Method and device for cooling

A device for cooling a circulated liquid coolant, in a quasi-continuous mode of operation by means of its limited expansion, said device comprising liquid recipients and a piston-type reciprocating positive displacement pump an admission inlet of which is, via a phase separator, connectable to said liquid recipients, and a delivery outlet of which is connected to the vapour receiving upper space of a condenser to a liquid collector, said device further comprising closing valves, pressure controlled check valves, liquid level detectors and temperature gauges for controlled automatic operation of the device, said device being characterized in comprising two identical liquid recipients of vertically elongated shape and parallel arrangement, the upper inner space sections of which are, via controlled closing valves, alternately connectable to an upper vapour phase section of the phase separator, that is also connected, via a controlled closing valve, to a collector conduit of the liquid collector, said upper inner space sections of the liquid recipients being, via further controlled closing valves, also alternately connectable to a common supply conduit which in turn is, via a three-way changeover valve, also connected to said collector conduit of the liquid collector, the lower inner space sections of the liquid recipients being connected, alternately again, via check valves to a common discharge conduit that leads to a cold liquid outlet of the device, the liquid recipients being further and alternately connected, via further check valves, to a lower liquid phase section of the phase separator, an uppermost vapour outlet of the phase separator being connected to an admission conduit of the at least one reciprocating positive displacement pump, while said admission conduit is further connected, via a check valve, to a vapour inlet of the device, the discharge outlet of the at least one reciprocating positive displacement pump being connected either directly or via a check valve to a delivery conduit of the condenser, or via a controlled closing valve, to a delivery conduit of a lower stage compressor of the apparatus and, via a check valve to both, the delivery conduit of the condenser and the delivery outlet of a higher stage compressor, the device being further characterized in that the common discharge conduit of the liquid recipients is also connected, via a coolant pump, a heat exchanger, and a controlled closing valve, to the three-way changeover valve so that in typical modes of operation, the positive circulation of the liquid coolant within the device is allowed for.