US 5,249,436 A · Simplified, low cost absorption heat pump

Abstract

A simplified, low cost absorption heat pump includes a single pressure vessel having first and second insulated compartments in unrestricted fluid communication with one another and containing, hermetically sealed, a working medium. A heat transfer ar is used to maintain the compartments at differential temperatures, but equal pressures so that the absorption cycle proceeds in a two-stage, batch mode, namely boiling of the working medium in the first compartment and simultaneous condensing in the second compartment during the first stage and evaporating in the second compartment and simultaneous absorbing in the first compartment during the second stage. The heat transfer arrangement then utilizes the heat given off or taken in during the absorption cycle for heating/air conditioning in a conventional manner. Periodically the working medium is rectified by a unique pump arrangement which transfers any working medium in the second compartment back to the first compartment after a predetermined number of cycles have been completed.

Claims109

Dependent claims

An absorption heat pump using a working medium of at least two substances, one substance having a low boiling temperature and the other a higher boiling temperature, said heat pump comprising:

a.) a pressure vessel containing said working medium and having at least first and second compartments;
b.) heat transfer means for controlling the temperature of said compartments to cause an absorption heat cycle of boiling, condensing, evaporating and absorbing to occur, said boiling and absorbing steps occurring sequentially in said first compartment and said condensing and evaporating steps occurring sequentially in said second compartment;
c.) means for periodically withdrawing one of said substances from one of said compartments and transferring same to the other one of said compartments;
and
d.) means providing generally unrestricted, open fluid communication between said first and second compartments whereby said pressure in said first and second compartments are virtually the same.

2 more elements

A heat pump system for transferring heat by means of an absorption cycle sequentially boiling, condensing, evaporating and absorbing a working liquid medium of at least two compounds, one of said compounds or it's mixture having a higher boiling temperature than the other, said system comprising:

a single, hermetically sealable, pressure vessel containing said working medium for performing all the stages of said cycle, said vessel having a first compartment containing one or both of said compounds throughout said cycle and a second compartment containing either, generally, none or only said lower boiling temperature compound throughout said cycle, and means for maintaining fluid communication between said first and second compartments at generally the same pressures;
heat transfer means for cyclically controlling the temperature of said compartments during said cycle independently of one another to cause said working medium in said vessel to undergo said absorption cycle;
and
said heat transfer means further includes a heat transfer medium in contact with the exterior surfaces of said first and second compartments, heat exchange means for maintaining said heat transfer medium within first, second and third temperature ranges, and valuing means for cycling said heat transfer medium at selected temperature ranges into contact with one of said compartments for causing said absorption cycle to occur.

1 more element

a single, hermetically sealable, pressure vessel containing said working medium for performing all the stages of said cycle, said vessel having a first compartment containing one or both of said compounds throughout said cycle and a second compartment containing either, generally, none or only said lower boiling temperature compound throughout said cycle, and means for maintaining fluid communication between said first and second compartments at generally the same pressures;
heat transfer means for cyclically controlling the temperature of said compartments during said cycle independently of one another to cause said working medium in said vessel to undergo said absorption cycle;
and
said vessel is in the general configuration of a dumb-bell with said first and second compartments interconnected by a communicating tube sufficiently large in diameter to prevent significant pressure drop therethrough at the pressures at which said compartments are subjected to.

1 more element

a.) a single, hermetically sealable, pressure vessel containing said working medium for performing all the stages of said cycle, said vessel having a first compartment containing one or both of said compounds throughout said cycle and a second compartment containing either, generally, none or only said lower boiling temperature compound throughout said cycle, and means for maintaining fluid communication between said first and second compartments at generally the same pressures;
b.) heat transfer means for cyclically controlling the temperature of said compartments during said cycle independently of one another to cause said working medium in said vessel to undergo said absorption cycle;
c.) means to periodically withdraw from said second compartment any working medium or compound thereof therein and return said working medium or compound thereof to said first compartment;
and
d.) said heat transfer means includes means for inputting heat to said first compartment at a first temperature range sufficient to cause boiling of said higher vapor pressure liquid and condensing means for absorbing heat from said second compartment at a second temperature range sufficient to cause vapor of said lower boiling temperature compound to condense therein, said fluid communication means maintaining said first and second compartments at approximately the same pressure while said lower boiling temperature compound is boiled in said first compartment and condensed in said second compartment.

2 more elements

A method for performing an absorption heat cycle using a working medium for heating and/or cooling comprising the steps of:

a.) providing a pressure vessel having first and second compartments in unrestricted fluid communication with one another so that both compartments are at generally equal pressures throughout said cycle;
b.) providing within said pressure vessel a working medium having first and second liquid substances, one substance having a lower boiling temperature than the other;
c.) changing the temperature of said first and second compartments to simultaneously cause boiling of said low boiling temperature substance in said first compartment and condensation of said low boiling temperature substance in said second compartment;
and thereafter
d.) further changing the temperature of said first and second compartments to simultaneously cause evaporation of said low boiling temperature substance liquid from said second compartment and absorption of said low boiling temperature substance in said high boiling temperature substance in said first compartment whereby said absorption cycle is caused to occur in a batch processing mode having two distinct phases.

2 more elements

A method of heating and cooling comprising the steps of:

a.) providing a pressure vessel having first and second compartments in fluid communication with one another and a working medium within said vessel of at least two liquid substances, one substance having a lower boiling temperature than the other;
b.) transferring heat to said first compartment and from said second compartment to maintain said first compartment at a first predetermined temperature range and said second compartment at a second lower predetermined temperature range while maintaining said first and second compartments at approximately equal pressures, said first and second temperatures established at values sufficient to cause said higher vapor pressure substance in said first compartment to vaporize, travel to said second compartment and condense to substantially liquid form thereat;
c.) subsequently transferring heat from said first compartment and to said second compartment to maintain said second compartment at a third predetermined temperature range lower than said second temperature range and said first compartment at said second temperature range while maintaining said first and second compartments at approximately equal pressures, said second and third temperature ranges being established at values sufficient to cause said low boiling temperature substance in said second compartment to evaporate, travel to said first compartment and be absorbed in said high boiling temperature substance in said first compartment;
and
d ) repeating, cyclically, steps (a) and (b).

2 more elements

An absorbent heat pump for residential heating and/or air conditioning comprising:

a pressure vessel having first and second compartments and means maintaining said compartments in fluid communication with one another at generally equal pressures;
a working medium within said vessel having at least two working liquid substances, one substance having a lower boiling temperature than the other;
first and second containers receiving and enclosing said first and second compartments respectively, each container filled with a heat transfer medium and pump means for causing said heat transfer medium to flow into each container, contact the exterior surface of said compartment contained therein and flow out of said container;
means to cyclically change the temperature of said heat transfer medium to cause said vessel to boil and condense said low boiling temperature substance in a first stage followed by evaporating and absorbing said low boiling temperature substance in a second stage;
and
means to periodically withdraw any substance from second compartment and return same to said first compartment.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Simplified, low cost absorption heat pump

Life of this patent

Simplified, low cost absorption heat pump

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims109