Heat exchange – Intermediate fluent heat exchange material receiving and... – Solid fluent heat exchange material
Patent
1989-09-26
1990-05-29
Davis, Jr., Albert W.
Heat exchange
Intermediate fluent heat exchange material receiving and...
Solid fluent heat exchange material
62 96, 62 99, 62118, 62114, 622386, 62434, 62435, 237 2B, F25D 1702
Patent
active
049287524
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention relates to a method for recovering latent heat from a heat transfer medium which is circulated through a closed system through a heat collector and a heat exchanger for heat exchange with the evaporator in a refrigerating circuit.
More particularly, the invention relates to a method for supplying a larger amount of heat energy via the flow of heat transfer medium than that corresponding to the temperature rise only, i.e. delta T, or the sensible heat. This means that the latent heat under some operational conditions is so large that the heat energy will be recovered from the heat transfer medium without delta T, i.e. substantially at constant temperature of the circulating heat transfer medium.
The efficiency of a heat pump has been completely independent of the temperature level of the heat source, e.g. the temperature of the outdoor air. Therefore, it has been considered for a long time that deep-drilled wells have been suitable heat sources although great pump power has to be supplied. However, for heat pumps having the outdoor air as the heat source, the efficiency so far has decreased drastically with decreasing temperature of the outdoor air. Then, other heat sources have been utilized for supplying peak energy, which means increasing heating costs.
The present invention relates to a method for increasing the efficiency of a heat pump or a refrigerating machine, particularly at low temperatures, although the method of the invention is operative as soon as the evaporation temperature is about 0.degree. C., depending on such factors as flow rate and pressure.
According to the invention, the method of the kind referred to above is characterized in that the heat transfer medium, comprising a mixture of water and alcohol, is sucked from the heat exchanger to provide an underpressure for atomization of the heat transfer medium with following generation of bubbles in the heat transfer medium, ice crystals then being precipitated and the ratio of water and alcohol thus being changed, the heat transfer medium with ice crystals entrained therein then being supplied to the heat collector under overpressure.
In the heat transfer medium, commonly called brine, comprising a mixture of water and alcohol, the alcohol preferably consists of methanol.
In the process following the generation of the bubbles, water and alcohol are separated and the water in the form of vapour bubbles or water droplets will be condensed and can form ice crystals. When water and alcohol are separated, heat energy will be consumed which will be taken from the heat transfer medium. However, this heat energy will be replaced by ice formation energy and will be recovered when alcohol and water are mixed again.
The heat transfer media (brines) used today commonly include an antifreezer such as glycol or a salt solution and are circulated in the reversed direction, i.e. the medium is supplied under overpressure to the heat exchanger and is sucked from the heat collector.
The invention can be applied in different fields of the refrigeration technique, e.g. in refrigerating plants, artificial ice tracks, where it is possible by applying the invention to transfer at a specific flow and delta T a greater amount of heat through the system.
Since ice crystals are generated when applying the method of the invention, a given tube dimension can be used for a far greater refrigeration capacity, but due to the generation of ice crystals it is of course also possible to store cold. This can be of interest when the price of electric power is lower in the night-time than in the daytime. Differentiated tariffs for electric power can make it advantageous to generate the cold for air conditioning already the preceding night and then store ice crystals in a tank.
In order to explain the invention in more detail this will be described with reference to the accompanying drawing showing a plant including a heat pump system for working the method of the invention.
The plant shown in the drawing is of the type air-water-water, which means that the outsid
REFERENCES:
patent: 3670522 (1972-06-01), Bresin
patent: 4509344 (1985-04-01), Ludwigsen et al.
patent: 4584843 (1986-04-01), Pronger, Jr.
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