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
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. A combination of weak and rich liquor working solution is used as the heat transfer medium.
Claims44
In a generator-absorber heat exchange apparatus including a generator and an absorber, the absorber having an interior pressure lower than the interior pressure of the generator, the generator and absorber having high and low temperature regions establishing respective temperature ranges, the temperature ranges overlapping and thereby defining respective heat transfer regions in the generator and absorber, the generator-absorber heat exchange apparatus further having a fluid flow pathway circulating a weak liquor from the high temperature 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 at least a portion of weak liquor from the generator and receiving a portion of rich liquor from the absorber, the heat exchange circuit including a generator heat exchange element disposed in the generator heat transfer region and an absorber heat exchange element disposed in the absorber heat transfer region for circulating said portions of weak and rich liquor between the heat transfer regions, thereby transferring 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 of the generator to weak proximate a lower end of the generator and a temperature gradient extending from low proximate the upper end of the generator to high proximate the lower end of the generator;
- a heater for heating liquor in the generator proximate the lower end thereof;
- an absorber having a pressure in its interior lower than the interior pressure of the generator containing a liquor having a concentration gradient extending from weak proximate an upper end of the absorber to rich proximate a lower end of the absorber and a temperature gradient extending from high proximate the upper end of the absorber to low proximate the lower end of the absorber;
- an overlap of the generator and absorber temperature gradients defining within the generator and absorber respective heat transfer regions;
- a weak liquor heat exchange conduit having an inlet in fluid communication with the generator proximate its lower end, a heat exchange element disposed in the generator heat transfer region, and an outlet in fluid communication with the absorber proximate its upper end, said weak liquor heat exchange conduit receiving through the inlet at least a portion of the weak liquor from the generator, conducting the weak liquor through the heat exchange element disposed in the generator heat transfer region, and distributing the weak liquor in the absorber through the outlet for passage along the concentration and temperature gradients of the absorber;
- and
- a rich liquor heat exchange conduit having an inlet in fluid communication with the absorber proximate its lower end, a heat exchange element disposed in the absorber heat transfer region, and an outlet in fluid communication with the generator proximate its heat transfer region, said rich liquor heat exchange conduit receiving through the inlet a portion of the rich liquor from the absorber, conducting the rich liquor through the heat exchange element disposed in the absorber heat transfer region, and distributing the rich liquor in the generator through the outlet for passage along the concentration and temperature gradients of the generator;
- and
- a pump in fluid communication with the rich liquor heat exchange conduit pumping rich liquor from the absorber through the rich liquor heat exchange conduit to the generator.
A heat pump comprising:
- an indoor liquid-air heat exchanger;
- an outdoor liquid-air heat exchanger;
- and
- 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, the temperature ranges defining respective overlapping heat transfer regions;
- 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 absorber;
- a heat exchange circuit receiving at least a portion of weak liquor from the generator and also receiving a portion of rich liquor from the absorber, the heat exchange circuit circulating the portions of weak and rich liquor between the heat transfer regions, thereby transferring heat from the absorber to the generator;
- and
- an antifreeze circuit disposed to circulate antifreeze fluid between each of the indoor and outdoor heat exchanger apparatus for selectively extracting heat from one of the exchangers and transferring heat to the other of the 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 defining respective temperature ranges, the temperature ranges defining respective overlapping heat transfer regions, and a fluid flow pathway for circulating of a weak liquor from the high temperature region of the generator and a rich liquor from the low temperature region of the absorber through the high temperature, heat transfer, and low temperature regions of the generator and the absorber, the method comprising:
- circulating, in a heat exchange circuit, at least a portion of the weak liquor through a generator heat exchange element in the generator heat transfer region and a portion of the rich liquor through an absorber heat exchange element in the absorber heat transfer region, thereby transferring heat from the absorber to the generator.
A method of transferring heat to a region of low temperature from 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, the temperature ranges defining respective overlapping heat transfer regions, 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 through the high temperature, heat transfer and low temperature regions of the generator and the absorber, a heat exchange circuit receiving at least a portion of weak liquor from the generator and also receiving a portion of rich liquor from the absorber, the 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 the antifreeze fluid from the at least one absorber, condenser and generator heat exchanger to the indoor heat exchanger;
- circulating an antifreeze fluid between an outdoor heat exchanger and an evaporator heat exchanger, thereby transferring heat via the antifreeze fluid from the outdoor heat exchanger to the evaporator heat exchanger;
- and
- circulating in the heat exchange circuit the portions of weak and rich liquor between the heat transfer regions of the generator and the absorber, thereby transferring heat from the absorber to the generator.
A method of transferring heat to a region of medium temperature from 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 respective overlapping heat transfer regions, 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, a heat exchange circuit receiving at least a portion of weak liquor from the generator and also receiving a portion of rich liquor from the absorber, the 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 the antifreeze fluid from the at least one absorber, condenser and generator heat exchanger to the outdoor heat exchanger;
- circulating an antifreeze fluid between an indoor heat exchanger and an evaporator heat exchanger, thereby transferring heat via the antifreeze fluid from the indoor heat exchanger to the evaporator heat exchanger;
- and
- circulating in the heat exchange circuit the portions of weak and rich liquor between the heat transfer regions of the generator and absorber, thereby transferring heat from the absorber to the generator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.