Solar cooling apparatus
OwnerRoy A. Mooreinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A solar powered cooling apparatus utilizes a solar collector to convert radiant energy into heat stored in water. An evacuated chamber houses a dessicant bed and a sprayer which introduces an adsorbate into contact with a heat exchanger conduit extending within the chamber. Evaporation of the adsorbate in contact with the conduit cools a medium circulated within the conduit between the chamber and a chilled water reservoir. The evaporated adsorbate is adsorbed by the dessicant bed until a predetermined temperature or saturation level is reached, at which point, heated water from the solar collector is passed through heat exchanger conduits in the dessicant bed to regenerate the dessicant bed. Iterative adsorption and regeneration cycles maintain the chilled water in a desired temperature range.
Claims17
Apparatus for cooling a desired volume of space comprising:
- (a) input means for heating water to a predetermined temperature by solar energy and storing said water at or above said temperature;
- (b) chamber means for housing a quantity of dessicant at a sub-atmospheric pressure;
- (c) reservoir means for holding chilled water;
- (d) adsorbate means for introducing and removing water from said chamber means;
- (e) first heat exchanger means for circulating water through said input means and through said dessicant in said chamber means;
- (f) second heat exchanger means for circulating water through said reservoir means and a portion of said chamber means proximal said adsorbate means;
- (g) ambient temperature heat exchanger means for cooling the water in said first or second heat exchanger means operably connected to divert water selectively from said first or second heat exchanger means;
- (h) circuit means for controlling water flow through said first and second heat exchanger means and said adsorbate means responsive to the temperature in said chamber means and said reservoir means;
- and
- (i) output means connected to said reservoir means for circulating chilled water therein to cool said volume.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.