Refrigeration – Refrigeration producer – Sorbent type
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-29
2001-06-26
Buiz, Michael Pouell (Department: 3744)
Refrigeration
Refrigeration producer
Sorbent type
C062S476000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06250100
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the structure of a high-temperature regenerator for an absorption type chiller heater.
2. Detailed Description of the Prior Art
Conventionally, a system referred to as an absorption type chiller heater or an absorption type refrigerator comprises a high-temperature regenerator, in which a dilute absorbent liquor flowing in from an absorber is heated to boil so that refrigerant vapor is isolated therefrom. The dilute absorbent liquor is composed of an absorbent, such as a lithium bromide (LiBr) aqueous solution (containing a surface-active agent), and a large amount of refrigerant such as water.
Conventional high-temperature regenerators use combustion gas introduced from a dedicated burner as their heat sources. Some high-temperature regenerators may use high-temperature exhaust gas that is generated and introduced from outside the absorption type chiller heaters, for example, from a gas turbine for use in power generation or the like.
FIGS.
4
(A) and
4
(B) show a direct-fired type high-temperature regenerator, one of the former high-temperature regenerators.
Specifically, the high-temperature regenerator
1
comprises an outer shell
3
and an inner shell
5
penetrating through the outer shell
3
. This inner shell
5
has a sideways U shape with both ends
7
and
9
located outside the outer shell
3
. Of these ends
7
and
9
, the lower end
7
has a burner
11
mounted thereon. An exhaust duct
13
is attached to the upper end
9
.
Combustion gas
14
introduced from the burner
11
is let through a combustion gas flue
6
constituted inside the inner shell
5
. A dilute absorbent liquor
15
introduced to between the outer and inner shells
3
and
5
comes into contact with the inner shell
5
, i.e., the combustion gas flue
6
, so that the liquor
15
is heated to boil, isolating refrigerant vapor therefrom. The isolated refrigerant vapor
17
is collected to a refrigerant vapor collecting hole
19
, and then introduced to a not-shown low-temperature regenerator.
As shown in FIGS.
5
(A) and
5
(B), the inner shell
5
sometimes constitutes a horizontal, straight-shaped combustion gas flue
6
with both ends
7
and
9
located outside the outer shell
3
. Here, the burner
11
is attached to the right end
7
in FIG.
5
(A), and the exhaust duct
13
is connected to the left end
9
.
In a high-temperature regenerator using exhaust gas as its heat source, the capacity of the exhaust gas determines the operational capacity of the absorption type chiller heater. In other words, the capacity control is confined within the control range of the turbine. Current gas turbines are typically high in partial load limit, with the very minimum of 50% or so.
In such a high-temperature regenerator using exhaust gas as the heat source, capacity control can also be made by arranging a valve for intercepting the exhaust gas at the portion where the exhaust gas is introduced into the high-temperature regenerator, and adjusting the opening of the valve so as to allow heat input as much as required in the high-temperature regenerator. This valve, however, is expensive since it requires excellent interception performances and a high degree of reliability.
Alternatively, a high-temperature regenerator using combustion gas from a burner as its heat source may be provided along with the high-temperature regenerator using exhaust gas as its heat source. In this case, a valve on a dilute absorbent liquor pipe is switched to put the former high-temperature regenerator into exclusive use when the absorption chiller heater operates under lower loads, and to activate both high-temperature regenerators under higher loads. This configuration, however, requires a wider floor space and complicated piping. Here, an increase in running cost is also expected.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been achieved to solve the foregoing problems. It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a dual heat source high-temperature regenerator which is capable of capacity control over a wider range, requires no expensive valves, and occupies only a smaller floor space, with not-complicated piping and a promising reduction in running cost.
To achieve the foregoing object, a first invention provides a dual heat source high-temperature regenerator for an absorption type chiller heater, the high-temperature regenerator comprising an outer shell and a plurality of inner shells, wherein: the outer shell and the inner shells form a liquor channel therebetween in which a dilute absorbent liquor introduced is heated to boil so that refrigerant vapor is isolated therefrom; one or some of the plurality of inner shells constitutes a combustion gas flue for introducing combustion gas from a burner provided for the high-temperature regenerator; the remaining inner shell or inner shells constitute(s) an exhaust gas flue for introducing high-temperature exhaust gas generated outside the absorption type chiller heater; and an exhaust gas inlet of the exhaust gas flue is located near a region on the combustion gas flue where heat is easy to collect.
Moreover, a second invention provides a dual heat source high-temperature regenerator characterized in that: among its inner shells, the one or ones constituting the combustion gas flue each has a sideways U shape as a whole, with both upper and lower ends of the U located outside the outer shell; among the inner shells, the one or ones constituting the exhaust gas flue each has a horizontal, straight shape as a whole, with both ends of the straight shape located outside the outer shell; and the region on the combustion gas flue where heat is easy to collect is the vicinity of the vertical stroke of the sideways U; and an exhaust gas inlet of the exhaust gas flue is located near the vertical stroke of the sideways U.
Furthermore, a third invention provides a dual heat source high-temperature regenerator characterized in that: among its inner shells, the one or ones constituting the combustion gas flue each has a horizontal, straight shape as a whole, with both ends of the straight shape located outside the outer shell; among the inner shells, the one or ones constituting the exhaust gas flue each has a horizontal, straight shape as a whole, with both ends of the straight shape located outside the outer shell; the region on the combustion gas flue where heat is easy to collect is the vicinity of its end forming a combustion gas inlet; and an exhaust gas inlet of the exhaust gas flue is located near the combustion gas inlet.
As described above, according to the present invention, both exhaust and combustion gas flues are arranged in a single high-temperature regenerator. This accomplishes, so to speak, integration of the two types of conventional high-temperature regenerators, thereby allowing capacity control over a wide range.
The high-temperature regenerator of the present invention requires no expensive valve for controlling the flow rate of the exhaust gas. In addition, this regenerator occupies a smaller floor space and prevents the piping from becoming complicated as compared to the case where both the high-temperature regenerator using combustion gas as the heat source and the high-temperature regenerator using exhaust gas as the heat source are provided. Moreover, the running cost can be lowered as compared to the case where the high-temperature regenerator using combustion gas as its heat source is provided alone or together with the exhaust gas type.
Furthermore, the region on the combustion gas flue where the dilute absorbent liquor collects heat most easily is arranged close to the exhaust gas inlet, which is a similar region on the exhaust gas flue where the dilute absorbent liquor collects heat most easily. This precludes a disturbance in the convection of the dilute absorbent liquor, and therefore the convection promotes circulation of the dilute absorbent liquor.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5435154 (1995-07-01), Nishiguchi et al.
patent: 5704225 (1998-01-01), Sawa
Chou Daisaku
Funai Hideki
Miyazaki Hisao
Sawakura Kazuya
Yoshii Kazuhiro
Buiz Michael Pouell
Jiang Chen-Wen
Sanyo Electric Co,. Ltd.
Weingarten, Schurgin Gagnebin & Hayes LLP
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