Refrigeration system

Abstract

The present invention discloses a self-contained recirculating refrigeration system wherein the refrigerant is referred to as HTF (heat transfer fluid) which is cooled using liquid nitrogen. HTF remains in the liquid phase throughout the process of the present invention 10. The basic process can be viewed as beginning with the injection of liquid nitrogen (LN2) from a liquid nitrogen supply tank 22 into the thermal converter 18 wherein the heat transfer fluid (HTF) is cooled by LN2 through one or more heat exchangers to let the LN2 absorb heat from the HTF and thereby cool the HTF to refrigeration temperatures. The rate at which LN2 enters the thermal convector 18 is controlled by a valve so as to maintain the temperature of the HTF at a set point. This process causes the liquid nitrogen to change phase and to be converted into a gaseous nitrogen state (GN2) which GN2 is then transferred through conduit 28 into the pre-cooler tank 14 to allow for a pre-cooling of the HTF prior to HTF entering into the pump system 16. Used GN2 is discharged to the atmosphere through line 42 from the pre-cooler tank 14. HTYF from the thermal converter 18 is conveyed through a conduit 24 to the various freezers, refrigerators, air conditioning systems or the like, or any other process equipment requiring cooling. The HTF conduit can be connected to an existing refrigeration system without modifying the existing refrigeration piping by using a manifold 46. The return line 26 carries HTF from the refrigeration device 20 back to the neutral tank 12. Neutral tank 12 feeds into the top pipe that is located on the pre-cooler tank 14 and then discharges HTF out after the HTF is pre-cooled by GN2 to the pump 16 whereby the pumping system will inject used HTF into the thermal converter 18 at which point the process is repeated.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.