Refrigeration – Using electrical or magnetic effect
Reexamination Certificate
2001-05-02
2003-07-15
Wayner, William (Department: 3744)
Refrigeration
Using electrical or magnetic effect
C062S467000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06591614
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to refrigeration and heating, more particularly to closed and open loop refrigeration and heat pump systems which employ kinetic cooling of the working substance.
BACKGROUND
There is widespread use of mechanical refrigeration systems of the type which employ working fluid, or refrigerant, running in a closed loop. In a very common compression system, fluid, such as ammonia or Freon-12™ dichlorofluoromethane gas is compressed, essentially adiabatically. The fluid is then cooled in a cooling coil, or condenser, so the heat of compression is discharged to a waste heat reservoir or sink, and the refrigerant is liquefied. The refrigerant is then expanded, as by passing it through an orifice or expansion valve connected to a lower pressure region. Thus, the refrigerant gas is cooled by the Joule-Thompson effect, as the liquid refrigerant is vaporized; and, it is then passed through a cooling coil, or evaporator, which is located in the region which is to be cooled. The refrigerant absorbs heat from the region. It is then flowed back to the compressor.
The thermodynamic cycle of such a typical system is commonly characterized as a reversed Brayton cycle. The compressor, which may be of any of a variety of mechanical types, is typically driven by an electric or other kind of motor.
A less common refrigeration system is the absorption type, founded on Dalton's law of partial pressure of gas mixtures. An absorption system has similar elements to the compression system, but the compressor is replaced by a heater and generator. The refrigerant is a special combination of two gases, such as ammonia and hydrogen or lithium bromide and water. In the generator, heat causes differential separation of one gas from the other. Heat sources can be flames or a radiant source, such as solar energy. Such kinds of systems have tended to find use in locales where a reliable central source of electricity for motors is not available.
A disadvantage of the common prior art systems is that the refrigerants have qualities which are either noxious or environmentally disfavored. Another disadvantage is compressor noise and eventual wear when comparatively high system pressures are required. And of course, it is always an objective to increase the coefficient of performance of such systems.
In both of the above-described types of prior art systems, the refrigerant is liquefied, or condensed. It is thus subjected to a change in physical state, or phase. There are some relatively inefficient systems of the prior art wherein the refrigerant, such as air, does not liquefy. Such a refrigerant is simply subjected to different pressures and temperatures. In all aforementioned prior art instances, the gas molecules only undergo changes in translational energy, and there is no change in molecular state.
All refrigeration systems require some sort of net energy input to the system, to accomplish the desired work of moving energy (heat) from one point to another. In the prior art, the work energy (power to the compressor, or heat to the generator, as the case may be for the two representative types of prior art systems mentioned above) is imparted to the refrigerant in a way which raises the enthalpy of the working fluid at the point where work energy is imparted. And, as is well known in physics and engineering, when energy is imparted to fluid molecules as heat, or when there is inevitable heating of a gas during compression in accord with Boyle's Law, the increase in temperature of the refrigerant gas is manifested as an increase in molecular translational energy. According to classical modeling, for the temperature ranges of interest relating to this patent application, such an increase in molecular energy of a fluid is manifested principally as an increase in the amplitude and frequency of translational motion of the molecules. As will be seen from the Description which follows, the present invention employs principles which differ from these traditional operational modes.
The present invention has relation to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/346,721, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,282,894, entitled “Engines Driven by Laser Kinetic Cooling”, filed on Jul. 2, 1999 by D. Smith, an applicant here. The related application describes a closed loop engine or prime mover, such as a turbine or positive displacement engine, which is powered by radiant energy, in particular by laser energy, delivered to the working fluid.
SUMMARY
An object of the invention is to provide a heat transfer system and method, for cooling or heating things, which employs minimal moving parts and an environmentally friendly and relatively inexpensive working substance. A further object is to have the refrigeration and heating systems operate in closed and open loop modes, and with higher efficiencies than prior art systems provide. A further object of the invention is to employ electromagnetic radiation energy in refrigeration and heat pumping. A still further object is to optimize the operations of such new processes by utilizing kinetic cooling; to provide working substance gas mixtures which are particularly adapted for kinetic cooling; and to provide electromagnetic radiation energy sources and systems for achieving kinetic cooling which are more cost effective than lasers.
In accord with the invention, kinetic cooling of a working substance is used for refrigeration or heating of matter. Electromagnetic radiation, of one or more selected wavelengths, is impinged on a working substance, e.g., a gas mixture, contained within apparatus, to thereby cause the substance to be kinetically cooled. Kinetic cooling occurs when radiant electromagnetic energy causes molecules of a gas or other working substance to become excited. A significant number of molecules increase in energy from a first energy level to higher vibrational energy levels. Molecular collision processes induce corresponding restoration of thermodynamic equilibrium in the gas. The effect of the irradiation is to decrease the working substance temperature. When the invention is used for cooling, thermal energy or heat from the matter to be cooled is transferred to the kinetically cooled and excited working substance prior to its relaxation from its excited state, as it flows along a flow path and through a first heat exchanger. The heat is subsequently discharged from the working substance in a second heat exchanger, or by dumping of the working substance to a heat sink, according to whether a closed loop or open loop system is being operated.
In a closed loop embodiment referred to as a Type I system, recirculating gas is the working substance which flows along a closed loop gas flow path The means for kinetically cooling the gas is a mirrored cooling cell which channels the flowing gas as electromagnetic radiation impinges on it. The kinetically cooled gas is then quickly flowed to a first heat exchanger where heat from the environment or matter being cooled is transferred to the gas, thus raising the gas temperature. The gas is then flowed further downstream to a region where, with continued passage of time of flowing, natural relaxation (loss of vibrational energy) of the gas molecules occurs, according to a particular time function characteristic of the gas composition and system pressure. The relaxation also causes the gas to rise in temperature. The heat in the gas is then discharged from the working substance, either to a heat sink, or to a region where heating is desired, according to whether the system is being used for refrigeration (e.g., as is a common building space air conditioner) or for heating (e.g., as is a common building space heat pump). In one variation of a Type I refrigeration system, the working gas flows through a compressor, then a first heat exchanger for sensible cooling of the gas, then through a cooling cell for kinetic cooling, then through an expander, and then through a second heat exchanger where heat is absorbed by the gas from the thing being refrigerated.
In further accord with the invention, a closed l
Smith David C.
Williams Melvin P.
Nessler C. G.
Wayner William
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