Back to results
US 9,194,617 B2Granted
Intermittent absorption refrigeration system equipped with a waste energy storage unit
AssigneeKing Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals
InventorsSyed Ahmed Mohammad Said, Muhammad Umar Siddiqui
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A solar powered intermittent absorption refrigeration system utilizes helical coil heat exchangers for generation, absorption, dephlegmation, condensation and heat recovery. The thermo-siphon effect is used to supply and reject heat from the system, to recover and utilize heat from a waste energy unit, to reject heat of absorption, and to pressurize and depressurize the system. The system produces ice blocks during the nighttime without any requirement of electrical energy for the operation of the system.
Claims20
A method for intermittent absorption refrigeration, comprising:
- pressurizing a generator/absorber unit by permitting a first portion of a first fluid having temperature T1H to flow out of a waste energy storage unit and into a first heat exchanger comprised in the generator/absorber unit while permitting a second portion of the first fluid having temperature T1C to flow out of the first heat exchanger and into the waste energy storage unit, wherein T1H>T1C, such that the first and second portions of the first fluid flow due to a first difference in densities between them;
- pressurizing the generator/absorber unit by permitting a first portion of a second fluid having temperature T2H to flow out of a second heat exchanger and into the first heat exchanger while permitting a second portion of the second fluid having temperature T2C to flow out of the first heat exchanger and into the second heat exchanger, wherein T2H>T2C, such that the first and second portions of the second fluid flow due to a second difference in densities between them;
- generating a first refrigerant vapor from a strong absorbent-refrigerant solution in the generator/absorber unit by permitting a third portion of the second fluid having temperature T3H to flow out of the second heat exchanger and into the first heat exchanger while permitting a fourth portion of the second fluid having temperature T3C to flow out of the first heat exchanger and into the second heat exchanger, wherein T3H>T3C, such that the third and fourth portions of the second fluid flow due to a third difference in densities between them;
- condensing the first refrigerant vapor into a liquid refrigerant in a condenser and permitting the liquid refrigerant to flow out of the condenser and into a refrigerant vessel;
- depressurizing the generator/absorber unit by permitting a third portion of the first fluid having temperature T4H to flow out of the first heat exchanger and into the waste energy storage unit while permitting a fourth portion of the first fluid having temperature T4C to flow out of the waste energy storage unit and into the first heat exchanger, wherein T4H>T4C, such that the third and fourth portions of the first fluid flow due to a difference in densities between them;
- storing a fifth portion of the first fluid in the waste energy storage unit, wherein thermal insulation reduces heat transfer out of the fifth portion of the first fluid;
- depressurizing the generator/absorber unit by permitting a first portion of a weak absorbent-refrigerant solution having temperature TAH to flow out of the generator/absorber unit and into a third heat exchanger while permitting a second portion of the weak absorbent-refrigerant solution having temperature TAC to flow out of the third heat exchanger and into the generator/absorber unit, wherein TAH>TAC, such that the first and second portions of the absorbent flow due to a difference in densities between them;
- cooling the evaporation unit by permitting the liquid refrigerant in the refrigerant vessel to evaporate into a second refrigerant vapor;
- and
- permitting the second refrigerant vapor to flow into the generator/absorber unit.
7 more elements
An intermittent absorption refrigeration system comprising:
- a generator/absorber unit having, with respect to a vertical direction, disposed in an upper portion thereof, an upper header port, a vapor port, and an upper circulation port, and disposed in a lower portion thereof, a lower header port and a lower circulation port;
- a first heat exchanger disposed within a volume enclosed by the generator/absorber unit, the first heat exchanger having, with respect to the vertical direction, an upper opening and a lower opening;
- a waste energy storage unit having, with respect to the vertical direction, an upper port and a lower port;
- an upper header pipe providing a fluid passageway between the upper opening of the first heat exchanger and the upper port of the waste energy storage unit, the upper header pipe passing through the upper header port of the generator/absorber unit;
- a lower header pipe providing a fluid passageway between the lower opening of the first heat exchanger and the lower port of the waste energy storage unit, the lower header pipe passing through the lower header port of the generator/absorber unit;
- a second heat exchanger having, with respect to the vertical direction, an upper opening, and a lower opening;
- an upper collector pipe providing a fluid passageway between the upper opening of the second heat exchanger and the upper opening of the first heat exchanger;
- a lower collector pipe providing a fluid passage between the lower opening of the second heat exchanger and the lower opening of the first heat exchanger;
- a condenser having, with respect to the vertical direction, an upper opening and a lower opening;
- a condenser inlet pipe providing a fluid passageway between the vapor port of the generator/absorber unit and the upper opening of the condenser;
- a refrigerant vessel having, with respect to the vertical direction, disposed in an upper portion thereof, an inlet and an outlet;
- an evaporator inlet pipe providing a fluid passageway between the lower opening of the condenser and the inlet of the refrigerant vessel;
- an evaporator outlet pipe providing a fluid passageway between the outlet of the refrigerant vessel and the volume enclosed by the generator/absorber unit;
- a third heat exchanger having, with respect to the vertical direction, a lower opening and an upper opening;
- an upper circulation pipe providing a fluid passageway between the upper circulation port and the upper opening of the third heat exchanger;
- a lower circulation pipe providing a fluid passageway between the lower circulation port and the lower opening of the third heat exchanger;
- and
- a refrigerated space disposed to transfer thermal energy into the refrigerant vessel.
15 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.