# US 9,719,712 B2 · Device and method for the continuous thermochemical production of cold

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- Number: US 9,719,712 B2
- Document ID: US9719712B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/391,037
- Filed: 2013-04-30
- Published: 2015-03-12
- Granted: 2017-08-01
- Earliest claimed: 2012-05-03
- Assignees: Coldway
- Applicants: Coldway
- Inventors: Laurent Rigaud; Francis Kindbeiter
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9719712B2

## CPC

- F25D 5/00: Devices using endothermic chemical reactions, e.g. using frigorific mixtures
- B60N 2/3065: {in a longitudinal-vertical plane}
- B60N 2/366: {characterised by the locking device}
- F25B 17/083: {with two or more boiler-sorbers operating alternately}
- Y02A 30/27: Relating to heating, ventilation or air conditioning [HVAC] technologies
- Y02B 30/62: Absorption based systems
- F25D: REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (refrigerated showcases A47F3/04; thermally-insulated vessels for domestic use A47J41/00; refrigerated vehicles, see the appropriate subclasses of classes B60 - B64; containers with thermal insulation in general B65D81/38; heat-transfer, heat-exchange or heat-storage materials, e.g. refrigerants, or materials for the production of heat or cold by chemical reactions other than by combustion C09K5/00; thermally-insulated vessels for liquefied or solidified gases F17C; air-conditioning or air-humidification F24F; refrigeration machines, plants, or systems F25B; cooling of instruments or comparable apparatus without refrigeration G12B)
- B60N: SEATS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES; VEHICLE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F25B: REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
- Y02A: TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS

## Abstract

A system and a thermochemical method for the production of cold, that uses a reactive device having a reactor or a chamber for storing a reactive product that can absorb a gas. The reactive product and the gas are such that, when they are exposed to one another, they undergo a reaction resulting in absorption of the gas by the reactive product and, conversely, they undergo a reaction involving the desorption of the gas absorbed by the reactive product as a result of heat applied to the reactive product when it absorbed the gas. The system has two substantially identical reactive devices wherein when the reactor of one reactive device is operating in the absorption cycle, the reactor of the other is operating in the desorption cycle. The system has a mechanism for determining the progress rate of the thermochemical reaction.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A thermochemical system for the production of cold, comprising:
a first reactive device and a second reactive device, said first reactive device comprising a first reactor and said second reactive device comprising a second reactor, each of said first reactor and said second reactor containing a reactive product; and
a first reservoir and a second reservoir, each of said first reservoir and said second reservoir containing a gas;
said reactive product and said gas being such that, when placed in the presence of each other a thermochemical gas absorption reaction occurs resulting in the absorption of the gas by the reactive product, and gas desorption reaction occurs when heat is applied to the reactive product when said reactive product has absorbed the gas, said thermochemical gas absorption reaction having a rate of progress, the first and second reactive devices being disposed to operate in opposite phases, so that when the reactor of the first reactive device is operating in absorption, the reactor of the second reactive device is operating in desorption, wherein the thermochemical system comprises means for determining the rate of progress of said thermochemical gas absorption reaction.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The thermochemical system for the production of cold according to claim 1, wherein each of the first reservoir and the second reservoir is capable of measuring the quantity of liquefied gas contained in the first reservoir and the second reservoir, respectively.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The thermochemical system for the production of cold according to claim 2, wherein each of the first reservoir and the second reservoir is provided with a level sensor of the capacitive type.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The thermochemical system for the production of cold according to claim 2, wherein each of the first reservoir and the second reservoir is capable of measuring the quantity of liquefied gas that enters and/or leaves each of the first reservoir and the second reservoir, respectively.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The thermochemical system for the production of cold according to claim 1, wherein each of the first reactor and the second reactor is provided with a pressure sensor.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The thermochemical system for the production of cold according to claim 1, further comprising a valve capable of isolating the first reactor and the second reactor, respectively, from other elements of the system and for connecting the first reactor and the second reactor to one another, so as to ensure a transfer of the gas between the first reactor and the second reactor; and wherein the connection means are coupled with the means for determining the rate of progress of the reaction.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The thermochemical system for the production of cold according to claim 6, wherein the connection means is coupled with the means for determining the rate of progress of the reaction so as to enable the communication of the first and second reactors when communication of one of the first and second reservoirs with the evaporator is closed and communication of the other of the first and second reservoirs with the condenser is closed.

### Claim 8

A thermochemical method for the production using a system comprising a first reactive device and a second reactive device, the first reactive device comprising a first reactor and the second reactive device comprising a second reactor, each of the first reactor and the second reactor containing a reactive product; and a first reservoir and a second reservoir, each of the first reservoir and the second reservoir containing a gas, the reactive product capable of absorbing the gas, the system further comprising a condenser and an evaporator, the reservoir being able to communicate with the condenser and the evaporator, said reactive product and the gas being such that, when placed together a thermochemical gas absorption reaction occurs resulting in the absorption of the gas by the reactive product, and gas desorption reaction occurs when heat is applied to said reactive product when said reactive product has absorbed the gas, the thermochemical gas absorption reaction having a rate of progress, the rate of progress having a maximum value corresponding to a desired maximum rate of progress and a minimum value corresponding to a minimum desired rate of progress;
operating the first and second reactive devices in opposite phase so that, when the thermochemical gas absorption reaction occurs in the first reactor, the gas desorption reaction occurs in the second reactor, wherein the rate of progress of said thermochemical gas absorption reaction is determined during the production of cold.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The thermochemical method for the production of cold according to claim 8, wherein the rate of progress is determined by measuring a quantity of liquefied gas in the first reservoir and the second reservoir, respectively.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The thermochemical method for the production of cold according to claim 9, comprising measuring the quantity of liquefied gas that enters into the first reservoir and the second reservoir, respectively.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The thermochemical method for the production of cold according to claim 9, wherein the production of cold is stopped when a level of liquid in the first reservoir or the second reservoir associated with the corresponding one of the first reactor and the second reactor in which the thermochemical gas absorption reaction occurs reaches a lower limit and the level of liquefied gas in the first reservoir or the second reservoir associated with the corresponding one of the first reactor and the second reactor in which the gas desorption occurs reaches an upper limit.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The thermochemical method for the production of cold according to claim 11, wherein each of the first reservoir and the second reservoir is provided with a first level sensor and a second level sensor, the first and second level sensors configured to measure a liquefied gas lower limit and a liquefied gas upper limit, respectively the lower limit of the first level sensor is adjusted so that, when the liquefied gas reaches the lower limit, the rate of progress of the thermochemical gas absorption reaction occurring in the first reactor corresponds to the maximum value.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The thermochemical method for the production of cold according to claim 12, wherein said upper limit of the second level sensor is adjusted so that when the liquefied gas reaches the upper limit, the rate of progress of the gas absorption reaction in the second corresponds to the minimum value.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The thermochemical method for the production of cold according to claim 11, wherein each of the first reservoir and the second reservoir is provided with a communication valve enabling the respective first or second reservoir to communicate with the condenser, and when the liquefied gas level reaches the lower limit in one of the first and second reservoirs, communication of the first or second reservoir in which the liquefied gas has reached a lower limit with the evaporator is closed while waiting for the upper limit to be reached in the other one of the first and second reservoirs in order to stop the production of cold by closing the corresponding communication valve.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The thermochemical method for the production of cold according to claim 11, wherein when the upper limit is reached in the first or second reservoir, the production of cold is stopped by closing communications between the reservoir in which the upper limit is reached and the evaporator and communication of the other reservoir with the condenser only after the lower level is reached in the other reservoir.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The thermochemical method for the production of cold according to claim 15, wherein once the production of cold is stopped, the first and second reactors are placed in communication.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The thermochemical method for the production of cold according to claim 16, the first and second reactors are maintained in communication until the gas pressure is the same in the first and second reactors.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The thermochemical method for the production of cold according to claim 17, wherein once the gas pressure is equal in said first and second reactors, communication between the first and second reactors is stopped until the gas pressure in the first or second reactor in which the gas desorption is occurring reaches a floor value.