Refrigerating process and apparatus therefor

A refrigerating process according to the compression-absorption method comprising the combination of the following steps:

• a. providing first and second enclosure means (1, 2);
• b. providing in each of said enclosure means fluid inlet (7, 7a) and outlet (12, 12a) means;
• c. providing in said first and second enclosure means gas inlet and gas outlet means (14, 14a), respectively, and connecting said gas inlet and outlet means by gas flow conduit means (15);
• d. connecting said fluid outlet means (12a) of said first enclosure means (1) by first conduit (16) to said inlet means of said second enclosure means (2);
• e. connecting said fluid inlet means (7a) of said first enclosure means (1) by second conduit means (17) to said fluid outlet means (12) of said second enclosure means (2) and providing said second conduit means (17) with means (5) for feeding fluid therethrough from said second to said first enclosure means;
• f. providing, in the system formed by said first and second enclosure means and said first and second conduit means, a liquid fluid and a gaseous fluid able to be absorbed in a substantial amount by said liquid fluid at relatively low temperature and increased pressure and also able to be at least partially evaporated from said liquid fluid at relatively increased temperature and decreased pressure, for forming said system a solution of gas in said liquid fluid;
• g. providing means for increasing the temperature of said solution in said first enclosure means (1) for effecting evaporation of gas from and thereby decreasing the gas content of the solution housed therein to provide an impoverished solution;
• h. continuously evacuating the evaporated gas from said first enclosure means (1) for establishing said relatively decreased pressure therein, and delivering, via said gas conduit means (15), said gas at an increased pressure into said second enclosure means under conditions which will ensure a good contact between gas and solution and establish said increased pressure to force the solution therein to absorb the introduced gas, and simultaneously withdrawing heat from the solution in said second enclosure means (2) for lowering the temperature therein and thereby accelerating the absorption of said gas into the last mentioned solution for increasing the gas content thereof and forming an enriched solution;
• i. continuously and separately displacing said enriched solution from said second enclosure means (2) and delivering that enriched solution to said first enclosure means (1) through said conduit means (16) which connects the outlet (12a) of the former (2) with the inlet (7) of the latter enclosure means (1) and continuously and separately displacing said impoverished solution from said first enclosure means (1) in spaced relation but in countercurrent heat exchanging relation to said enriched solution;
• j. said temperature increasing and said temperature decreasing of said enriched and impoverished solutions, respectively, being partially effected by leading said enriched and impoverished solutions in spaced flows but in countercurrent heat exchanging relation before said impoverished solution is permitted to be admixed with said enriched solution in said second enclosure means (2) and before said enriched solution is permitted to be admixed with said impoverished solution in said first enclosure means (1).

A refrigerating apparatus comprising:

• a liquid fluid;
• a gas, said gas being able to be absorbed in a substantial amount by said liquid fluid at relatively low temperature and increased pressure and also able to be at least partially evaporated from said liquid fluid at relatively increased temperature and decreased pressure thereby forming an enriched solution and an impoverished solution respectively,
• first and second enclosure means said enclosure means containing both said liquid fluid and said gas;
• first fluid inlet and outlet means on said first enclosure means;
• second fluid inlet and outlet means on said second enclosure means;
• gas inlet means in said first enclosure means;
• gas outlet means in said second enclosure means;
• gas flow conduit means interconnecting said gas outlet means with said gas inlet means;
• a first conduit interconnecting said first fluid outlet means with said second fluid inlet means;
• a second conduit interconnecting said second fluid outlet means to said first fluid inlet means;
• a fluid pumping means interposed in said second conduit for pumping said liquid fluid from said first enclosure means to said second enclosure means;
• means for increasing the temperature of the solution in said second enclosure means for evaporating said gas from said liquid fluid;
• gas transferring means interposed in said gas flow conduit means for pumping said gas from said first enclosure means to said second enclosure means;
• and
• means for decreasing the temperature in said second enclosure means;
• said first conduit and said second conduit being in countercurrent flow heat exchanging relationship, said first fluid inlet means extending into and partially through said first enclosure means countercurrent to the fluid flow through said first enclosure means, said second fluid inlet means extending into and partially through said second enclosure means countercurrent to the fluid flow through said second enclosure means.