Low temperature energy carrying apparatus and method

In a process of carrying low temperature energy employing water as a low temperature energy carrying medium comprising cooling water in the side of cooled water supply, feeding said cooled water to the side of users having at least one heat exchange means, and returning the water heated by said heat exchange means to said supply side for further circulation, the improvement comprising:

• producing hydrate crystals in the supply side;
• introducing said hydrate crystals into said water circulation in the supply side to feed the hydrate crystals to the users side as a mixture of cooled water and hydrate crystals of at least several percent thereof;
• dehydrating said hydrate crystals in the users side with said heated water being cooled;
• and returning the dehydrated hydrate agent together with said heated water to the supply side for further circulation, the pressure in said hydrate agent and crystals circulation being maintained in the liquid phase area of hydrate agent.

In a process of carrying low temperature energy employing water as a low temperature energy carrying medium comprising cooling water in the side of cooled water supply, feeding said cooled water to the side of users having at least one heat exchange means, and returning the water heated by said heat exchange means to said supply side for further circulation, the improvement comprising:

• producing hydrate crystals in the supply side;
• introducing said hydrate crystals into said water circulation in the supply side to feed the hydrate crystals to the users side as a mixture of cooled water and hydrate crystals of at least several percent thereof;
• dehydrating said hydrate crystals in the users side with said heated water being cooled;
• and returning the dehydrated hydrate agent together with said heated water to the supply side for further circulation, the pressure in said hydrate agent and crystals circulation being maintained in the liquid phase area of hydrate agent wherein said hydrate agent is C.sub.3 H.sub.8, CHFCl.sub.2, CFCl.sub.3, CO.sub.2, CF.sub.3 Br, n-C.sub.4 H.sub.10, or i-C.sub.4 H.sub.10.

In a heat exchange apparatus comprising a water cooling chamber (17) having a water cooling means (18),

• a heat exchange means (3) for conducting heat exchange by cooling a source of heat,
• a first conduit system including conduit means (4, 32, 19, 21 and 6) joining the cooling chamber (17) to said heat exchange (3) means for feeding cooled water to said heat exchange means (3), wherein said conduit means (4) is in communication with (32), said conduit means (32) being in communication with conduit means (6);
• a second conduit system including conduit means (7, 34 and 5) joining said heat exchange means (3) to said cooling chamber for returning heated water for contact with said cooling means (18), wherein conduit means (7) is in communication with conduit means (34), conduit means (34) being in communication with conduit means (5),
• the improvement comprising a circulating system for circulating a liquid hydrate agent which is C.sub.3 H.sub.8, CHFCl.sub.2, CFCl.sub.3, CO.sub.2, CF.sub.3 Br, n-C.sub.4 H.sub.10 or i-C.sub.4 H.sub.10, and cooled water while maintaining said agent and said cooled water each in a separate liquid phase, including a hydrate crystal producing means (8) for producing hydrate crystals from cooled water and liquid hydrate agent, said hydrate crystal producing means (8) being in communication with said conduit means (4) and being in communication with said second conduit means (5) through said cooling chamber whereby cooled water containing at least several weight percent of hydrate crystals is mixed in said first conduit means (4) and fed therethrough to said heat exchange means (3) through (24), while returning from load 3 through 7 at least a portion of dehydrated liquid hydrate agent and heated water are returned from said hat exchange means (3) through said second conduit means (5),
• which further includes a hydrate agent separating means (17) for separating said dehydrated liquid hydrate agent from said heated water, said hydrate agent separating means (17) connecting said conduit means (5) to said first conduit means (4) and housing said cooling means (18), said hydrate agent separating means (17) having a hydrate agent return pipe means (23) in communication with said hydrate crystal producing means (8) for returning separated liquid hydrate agent thereto,
• which further includes a hydrate crystal decomposing means (29) for decomposing said hydrate crystals into water and liquid hydrate agent, said hydrate crystal decomposing means (29) interposed in said conduit means (4 and 32) between said cooling means (18) and said heat exchange means (3), said first conduit means (4) being in communication with said hydrate crystal decomposing means (29) to feed cooled water-containing hydrate crystals, said hydrate crystal decomposing means (29) provided with two discharge means wherein one of said discharge means (31) in communication with said second conduit means (5) receives dehydrated liquid hydrate agent and the other discharge means (32) in communication with said heat exchange means (3) receives cooled water, said hydrate crystal decomposing means (29) further provided with a heated water return pipe means (35) in communication with said second conduit means (5) for partially returning hated water from said heat exchange means (3) to said hydrate crystal decomposing means (29).

In a process for heat exchange employing water as the heat exchange medium comprising

• a. cooling water;
• b. passing said cooled water to a source of heat which is to be cooled;
• and
• c. recycling water warmed by said source of heat to step (a) the improvement comprising including the step (d) of contacting said water with hydrated material, which is a hydrate of C.sub.3 H.sub.8, CHFCl.sub.2, CFCl.sub.3, CO.sub.2, CF.sub.3 Br, n-C.sub.4 H.sub.10 and i-C.sub.4 H.sub.10, whereby heat from the water acts to dehydrate said hydrated material and thus cause said water.