Refrigeration system

Details Refrigeration system Refrigeration system

2002-02-28

2004-01-06

Jiang, Chen Wen (Department: 3744)

Refrigeration

Refrigeration producer

C062S516000, C062S315000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06672099

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to a refrigeration system for effecting cooling by evaporation of water or heating by condensation of water vapor.
BACKGROUND ART
A heat pump is conventionally known which effects cooling and heating with the use of evaporation and condensation of water, as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication 6-257890.
In its cooling operation, the heat pump supplies a water to a vacuum container held in a reduced-pressure condition (for example, at about 4 to 5 mmHg), and generates a cold water by allowing the water stored in the vacuum container to voluntarily evaporate. The generated cold water is raised in pressure to the atmospheric pressure by a pump, taken out of the vacuum container and used for cooling.
In its heating operation, the heat pump supplies a water heat-exchanged with a water of heat source to the vacuum container and evaporates it therein. The water vapor in the vacuum container is compressed by a compressor, and pumped to a condenser. The water vapor has a lower pressure than the atmospheric pressure even after compressed. Water circulates through a flow passage of the condenser. The water inside of the flow passage is heat-exchanged with the water vapor outside of the flow passage, and thereby heated with heat of condensation of the water vapor. The generated hot water is used for heating.
Problems to be Solved
In this case, if the water stored in the vacuum container is merely evaporated, evaporation of water occurs only in the water surface area in the vacuum container. Therefore, in order to enhance evaporation in the vacuum container, it is necessary to upsize the vacuum container to extend the water surface area. Since the vacuum container requires high pressure resistance, however, it is extremely disadvantageous in terms of fabrication cost to upsize the vacuum container. To cope with this problem, in the heat pump as described above, attempt is made to enhance evaporation by spreading water inside of the vacuum container. In this manner, however, the water surface area is slightly extended by disturbance, which is not sufficient to enhance evaporation.
Also, in the above heat pump, a cold water in the vacuum container is extracted by raising the pressure thereof with a pump for the purpose of application of the generated cold heat. Pumping up the cold water from the vacuum container in reduced-pressure condition, however, is likely to cause cavitation inside of the pump, because the inside of the vacuum container is under extremely low pressure as described above. Therefore, the above heat pump has a problem in that the pump is damaged due to cavitation thereby providing deteriorated reliability.
As an approach to the above problem, it can be contemplated to provide a heat transfer pipe inside of the vacuum container, channel a water through the heat transfer pipe, cool the water inside of the pipe with a cold water outside of the pipe, and thereby extract cold heat. In fact, however, it is difficult to cool the water inside of the pipe down to the same temperature as that of the cold water outside of the pipe. This presents another problem that cold heat cannot sufficiently be extracted from the water inside of the pipe.
Further, the above problem is also created when hot heat is extracted in the condenser. Specifically, even when the condenser is provided with a flow passage and a water inside of the flow passage is heated up with water vapor outside thereof, as is the case with the above heat pump, there is a problem that hot heat cannot sufficiently be extracted due to heat loss during heat exchange.
There is conventionally known a moisture permeable membrane which does not permeate water as a liquid but can permeate water vapor as a gas. No application of a moisture permeable membrane of such kind for the condenser has been found. Accordingly, the appearance of a novel system using such a moisture permeable membrane would be desirable.
The present invention has been made in view of the foregoing points, and an object thereof is, in a refrigeration system using phase changes of water, to provide a downsized evaporator for evaporating water under reduced pressure, enhance reliability by facilitating the extraction of cold heat from the evaporator, and apply a moisture permeable membrane for a condenser.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
A first solution taken in the invention is directed to a refrigeration system for cooling a heat transfer medium by evaporating water of the heat transfer medium in an evaporator (
11
). Further, the system is provided with: the evaporator (
11
) which is formed of a container-like member (
55
) having an inner space divided into a liquid side space (
12
) and a gas side space (
13
) by a moisture permeable membrane (
14
) capable of permeating water vapor, the liquid side space (
12
) being filled with the heat transfer medium which is water or water solution; and evacuating means (
20
) for evacuating from the gas side space (
13
) water vapor which has been provided by evaporation of water from the heat transfer medium in the liquid side space (
12
) of the evaporator (
11
) and has moved to the gas side space (
13
), and for holding the gas side space (
13
) into a predetermined reduced-pressure condition.
In a second solution taken in the invention, the refrigeration system in the first solution further includes a condenser (
15
) which is formed of a container-like member (
55
) and arranged to allow the water vapor evacuated from the evaporator (
11
) by the evacuating means (
20
) to flow into a gas side space (
17
) thereof and then move from the gas side space (
17
) to a heat transfer medium with which a liquid side space (
16
) thereof is filled.
A third solution take in the invention is directed to a refrigeration system which is provided with: an evaporator (
11
) in which a heat transfer medium of water or water solution is stored; evacuating means (
20
) for evacuating water vapor provided by evaporation of water from the heat transfer medium inside of the evaporator (
11
) and for holding the evaporator (
11
) in a predetermined reduced-pressure condition; and a condenser (
15
) formed of a container-like member (
55
) an inner space of which is divided into a liquid side space (
12
) and a gas side space (
13
) by a moisture permeable membrane (
14
) capable of permeating water vapor, the condenser (
15
) being arranged to move the water vapor admitted into a gas side space (
17
) thereof by the evacuating means (
20
) to a heat transfer medium with which a liquid side space (
16
) thereof is filled.
In a fourth solution taken in the invention, the refrigeration system in the second or third solution is arranged to effect a heat pumping operation of using heat released from the water vapor in the condenser (
15
) to heat the heat transfer medium.
In a fifth solution taken in the invention, the refrigeration system in any one of the first to fourth solutions is arranged so that the evacuating means (
20
) comprises a compressor (
21
) for compressing the water vapor sucked from the evaporator (
11
) and pumping the water vapor into the condenser (
15
).
In a sixth solution taken in the invention, the refrigeration system in any one of the first to fourth solutions is arranged so that the evacuating means (
20
) comprises an absorbing medium for absorbing and releasing moisture, allows the absorbing medium to absorb the water vapor from the evaporator (
11
) and sends into the condenser (
15
) the water vapor released from the absorbing medium.
In a seventh solution taken in the invention, the refrigeration system in any one of the first to fourth solutions is arranged so that the evacuating means (
20
) includes water vapor generating means (
115
) for generating water vapor through the application of heat and an ejector (
110
) for ejecting water vapor from the evaporator (
11
) under the action of a jet of the water vapor generated by the water vapor generating means (
115
).
In an eighth solution taken in the invention, the refrigeration system in any one of the

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