Refrigeration process using two-phase turbine
AssigneeResearch-Cottrell Technologies, Inc.
InventorsLance G. Hays, Walter R. Studhalter, Emil W. Ritzi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A reaction turbine is used in a refrigeration (or heat pump) process, to improve efficiency.
Claims16
In a refrigeration process employing a circulating fluid refrigerant, the process including compressing and cooling the refrigerant, expanding the cooled refrigerant to lower temperature and pressure levels, and then passing the expanded refrigerant through a refrigeration zone wherein heat is absorbed by the refrigerant, the steps that include
- (a) carrying out said expansion through a first nozzle flow region to produce a liquid and vapor discharge,
- (b) providing a rotor and collecting the liquid discharge in a ring on the rotor in such manner as to centrifugally pressurize the collected liquid,
- (c) providing reaction nozzle means to rotate with the rotor and in communication with the ring of collected liquid and controllably passing the collected liquid through said reaction nozzle means to produce torque to rotate the rotor and to maintain said ring, and
- (d) collecting liquid discharged from said reaction nozzle means for supply to said refrigeration zone.
In a heat pump process employing a circulating fluid, the process including compressing and cooling the fluid to provide heat, expanding the cooled fluid to lower temperature and pressure levels, and then passing the expanding fuid through a zone wherein heat is absorbed by the expanded fluid, the steps that include:
- (a) carrying out said expansion through a first nozzle flow region to produce a liquid and vapor discharge,
- (b) providing a rotor and collecting the liquid discharge in a ring on the rotor in such manner as to centrifugally pressurize the collected liquid,
- (c) providing reaction nozzle means in association with the rotor and in communication with the ring of collected liquid and controllably passing the collected liquid through said rection nozzle means to produce torque to rotate the rotor and to maintain said ring, and
- (d) collecting liquid discharged from said reaction nozzle means for supply to said zone.
In a process wherein a fluid stream is supplied at elevated pressure, the process including expanding the fluid to a lower pressure level, the steps that include
- (a) carrying out said expansion through a first nozzle flow region to produce a liquid and gas discharge,
- (b) providing a rotor and collecting the liquid discharge in a ring on the rotor in such manner as to centrifugally pressurized the collected liquid,
- (c) providing reaction nozzle means in association with the rotor and in communication with the ring of collected liquid and controllably passing the collected centrifugally pressurized liquid through said reaction nozzle means to produce torque to rotate the rotor and to maintain said ring.
In a process wherein a fluid stream is supplied at elevated pressure, the process including expanding the fluid to a lower pressure level, the steps that include
- (a) carrying out said expansion through a first nozzle flow region to produce a liquid and gas discharge,
- (b) providing a rotor and collecting the liquid discharge in a ring on the rotor in such manner as to centrifugally pressurized the collected liquid,
- (c) controllably removing liquid from the ring on the rotor so as to maintain said ring, with the rotor rotating,
- and
- (d) converting the energy of rotor rotation into usable power.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.