Patent · US Expired

Hydraulic refrigeration system and method

US4424681A · kind A · utility

7Cited by
2References
22Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 14, 1982
Grant dateJan 10, 1984
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 14, 2002

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
  • CPC primaryF25B1/06
  • WIPO fieldThermal processes and apparatus
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A gaseous refrigerant fluid is entrained within a down pipe of a closed loop liquid carrier flow circuit to compress isothermally the refrigerant fluid in a gaseous state to a near liquid state. A separation chamber at the lower extremity of the down pipe separates the refrigerant from the carrier and the carrier is drawn off. The carrier is conveyed upwardly through a return pipe and by a pump to a further pipe for reintroduction to the down pipe at the upper end thereof. The separated refrigerant fluid is further compressed but without changing its state by a mechanical compresser of small compression ratio and is cooled in a heat exchanger within the carrier return pipe, which cooling converts it to a liquid state. Thereafter, the refrigerant fluid is pumped by a liquid refrigerant pump upwardly through a return pipe and through an expansion valve. The refrigerant fluid, converted to a quality mixture of vapor and liquid by the expansion valve, flows through an evaporator to cool a medium, such as air, passing therethrough. The refrigerant fluid, flowing from the evaporator and in a gaseous state, is introduced to the upper end of the down pipe for re-entrainment in the carrier.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.