Absorption chiller

A method, comprising:

• providing an absorption chiller having:
• an absorbent circuit in which a liquid absorbent circulates, the absorbent circuit including an absorber arranged in a region of a first pressure and a desorber arranged in a region of a second pressure, the first pressure being greater than an ambient pressure and less than the second pressure;
• a working medium circuit in which a liquid working medium circulates, including an evaporator arranged in the region of the first pressure and a condenser arranged in the region of the second pressure;
• a low pressure membrane arrangement permeable to a working medium vapour, impermeable to the liquid working medium and the liquid absorbent, and arranged between the evaporator and the absorber such that it is in contact with the working medium and the absorbent;
• and
• a high pressure membrane arrangement permeable to the working medium vapour, impermeable to the liquid working medium and the liquid absorbent, and arranged between the desorber and the condenser such that it is in contact with the working medium and the absorbent;
• wherein at least one of the low pressure membrane arrangement and the high pressure membrane arrangement includes:
• a working medium membrane in contact with the working medium, the working medium membrane being permeable to the working medium vapour, and impermeable to the liquid working medium;
• an absorbent membrane in contact with the absorbent, the absorbent membrane being permeable to the working medium vapour and impermeable to the liquid absorbent;
• and
• an interspace arranged between the working medium membrane and the absorbent membrane;
• and
• evacuating the interspace to a reduced pressure that lies below the ambient pressure.

An absorption chiller, comprising:

• an absorbent circuit in which a liquid absorbent circulates, the absorbent circuit including an absorber arranged in a region of a first pressure and a desorber arranged in a region of a second pressure, the first pressure being greater than an ambient pressure and less than the second pressure;
• a recuperator arranged in the absorption circuit;
• a working medium circuit in which a liquid working medium circulates, including an evaporator arranged in the region of the first pressure and a condenser arranged in the region of the second pressure;
• a low pressure membrane arrangement permeable to a working medium vapour, impermeable to the liquid working medium and the liquid absorbent, and arranged between the evaporator and the absorber such that it is in contact with the working medium and the absorbent;
• a high pressure membrane arrangement permeable to the working medium vapour, impermeable to the liquid working medium and the liquid absorbent, and arranged between the desorber and the condenser such that it is in contact with the working medium and the absorbent;
• and
• wherein at least one of the low pressure membrane arrangement and the high pressure membrane arrangement include:
• a working medium membrane in contact with the working medium, the working medium membrane being permeable to the working medium vapour, and impermeable to the liquid working medium;
• an absorbent membrane in contact with the absorbent, the absorbent membrane being permeable to the working medium vapour and impermeable to the liquid absorbent;
• and
• an interspace arranged between the working medium membrane and the absorbent membrane, the interspace evacuated to a reduced pressure that lies below the ambient pressure.