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US 9,791,187 B2Granted
Solar refrigeration system with a closed refrigerant loop
AssigneeKing Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals
InventorMaged Ahmed El-Shaarawi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A solar-thermal refrigerant compression system employing refrigerants, such as R410a and R500, and a method of employing the system in refrigeration and air-conditioning units. The system includes a refrigerant storage tank, an evaporator, a mixing chamber, a condenser and an isochoric thermal compressor comprising a condensate heat exchanger and a heating coil connected to a solar collector field.
Claims14
A solar refrigeration system comprising:
- a refrigerant storage tank, which stores a refrigerant liquid;
- an evaporator selected from the group consisting of a bare-tube evaporator, a plate surface evaporator and a finned evaporator, which receives and evaporates a first portion of the refrigerant liquid from the refrigerant storage tank to form a refrigerant vapor;
- a mixing chamber, which receives the refrigerant vapor from the evaporator and a second portion of the refrigerant liquid from the refrigerant storage tank, wherein the refrigerant vapor and the second portion of the refrigerant liquid are mixed to form a mixture;
- a conduit fluidly connecting the refrigerant storage tank and the mixing chamber, wherein the conduit consists of a plurality of check valves and a first throttle valve, wherein the first throttle valve regulates a volume of the second portion of the refrigerant liquid flowing to the mixing chamber;
- an isochoric thermal compressor comprising a condensate heat exchanger and a heating coil fluidly connected to a solar collector field, wherein the isochoric thermal compressor receives the mixture from the mixing chamber and compresses the mixture by heating the mixture to form a compressed refrigerant;
- and
- a condenser, which is located between the isochoric thermal compressor and the refrigerant storage tank, wherein the condenser receives and condenses the compressed refrigerant to form a condensate that flows through the condensate heat exchanger to the refrigerant storage tank;
- wherein the condenser, the isochoric thermal compressor, the refrigerant storage tank, the evaporator, the mixing chamber are fluidly connected to one another, and the mixing chamber and the evaporator are connected in parallel to the refrigerant storage tank.
5 more elements
A solar method for producing a refrigeration effect, comprising:
- storing a refrigerant liquid in a refrigerant storage tank;
- evaporating a first portion of the refrigerant liquid in an evaporator selected from the group consisting of a bare-tube evaporator, a plate surface evaporator and a finned evaporator to form a refrigerant vapor and to provide the refrigeration effect;
- flowing a volume of a second portion of the refrigerant liquid from the refrigerant storage tank through a conduit to a mixing chamber, wherein the conduit fluidly connects the refrigerant storage tank and the mixing chamber, and the conduit consists of a plurality of check valves and a first throttle valve;
- mixing the volume of the second portion of the refrigerant liquid with the refrigerant vapor in the mixing chamber to form a mixture, wherein the mixing chamber is fluidly connected to the evaporator, and the mixing chamber and the evaporator are fluidly connected in parallel to the refrigerant storage tank;
- compressing the mixture into a compressed refrigerant in an isochoric thermal compressor comprising a condensate heat exchanger and a heating coil, which is fluidly connected to a solar collector field;
- condensing the compressed refrigerant in a condenser to form a condensate, which flows through the condensate heat exchanger to the refrigerant storage tank.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.