Thermal absorption compression cycle
AssigneeHelios Research Corp.
InventorCarl D. Nicodemus
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An absorption cycle system uses a hydrokinetic amplifier as an absorber, and the hydrokinetic amplifier merges a working vapor stream with a working liquid stream to condense the vapor and absorb it in a working mixture that is output at a higher temperature and pressure than either input. Since the hydrokinetic amplifier absorber does not discard heat, the retained heat is used to help power the system and reduce heat waste that would otherwise occur.
Claims48
In an absorption cycle system using an absorbent liquid and an absorbable working fluid, the improvement comprising:
- a. a system stream of working fluid vapor directed to merge with a system stream of absorbent liquid so that the kinetic energy of the vapor accelerates the liquid stream while an absorbable portion of the vapor is absorbed in the liquid stream and an unabsorbable additional portion of the vapor is entrained in the liquid stream;
- and
- b. a nozzle and a diffuser receiving the combined liquid and vapor streams and converting fluid velocity to pressure applied to a liquid mixture containing substantially more of the working fluid than can be absorbed in the absorbent liquid stream.
A hydrokinetic absorber and compressor arranged within an absorption circuit, the absorber and compressor comprising:
- a. an input liquid nozzle that directs a jet of an absorbent liquid through a mixing chamber into a nozzle and diffuser;
- b. an input vapor nozzle that directs a jet of working fluid vapor into the mixing chamber to contact and mix with the absorbent liquid jet and proceed with the absorbent liquid jet through the nozzle and diffuser;
- and
- c. the vapor nozzle providing a vapor flow rate that substantially exceeds the rate of absorption of the vapor in the liquid jet so that unabsorbed vapor mixes with and moves with the liquid jet into the diffuser where unabsorbed vapor is compressed with the liquid.
A method of combining a working vapor with an absorbent liquid in an absorption cycle, the combining method comprising:
- a. merging a jet of the working vapor with a jet of the absorbent liquid so that:
- (1) a portion of.the vapor jet is absorbed in the liquid jet;
- (2) another portion of the vapor jet is mixed with and entrained in the liquid jet;
- and
- (3) kinetic energy of the vapor jet is transferred to the liquid jet to accelerate the liquid in its direction of flow;
- and
- b. directing the combined liquid and vapor jets into a nozzle and diffuser to convert the kinetic energy of the fluid flow into pressure of a fluid mixture.
An absorber entrainer for an absorption cycle system, the absorber entrainer comprising:
- a. a liquid nozzle that directs an absorbent liquid jet through a mixing chamber and into an output nozzle and diffuser;
- b. a vapor nozzle that directs a working vapor jet into contact with. the liquid jet so that the vapor and liquid jets merge and mix together and flow the mixture through the output nozzle and into the diffuser;
- and
- c. the working vapor being a material that is absorbable into the absorbent liquid, and the vapor jet having a sufficient flow rate relative to the absorbent liquid flow rate so that more vapor than can be absorbed in the liquid jet is merged with the liquid jet and entrained with the liquid into the diffuser where the unabsorbed vapor is compressed and carried downstream with the liquid.
In an absorption cycle system having a regenerator for a working fluid vapor, the improvement comprising:
- a. an absorber formed of a hydrokinetic amplifier that merges a stream of working fluid vapor with a stream of absorbent liquid and directs the merged mixture through a nozzle and diffuser and toward the regenerator;
- b. the heat of the absorption occurring in the hydrokinetic amplifier being systematically retained and directed with the mixture toward the regenerator;
- and
- c. the mixture output from the diffuser having a higher temperature and pressure than the vapor and liquid streams flowing into the hydrokinetic amplifier.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.