Solar refrigeration and heating system usable with alternative heat sources

An apparatus for heating and cooling comprising:

• a heat source for transferring incident heat energy to a liquid refrigerant material thereby changing the refrigerant material from the liquid state to a gaseous state, said heat source having an inlet for receiving the refrigerant material in the liquid state and an outlet for discharging the refrigerant material in the gaseous state;
• a venturi for reducing a pressure of the refrigerant material, said venturi having a first inlet connected to said heat source outlet for receiving the gaseous refrigerant material, an outlet for discharging the reduced pressure gaseous refrigerant material and a second inlet;
• a condenser means for removing heat energy from the refrigerant material thereby changing the refrigerant material from the gaseous state to the liquid state, said condenser means having an inlet connected to said venturi outlet for receiving the reduced pressure gaseous refrigerant material and an outlet for discharging the refrigerant material in the liquid state, said condenser means outlet being connected to said heat source inlet for returning the liquid refrigerant material to said heat source;
• a heat exchange means associated with said condenser means for receiving the heat energy removed from the refrigerant material by said condenser means;
• a cold chamber containing an atmosphere;
• an evaporator means mounted in said cold chamber for transferring heat energy from the cold chamber atmosphere to the liquid refrigerant material thereby changing the refrigerant material from the liquid state to the gaseous state and cooling the cold chamber atmosphere, said evaporator means having an inlet connected to said condenser means outlet for receiving the liquid refrigerant material and having an outlet connected to said second inlet of said venturi for discharging the gaseous refrigerant material to said venturi;
• and
• a valve connected to said evaporator means inlet and being responsive to a level of the liquid refrigerant material in said evaporator means for regulating a flow of the liquid refrigerant material into said evaporator means whereby the heat energy incident upon said heat source produces heat energy in said heat exchange means and cools the cold chamber atmosphere.

A method for simultaneously heating and cooling from a source of heat energy comprising the steps of:

• a. providing a source of liquid refrigerant material and transferring incident heat energy from a source of the heat energy to the liquid refrigerant material thereby changing a first portion of the refrigerant material from the liquid state to a gaseous state;
• b. reducing a pressure of the gaseous refrigerant material;
• c. removing the heat energy from the refrigerant material thereby condensing the reduced pressure gaseous refrigerant material to change the refrigerant material from the gaseous state to the liquid state;
• d. providing a heat exchange means for receiving the heat energy removed from the reduced pressure gaseous refrigerant material;
• e. evaporating a second portion of the liquid refrigerant material condensed from the reduced pressure gaseous refrigerant material by transferring heat energy from an atmosphere to the second portion of the liquid refrigerant material thereby changing the refrigerant material from the liquid state to the gaseous state and cooling the atmosphere;
• and
• f. returning the first portion of the liquid refrigerant material to the source of the liquid refrigerant material whereby the incident heat energy simultaneously produces heat energy in the heat exchange means and cools the atmosphere.