Refrigeration – Refrigeration producer – Compressor-condenser-evaporator circuit
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-01
2001-11-27
Wayner, William (Department: 3744)
Refrigeration
Refrigeration producer
Compressor-condenser-evaporator circuit
C417S048000, C417S379000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06321561
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to refrigeration systems and methods, and is particularly concerned with an electrochemical refrigeration system and method for use in removing relatively small heat loads.
A conventional refrigeration system uses a mechanical compressor of the piston or rotary type to compress a refrigeration gas or vapor, which is subsequently expanded, and sometimes vaporized, utilizing energy available at low temperatures, and thereby cooling or maintaining an area such as a refrigeration chamber, a surface, or a fluid, at a low temperature. Thus, in a basic refrigeration cycle, refrigerant is compressed in a mechanical compressor. The compressed vapor is then liquefied in a condenser. Liquid refrigerant flows from the condenser to an expansion valve where its pressure and temperature are reduced, and then to an evaporator where heat is absorbed from the region or fluid being cooled and the refrigerant boils. The liquid refrigerant is thus evaporated and then returned to the compressor to repeat the refrigeration cycle.
There are a number of problems with conventional mechanical refrigeration systems. One is that mechanical compressors typically require considerable maintenance to ensure adequate lubrication, to replace seals, and so on. Furthermore, the efficiency of mechanical compressors is considerably reduced when the compressor size is decreased to process small heat loads, generally below the power levels of small domestic refrigerators from the “white goods” industry, i.e. rated generally at the ton level, which is equivalent to a heat load of 3.5 kilowatts. Because of the unsuitability of mechanical compressors for handling small heat loads, microrefrigerators for heat loads of 50-100 watts, or less than 1 kilowatt, are not available. Thus, other means must be used for cooling when small heat loads are involved, such as fans, metal plates with fins as heat sinks. and the like, and these are often subject to other disadvantages. Up to now, no refrigeration system has been devised which is suitable for handling small heat loads of less than 1 kilowatt.
In my previous U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,489,670, 4,118,299, 4,402,817, 4,522,698, 4,648,955, 5,038,821, 5,149,413, 5,334,304, and 5,417,822, and in the following publications: Maget H., Proceedings of the 5
th
Annual Battery Conference on Applications and Advances, Long Beach, Calif., Jan. 1990 “Electrochemical Prime Movers, Converters of DC Electric Energy to Mechanical Work”; Maget H., “Electrochemical Prime Movers”, 24
th
IECEC, Washington, D.C. Aug. 1989, Vol. 3, pp 1613-1618; and Maget H., Proceedings of the Symposium on Fuel Cells, San Francisco, Calif. No. 1989, Vol 89-14, pp 94-105 “Electrochemical Pumps Offsprings of SPE Fuel Cell Technology”, I have described various low pressure actuators used for pumping fluids in various applications, and means for operation and control of such actuators.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved refrigeration system and method.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a refrigeration system is provided which comprises an evaporator having an input for fluid refrigerant and an output for expanded refrigerant, and adapted for removing heat from a heat load of less than one kilowatt, a compressor having a refrigerant input connected to the evaporator output and a refrigerant output for compressed refrigerant fluid, and a condenser for condensing the compressed refrigerant, the condenser having an input connected to the compressor refrigerant output and an output linked to the evaporator input, the compressor having a first refrigerant compressor section for providing compressed refrigerant fluid at the refrigerant output, and a second electrochemical gas compressor section having a compressed gas output linked to the first compressor section for compressing the refrigerant fluid.
The first refrigerant compressor section preferably comprises a first housing or enclosure, a movable member in the housing dividing it into separate first and second chambers, the first chamber being linked to the compressed gas output of the second electrochemical compressor section, and the second chamber containing refrigerant fluid and having an output comprising the refrigerant output for providing compressed refrigerant fluid to the condensor. The movable member may be a diaphragm, piston, bellows or the like, and isolates the refrigerant loop from the compressed gas in the electrochemical compressor section.
The second electrochemical compressor section preferably comprises an electrochemical cell in a third chamber, the third chamber comprising a gas storage chamber on one side of the cell, and the opposite side of the cell having an output connected to the first chamber of the first refrigerant compressor section, the electrochemical cell having a rigidly supported electrolytic membrane and opposing pervious electrodes disposed on each side of the electrolytic membrane and in contact with the membrane, the electrodes defining at least one electrode pair separated by the electrolytic membrane.
The gas is electrochemically reversibly active so as to enter into an anodic reaction at one electrode where the gas molecules are converted to ions transportable through the electrolytic membrane and a cathodic reaction at the opposite electrode where ions are reconverted to gas molecules. Electrical conductors provide an electrical current to the electrode pair for transporting ions through the electrolytic membrane whereby gas is pumped from the third chamber to the output. A plurality of electrode pairs may be disposed on opposite sides of the membrane, with the numbers depending on the required heat loads. Additional electrochemical compressor stations or assemblies may be provided to meet higher heat loads. The gas may be hydrogen or oxygen, for example.
In one embodiment of the invention, the evaporator is suitably attached to a computer processor module to provide the necessary cooling to remove heat from the processor module. The processor can thereby be more efficiently and reliably maintained at the optimum low operating temperature, which will result in higher operating efficiency, better performance, and increased processor lifetime.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a refrigeration method is provided, which comprises the steps of:
connecting an evaporator to a heat load for removing heat from the load;
providing refrigerant fluid to an evaporator inlet whereby heat of evaporation is extracted from the heat load to vaporize the liquid;
connecting vaporized refrigerant from an evaporator output to a first compressor section for compressing the refrigerant;
providing a compressed gas output from a second, electrochemical compressor section to the first compressor section to provide compression energy for compressing the refrigerant; and
providing a compressed refrigerant output from the first compressor section to a condenser for condensing the compressed refrigerant, the condensor having an output linked to the evaporator input to provide complete refrigeration cycle.
This invention provides a miniaturized refrigeration system by using an electrochemical cell compressor to provide the necessary compression of the refrigerant, avoiding the need for larger scale, mechanically actuated compressors as have been used in the past. This allows a refrigeration system to be used to remove relatively small, localized heat loads of the order of one kilowatt or less.
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Sediak et
Brown Martin Haller & McClain LLP
Wayner William
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