Three phase absorption systems and methods for refrigeration and heat pump cycles
First Claim
1. An absorption system comprising:
- a first absorption-desorption subsystem including first reactor means;
a second absorption-desorption subsystem including second reactor means;
a first absorbent material in said first reactor means for chemically absorbing gaseous refrigerant;
a second absorbent material in said second reactor means for chemically absorbing gaseous refrigerant;
condenser means for condensing at least some of said gaseous refrigerant into liquid refrigerant;
a first transfer means for periodically transferring said refrigerant gas to said condenser means from a selected one of said first and second reactor means in response to desorption of said refrigerant gas;
expansion means connected for receiving refrigerant from said condenser means and for expanding said refrigerant to reduce the temperature and pressure of said refrigerant;
evaporation means connected for receiving refrigerant from said expansion means and for evaporating at least some liquid refrigerant received thereby;
a second transfer means for periodically transferring refrigerant gas from said evaporation means to a selected one of said first and second reactor means in response to absorption of said refrigerant gas;
means for supplying heat to said first and second reactor means in alternating sequence for effecting chemical compression of said first and second absorbent materials and for effecting desorption of refrigerant gas from said first and second absorbent materials; and
means for removing heat from said first and second reactor means in alternating sequence for effecting chemical decompression of said first and second absorbent materials and for effecting absorption of refrigerant gas in said first and second absorbent materials.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A three phase absorption system containing two or more reactor systems for binding refrigerant in a thermally reversible chemical reaction to absorbent materials within the reactor systems, means for supplying heat to, and removing heat from the reactor systems, means for recovery of at least part of the sensible heat energy from reactors in each of the reactor systems, and means for conveying, expanding, evaporating and condensing refrigerant gas from the reactor systems. A method for providing continuous cooling and/or refrigeration which includes the steps of desorbing refrigerant in a gas phase from an absorbent in a first reactor using a low temperature heat source, transferring the desorbed refrigerant gas to a condensor, expanding the condensed refrigerant to a lower temperature and pressure liquid, evaporating the low temperature liquid with the heat from the cooling and/or refrigerant load, absorbing vapor from the evaporated refrigerant with an absorbent in a second reactor which is being cooled by a cooler, concurrently preparing two other absorption reactors for the same absorbing and desorbing steps by transferring heat between the two other reactors, and heating one and cooling the other of the two reactors at constant volume thereby pressurizing one and depressurizing the other of the two reactors, and cyclically repeating the steps by alternating the desorbing and absorbing steps between the four reactors. A method for providing continuous heating using a heat pump effect to recover heat energy at a low temperature and deliver heat energy to a heat sink at a higher temperature with such heating method comprising the same steps as used in the above cooling method but with the condensing and evaporating steps occurring at relatively lower temperature and with the condensor and cooler providing the heat energy to the heat sink and the evaporator recovering heat energy from a low temperature heat source to accomplish the heat pump effect.
54 Citations
34 Claims
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1. An absorption system comprising:
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a first absorption-desorption subsystem including first reactor means; a second absorption-desorption subsystem including second reactor means; a first absorbent material in said first reactor means for chemically absorbing gaseous refrigerant; a second absorbent material in said second reactor means for chemically absorbing gaseous refrigerant; condenser means for condensing at least some of said gaseous refrigerant into liquid refrigerant; a first transfer means for periodically transferring said refrigerant gas to said condenser means from a selected one of said first and second reactor means in response to desorption of said refrigerant gas; expansion means connected for receiving refrigerant from said condenser means and for expanding said refrigerant to reduce the temperature and pressure of said refrigerant; evaporation means connected for receiving refrigerant from said expansion means and for evaporating at least some liquid refrigerant received thereby; a second transfer means for periodically transferring refrigerant gas from said evaporation means to a selected one of said first and second reactor means in response to absorption of said refrigerant gas; means for supplying heat to said first and second reactor means in alternating sequence for effecting chemical compression of said first and second absorbent materials and for effecting desorption of refrigerant gas from said first and second absorbent materials; and means for removing heat from said first and second reactor means in alternating sequence for effecting chemical decompression of said first and second absorbent materials and for effecting absorption of refrigerant gas in said first and second absorbent materials. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A method for providing heating and cooling from an absorption system which includes two subsystems each containing at least two absorption-desorption reactors which method comprises the steps of:
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desorbing a refrigerant gas from a first absorbing material in a first reactor in said first subsystem at a pressure P, and a temperature T, with the heat to desorb the said refrigerant gas being provided by a primary heat source; condensing at least some liquid refrigerant out of said desorbed refrigerant gas wherein cooling for said condensing is provided by a primary heat sink; expanding refrigerant fluid from said condensing step to obtain a lower temperature refrigerant fluid at a lower pressure; evaporating at least some of said liquid refrigerant after said expanding step; absorbing the fluid from said evaporating step in a second absorbing material in a first reactor of said second subsystem at a temperature T2 and a pressure P2 less than P, with the cooling needed to remove heat from said second absorbing material and thereby maintain pressure P2 less than pressure P being provided by a heat sink when operating in a cooling mode and by a heat load when operating in a heating mode; terminating said desorbing in said first reactor of said first subsystem and said absorbing in said first reactor of said second subsystem; initiating second desorbing steps and second absorbing steps approximately concurrent with said terminating step, said second desorbing steps and said second absorbing steps comprising the steps of; desorbing at said pressure P and said temperature T a second absorbing material in a second reactor of said first subsystem; and absorbing at said pressure P2 and said temperature T2 in a first absorbing material in a second reactor of said second subsystem; heating contents of first reactor in said second subsystem at a constant volume from temperature T2 to a higher temperature T3 sufficient to increase pressure in said first reactor to pressure P; cooling contents of first reactor in said first subsystem at constant volume from temperature T to a temperature T4 sufficient to decrease pressure in said reactor to pressure P2 ; terminating said desorbing in said second reactor of said first subsystem and said absorbing in said second reactor of said second subsystem; and cyclically repeating the foregoing steps. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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Specification