humidity and flow rate etc. The experimental data of air bubble diameter, dehumidification rate and apparent heat transfer coefficient were correlated by means of some experimental parameters such as air temperature, humidity, flow rate and height of water solution layer.

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The effective thermal conductivity of adsorbent packed beds of granular zeolite 13X and granular silica gel A in the presence of stagnant steam or air was measured under different conditions of the adsorbent bed temperature, particle size and filler-gas pressure. The measured effective thermal conductivity showed to become smaller with decreasing particle size or decreasing pressure, but it was nearly independent of the bed temperature. When steam was the filler-gas, the rise in the thermal conductivity of the adsorbent particles due to steam adsorption led to the increase in the effective thermal conductivity of the bed, and this effect was not negligible at high steam pressure for the bed of large particle size. It was found that both the predictions of the effective thermal conductivity by the Hayashi et al.'s model and the Bauer-Schlünder model generally agreed well with the measurements, by considering the particle thermal conductivity rise due to steam adsorption. The thermal conductivity of a consolidated bed of granular zeolite 13X was also measured, and it was found to be much larger than that of the packed bed especially at lower pressure. The above prediction models underestimated the effective thermal conductivity of the consolidated bed.

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Yamagata University 'Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES)' is the experimental system which has been running since 1982. From the results for along terms of experiments, we obtain many important knowledge. This paper presents the accomplishments for 16 years and the characteristics of thermal energy storage in thermal energy storage well. The conclusions show as follows. 1)In recent years, the thermal recovery factor of warm energy storage well becomes almost constant at about 60%. 2) The thermal recovery factor of cool energy storage well increases gradually and becomes at about 15%. 3) Since the ferric colloidal dam is formed in aquifer, thermal recovery factor increase year after year. 4) Back wash can remove clogging for ferric colloidal dam. 5) The apparent thermal diffusivity decrease gradually due to ferric colloidal dam.

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We have tested the prototype ice-slurry generator that enables both production of supercooled water (-2°C) and releasing of its supercooling simultaneously and continuously in a closed piping system. In the experiment, we adopted the irradiation of ultrasonic wave as an active control method of triggering for supercooling releasing, and evaluated the reliability for a practical use compared with the seed ice-crystal trigger. As the results, it has been confirmed that the ultrasonic wave trigger acts assuredly at the same level of degree of supercooling as that by using the seed ice-crystal Trigger. Moreover, it can be found that the ultrasonic wave trigger has the advantage of removing the growing ice-crystals on the pipe wall at the same time. Finally, we have specified the bombardment condition of ultrasonic wave enough to make continuously the ice-slurry in a closed system as the output surface power density > 31.4kW/m² and the superficial bombardment time > 4.1sec. We have also demonstrated the continuous ice-slurry making for more than 6hours by using the refrigerator system with the practical scale of 88kW.

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