Rotary thermodynamic apparatus and method

An absorptive rotary inertial thermodynamic device operable as a heat-flow driven gas pump in which gas supplied from a low-pressure inlet is transferred to an outlet at a higher pressure, comprising heat-flow driven gas pump means having for at least one concentration of liquor at least one relatively low temperature, low pressure portion in which gas received from said inlet is absorbed into said absorbent liquor to dilute the same, and for the same said or lesser concentration of said liquor, at least one relatively high pressure portion in which the gas delivered to said outlet is evolved from said liquor;

• heat source means supplying input heat at a higher temperature, directly or indirectly, to said high-pressure portion of said heat-flow driven gas pump means;
• and low-temperature heat sink means accepting said heat at lower temperature than said input heat from at least one portion of said low-pressure portion of said heat-flow driven gas pump means.

An absorptive rotary inertial thermodynamic device in which heat is transferred from a lower-temperature heat source to a higher-temperature heat sink, comprising a low-pressure portion in which heat received directly or indirectly from said source evolves a volatile component as gas from an absorbent liquor to concentrate the same;

• a high-pressure portion in which heat delivered to said higher-temperature heat sink is produced by absorption of the gas into the concentrated liquor;
• and self-adjusting means thermally coupling said high-pressure portion with said low-pressure portion for additionally concentrating the liquor in the low-pressure portion in accordance with the difference in temperature between said higher-temperature sink and said lower-temperature heat source by transfer of heat produced in said high-pressure portion to the liquor in said low-pressure portion.

An absorptive rotary inertial thermodynamic device in which gas supplied at low pressure from a low-pressure inlet is transferred at high pressure to an outlet, comprising for at least one concentration of liquor at least one relatively low-pressure portion in which gas received from said inlet is absorbed into an absorbent liquor to dilute the same;

• and for the same said concentration or lesser concentration of said liquor at least one high-pressure portion in which the gas delivered to said outlet is evolved from the diluted liquor;
• and self-adjusting means thermally coupling said low-pressure portion and said high-pressure portion for additionally diluting the liquor in the low-pressure portion in accordance with the difference in pressure between said oulet and said inlet by transfer of heat produced in said low-pressure portion to the liquor in said high-pressure portion with relative liquor concentrations, at such thermally coupled locations, such that absorption at the lower gas pressure produces heat at a temperature greater than or equal to the temperature at which heat can be absorbed by the liquor in the higher pressure portion evolving gas from said liquor at said higher pressure.

Absorptive rotary inertial thermodynamic method of pumping gas from an inlet at a lower pressure to an outlet at a higher pressure, and driven by flow of heat, comprising the steps of receiving the gas at low pressure in a low-pressure chamber in which an absorbent liquor flows;

• for at least one concentration of liquor, absorbing the gas into said liquor in the low-pressure chamber to dilute the liquor;
• supplying heat to a high-pressure chamber in which the diluted liquor flows;
• and evolving in said high-pressure chamber from said liquor at the same said or lesser concentration said gas to be delivered to said outlet at high pressure by heating the diluted liquor.

Absorptive rotary inertial thermodynamic method of pumping heat from a low temperature heat source to a higher temperature heat sink and driven by flow of a gas, comprising the steps of receiving heat from said source in a low-pressure chamber in which an absorbent liquor flows;

• evolving a volatile component as a gas from said liquor to concentrate said liquor;
• producing heat to be delivered to said sink by absorbing the gas into the concentrated liquor in a high-pressure chamber;
• and thermally coupling said low-pressure chamber with said high-pressure chamber for additionally concentrating the liquor in the low-pressure chamber in accordance with the difference in temperature between said heat sink and heat source by transfer of heat produced in said high-pressure chamber to the liquor in said low-pressure chamber.

Absorptive rotary inertial thermodynamic method of pumping gas supplied from an inlet at low pressure to an outlet at a higher pressure, and driven by flow of heat, comprising the steps of receiving the gas from said inlet at a low pressure in a low-pressure chamber in which an absorbent liquor flows;

• absorbing the gas into the liquor in the low-pressure chamber to dilute the liquor;
• evolving said gas at the higher pressure in a high-pressure chamber, with the evolved gas to be delivered to said outlet;
• and thermally coupling the low-pressure chamber with the high-pressure chamber for additionally diluting the liquor in the low-pressure chamber in an amount that varies with the difference in gas pressure between said outlet and said inlet by transfer produced in said low-pressure chamber to the liquor in said high-pressure chamber.

In an absorptive rotary inertial thermodynamic device including an absorption chamber in which a gas is absorbed in an absorbent liquor, a desorption chamber having means for conducting heat from a source into a liquor in said separation chamber to drive said gas out of said liquor, means for pumping said liquor through a closed circuit path including said absorption and desorption chambers, means for conducting heat from the liquor in said desorption chamber to a sink, and means for conducting from said absorption chamber to said desorption chamber heat developed by the absorption of said gas into said liquor, the improvement wherein said desorption and absorption chambers include self-adjusting means thermally coupling said desorption chamber and said absorption chamber for absorbing additional gas into said liquor in said absorption chamber and separating additional gas from the liquor in said desorption chamber in accordance with the difference in temperature between said source and sink.

In an absorptive rotary inertial thermodynamic device including an absorption chamber in which gas is absorbed into an absorbent liquor, a desorption chamber having means for conducting heat into liquor in said desorption chamber to drive said gas out of said liquor, means for pumping said liquor through a closed circuit path including said absorption and desorption chambers, and means for conducting from said absorption chamber to said desorption chamber heat developed by the absorption of said gas into said liquor;

• the improvement wherein for at least one concentration of liquor, in at least one portion of said absorption chamber said gas is absorbed into said liquor to dilute the same and, for the same said or a lesser concentration of said liquor, in at least one portion of said desorption chamber said gas is evolved from said liquor.