Refrigerating system

Details Refrigerating system Refrigerating system

2001-10-30

2003-10-07

Jiang, Chen Wen (Department: 3744)

Refrigeration

Atmosphere and sorbent contacting type

C062S402000, C062S094000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06629427

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to a refrigerating system using an air cycle.
BACKGROUND ART
A conventional refrigerator operating on an air cycle is disclosed, for example, in “Shin-ban Reito-Kucho-Binran Dai-4-han Kiso-hen” pp. 45-48, published by Japan Society of Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers. Alternatively, an air conditioning system using an air cycle is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 5-238489. With recent growing concern of global environment, attention has been focused on the air cycle according to which refrigeration can be effected without the use of artificial synthetic refrigerant typified by flon refrigerant.
Specifically, the air conditioning system disclosed in the above publication includes a circuit with a construction in which an expander, a heat exchanger and a compressor are sequentially connected so as to operate on an air cycle. A primary air is taken as a working fluid for the air cycle into this circuit. The primary air taken thereinto is pressure-reduced to a sub-atmospheric pressure in the expander and thereby reaches a low temperature. The low-temperature primary air exchanges heat with a secondary air in the heat exchanger. The secondary air is cooled through the heat exchange, and the cooled secondary air is supplied to a room to cool it. The primary air having absorbed heat from the secondary air in the heat exchanger is compressed to an atmospheric pressure in the compressor and then discharged from the circuit.
Further, in the air conditioning system described above, the expander is formed of a turbine and the compressor is formed of a turbo-compressor. Each of impellers of the expander and compressor is coupled to each other through a turbine shaft. The turbine shaft is coupled to a motor, whereby the motor drives the compressor and expander. Furthermore, expansion work of the air during its expansion in the expander is recovered as a driving force for the compressor via the turbine shaft.
Problems to be Solved
In the system described in the above publication, the intake air is expanded in the expander as it is. Therefore, while the air expands in the expander, moisture condenses in the air. In other words, part of expansion work of the air during expansion is taken by the moisture as its heat of condensation. Accordingly, the system has the problem in that expansion work of the air in the expander cannot sufficiently be recovered. Also, such insufficient recovery of expansion work presents another problem of increasing power for driving the compressor and thereby resulting in a reduction of COP (coefficient of performance).
The present invention has been made in view of these problems and therefore has its object of enhancing the COP by reducing required power for air compression in a refrigerating system using an air cycle.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
A first solution taken in the invention is directed to a refrigerating system for cooling a subject to be cooled. The system is provided with an air cycle part (
11
) for taking in a heat-absorbing air, reducing the pressure of the heat-absorbing air and compressing the heat-absorbing air having absorbed heat from the subject to be cooled after the pressure reduction thereof, and dehumidifying means (
60
) for dehumidifying the heat-absorbing air and then supplying the heat-absorbing air to the air cycle part (
11
).
A second solution taken in the invention is directed to a refrigerating system for cooling a subject to be cooled. The system is provided with: an air cycle part (
11
) including an expander (
22
) for taking in a heat-absorbing air and reducing the pressure of the heat-absorbing air, a heat absorbing section (
30
) in which the heat-absorbing air reduced in pressure in the expander (
22
) absorbs heat from the subject to be cooled, and a compressor (
21
) for compressing the heat-absorbing air having absorbed heat in the heat absorbing section (
30
); and dehumidifying means (
60
) for dehumidifying the heat-absorbing air and then supplying the heat-absorbing air to the expander (
22
) of the air cycle part (
11
).
A third solution taken in the invention is based on the first or second solution, and provided with an internal heat exchanger (
15
) for heat-exchanging the heat-absorbing air which has been dehumidified in the dehumidifying means (
60
) and is being supplied to the air cycle part (
11
) with the heat-absorbing air in reduced pressure condition having absorbed heat from the subject to be cooled.
A fourth solution taken in the invention is based on the third solution, wherein the internal heat exchanger (
15
) is arranged to supply moisture to the heat-absorbing air in reduced pressure condition having absorbed heat from the subject to be cooled and use latent heat of evaporation of the moisture to cool the heat-absorbing air being supplied to the air cycle part (
11
).
A fifth solution taken in the invention is based on any one of the first to fourth solutions and provided with humidifying/cooling means (
90
) for cooling by humidification the heat-absorbing air reduced in pressure in the air cycle part (
11
), wherein the air cycle part (
11
) is arranged so that the heat-absorbing air cooled in the humidifying/cooling means (
90
) absorbs heat from the subject to be cooled.
A sixth solution taken in the invention is based on any one of the first to fifth solutions, wherein the air cycle part (
11
) is arranged to supply moisture to the heat-absorbing air absorbing heat from the subject to be cooled and use latent heat of evaporation of the moisture for heat absorption from the subject to be cooled.
A seventh solution taken in the invention is based on any one of the first to sixth solutions, wherein the air cycle part (
11
) is arranged to provide heat absorption from an air to be cooled as the subject to be cooled, supply moisture having condensed in the air to be cooled to the heat-absorbing air absorbing heat from the air to be cooled and use latent heat of evaporation of the moisture for heat absorption from the air to be cooled.
An eighth solution taken in the invention is based on the second solution, wherein the air cycle part (
11
) is arranged to provide heat absorption from an air to be cooled as the subject to be cooled in the heat absorbing section (
30
), and the heat absorbing section (
30
) is arranged to separate the air to be cooled from the heat-absorbing air by a moisture-permeable partition, supply moisture having condensed in the air to be cooled to the heat-absorbing air based on a pressure difference developed across the partition and use latent heat of evaporation of the moisture for heat absorption from the air to be cooled.
A ninth solution taken in the invention is based on any one of the first to eighth solutions and provided with water supply means (
99
) for supplying moisture to the heat-absorbing air so that the moisture evaporates in the heat-absorbing air being compressed in the air cycle part (
11
).
A tenth solution taken in the invention is based on any one of the first to ninth solutions, wherein the air cycle part (
11
) is arranged to operate in a mode of effecting an air cycle operation so that the heat-absorbing air in reduced pressure condition absorbs heat from the subject to be cooled and another mode in which the air cycle operation is stopped and the taken heat-absorbing air in normal pressure condition absorbs heat from the subject to be cooled.
An eleventh solution taken in the invention is based on any one of the first to tenth solutions, wherein the dehumidifying means (
60
) is arranged to include a humidity medium for effecting moisture absorption and release, dehumidify the heat-absorbing air through moisture absorption of the humidity medium and regenerate through moisture release of the humidity medium.
A twelfth solution taken in the invention is based on the eleventh solution, wherein the dehumidifying means (
60
) is arranged to release moisture to the heat-absorbing air compressed in the air cycle part (
11
).
A thirteenth solution taken in the invention is based on

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