Generator-absorber-heat exchange heat transfer apparatus and method and use thereof in a heat pump
AssigneePhillips Engineering Co.
InventorsBenjamin A. Phillips, Thomas S. Zawacki, Joseph Marsala
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Numerous embodiments and related methods for generator-absorber heat exchange (GAX) are disclosed, particularly for absorption heat pump systems. Such embodiments and related methods use the working solution of the absorption system for the heat transfer medium.
Claims89
In a generator-absorber heat exchange apparatus including a generator and an absorber, the absorber having an interior pressure lower than the pressure of the generator interior and each having high and low temperature regions at opposite ends establishing respective temperature ranges and a heat transfer region, the temperature ranges defining the respective heat transfer regions overlapping, and a fluid flow pathway circulating a weak liquor from the high temperature region of the generator and a rich liquor from the low temperature region of the absorber to and through the high temperature, heat transfer and low temperature regions of the generator and the absorber, the improvement comprising:
- a heat exchange circuit receiving a portion of the liquor from the fluid flow pathway and circulating said portion of the liquor between said heat transfer regions transfering heat from the absorber to the generator.
A generator-absorber heat exchange apparatus comprising:
- a generator containing a liquor having a concentration gradient extending from rich proximate an upper end to weak proximate a lower end and a temperature gradient extending from low proximate the upper end to high proximate the lower end;
- an absorber having a pressure in its interior lower than the interior pressure of the generator and containing a liquor having a concentration gradient extending from weak proximate an upper end to rich proximate a lower end and a temperature gradient extending from high proximate the upper end to low proximate the lower end;
- a rich liquor conduit having an inlet in fluid communication with the absorber proximate the lower end thereof and an outlet disposed in the generator proximate the upper end thereof distributing rich liquor from the lower end of the absorber for passage along the concentration and temperature gradients of the generator;
- a pump in fluid communication with the rich liquor conduit moving fluid through the conduit from the absorber to the generator;
- a weak liquor conduit having an inlet in fluid communication with the generator proximate the lower end thereof and an outlet disposed in the absorber proximate the upper end thereof distributing weak liquor from the lower end of the generator for passage along the concentration and temperature gradients of the absorber;
- a heater disposed to heat liquor in the generator proximate the lower end thereof;
- and
- a heat exchange circuit comprising:
- at least one heat exchange element disposed in one of the absorber and generator in a heat transfer region thereof, said heat transfer regions of the generator and absorber having overlapping temperatures;
- a heat exchange conduit having an input end receiving liquor from at least one of the absorber, the generator, the rich liquor conduit and the weak liquor conduit and an output end distributing the liquor in one of the absorber and generator, the conduit conveying the liquor between the heat transfer regions of the absorber and the generator thereby transfering heat therein.
A heat pump comprising:
- an indoor liquid-air heat exchanger;
- an outdoor liquid-air heat exchanger;
- a generator-absorber heat exchange apparatus comprising:
- a generator and an absorber, the absorber having an interior pressure lower than the interior pressure of the generator and each having high and low temperature regions at opposite ends establishing respective temperature ranges and a heat transfer region, the temperature ranges defining respective heat transfer regions overlapping;
- a fluid flow pathway circulating a weak liquor from the high temperature region of the generator and a rich liquor from the low temperature region of the absorber to and through the high temperature, heat transfer and low temperature regions of the generator and the absorber;
- a heat exchange circuit receiving a portion of the liquor from the fluid flow pathway and circulating the portion of the liquor between the heat transfer regions of the generator and the absorber thereby transfering heat therein;
- and
- an antifreeze circuit circulating antifreeze fluid between each of the indoor and outdoor heat exchangers and the generator-absorber heat exchange apparatus selectively extracting heat from one of said heat exchangers and transferring heat to the other of said heat exchangers.
A method for transferring heat between an absorber and a generator in a generator-absorber heat exchange apparatus including a generator and an absorber, the absorber having an interior pressure lower than the pressure of the generator interior and each having high and low temperature regions at opposite ends establishing respective temperature ranges and a heat transfer region, the temperature ranges defining the respective heat transfer regions overlapping, and a fluid flow pathway for circulation of a weak liquor from the high temperature region of the generator and a rich liquor from the low temperature region of the absorber to and through the high temperature, heat transfer and low temperature regions of the generator and the absorber, said method comprising:
- circulating a portion of at least one of the weak liquor and rich liquor between the heat transfer region of the absorber and the heat transfer region of the generator.
A method of transferring heat between a region of low temperature and a region of medium temperature using a generator-absorber heat exchange apparatus including a generator and an absorber, the absorber having an interior pressure lower than the pressure of the generator interior and each having high and low temperature regions at opposite ends establishing respective temperature ranges and a heat transfer region, the temperature ranges defining the respective heat transfer regions overlapping, and a fluid flow pathway for circulation of a weak liquor from the high temperature region of the generator and a rich liquor from the low temperature region of the absorber to and through the high temperature, heat transfer and low temperature regions of the generator and the absorber, said method comprising:
- circulating at least a portion of antifreeze fluid between an indoor heat exchanger and at least one of an absorber heat exchanger, a condenser heat exchanger and a generator heat exchanger, thereby transferring heat via said antifreeze fluid from said at least one absorber, condenser and generator heat exchanger to said indoor heat exchanger;
- circulating an antifreeze fluid between an outdoor heat exchanger and an evaporator heat exchanger, thereby transferring heat via said antifreeze fluid from said outdoor heat exchanger to said evaporator heat exchanger;
- and
- wherein said generator-absorber heat exchange apparatus includes a heat exchange circuit disposed to receive a portion of the liquor from the fluid flow pathway and to circulate said portion of the liquor between said heat transfer regions to transfer heat from the absorber to the generator.
A method of transferring heat between a region of medium temperature and a region of high temperature using a generator-absorber heat exchange apparatus including a generator and an absorber, the absorber having an interior pressure lower than the pressure of the generator interior and each having high and low temperature regions at opposite ends establishing respective temperature ranges and a heat transfer region, the temperature ranges defining the respective heat transfer regions overlapping, and a fluid flow pathway for circulation of a weak liquor from the high temperature region of the generator and a rich liquor from the low temperature region of the absorber to and through the high temperature, heat transfer and low temperature regions of the generator and the absorber, said method comprising:
- circulating at least a portion of antifreeze fluid between an outdoor heat exchanger and at least one of an absorber heat exchanger, a condenser heat exchanger and a generator heat exchanger, thereby transferring heat via said antifreeze fluid from said at least one absorber, condenser and generator heat exchanger to said outdoor heat exchanger;
- circulating an antifreeze fluid between an indoor heat exchanger and an evaporator heat exchanger, thereby transferring heat via said antifreeze fluid from said indoor heat exchanger to said evaporator heat exchanger;
- and
- wherein said generator-absorber heat exchange apparatus includes a heat exchange circuit disposed to receive a portion of the liquor from the fluid flow pathway and to circulate said portion of the liquor between said heat transfer regions to transfer heat from the absorber to the generator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.