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Refrigeration apparatus and method

  • US 5,873,260 A
  • Filed: 04/02/1997
  • Issued: 02/23/1999
  • Est. Priority Date: 04/02/1997
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A refrigeration cycle using as a working fluid a refrigerant and a concentrated liquid absorbent comprising:

  • a) combining the concentrated absorbent liquid and the refrigerant substantially in its vapor phase at low pressure in an absorber while extracting heat to provide a liquid-rich refrigerant in solution with the absorbent liquid;

    b) increasing the pressure of the absorbent/refrigerant solution;

    c) separating the refrigerant from the absorbent liquid in a pervaporation selective membrane separator which provides as one output a vapor-rich refrigerant and as another output a concentrated absorbent liquid;

    d) condensing the vapor output of the membrane separator to provide a liquid-rich refrigerant in a first condenser;

    e) expanding the liquid-rich refrigerant from a high to a low pressure into an evaporator where it is evaporated at low temperature and pressure with heat added to provide a substantially vaporized low pressure refrigerant;

    f) reducing the pressure of the concentrated absorbent liquid from the membrane separator to substantially equalize the pressure between the absorbent liquid and the low pressure substantially vaporized refrigerant; and

    g) returning the low pressure concentrated absorbent liquid and the substantially vaporized refrigerant to the absorber in repetition of the cycle.

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