Sorption heat pump and loop process
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sorption heat pumps require high energy to reach high pressure levels, which is inefficient and costly.
Innovation Solution
The sorption heat pump design reduces energy requirements by using a two-stage refrigerant compression process with intercooling and additional absorbers, allowing the enriched solution to absorb heat at various pressure levels, thereby reducing the amount of refrigerant compressed to high pressure and optimizing heat transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If the refrigerant is compressed to high pressure level in a single stage, then the high pressure level is reached, but the energy consumption is excessive
Solution Approach 1:
The compression process is divided into two stages: a first compression stage from low pressure to medium pressure, and a second compression stage from medium pressure to high pressure. This segmentation reduces the energy consumption by avoiding single-stage high-pressure compression, as each stage operates at a more efficient pressure ratio.
Solution Approach 2:
The refrigerant is pre-compressed to medium pressure in the first compression stage before entering the second compression stage. This preliminary action reduces the work required in the final high-pressure stage, as compressing from medium pressure requires less energy than compressing directly from low pressure to high pressure in a single stage.
2Use of energy by moving object
If a two-stage compression process with intermediate cooling is used, then the energy consumption is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The two compression stages and the intermediate cooling process are merged into a single integrated compression system. The refrigerant circulates through the first compressor, intermediate cooler, and second compressor in a continuous loop, combining multiple functions into one cohesive device that reduces overall system complexity despite the multi-stage process.
Solution Approach 2:
The intermediate cooler acts as a mediator between the two compression stages, providing necessary cooling without requiring a completely separate system. This intermediary component enables the two-stage compression to function efficiently while maintaining manageable device complexity through a straightforward sequential arrangement.
3Productivity
If the enriched solution absorbs heat at high pressure level, then the heat transfer efficiency is improved, but the pump energy requirement increases
Solution Approach 1:
The enriched solution is directed to absorb heat at specific locations in the absorption unit where high-pressure refrigerant is available. This local quality approach allows heat transfer to occur at high pressure levels where it is most efficient, while the solution is pumped only to the necessary pressure levels, optimizing both heat transfer efficiency and pump energy consumption.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design saves energy by reducing the refrigerant compression load while efficiently transferring heat across different pressure levels, making the process more efficient and cost-effective.
Implementation Method 1
the rich solution from the absorption unit at a low-pressure level absorbs heat from a heat source outside the sorption heat pump and thereby expels the refrigerant
Implementation Method 2
a first partial flow of the solvent in a medium-pressure absorber at a medium-pressure level absorbs a medium-pressure partial flow and a second partial flow in a high-pressure absorber at a high-pressure level absorbs a high-pressure partial flow of the refrigerant and thereby releases the heat generated
Implementation Method 3
a throttle valve, which expands the rich solution from high pressure to low pressure after exiting the absorption unit and entering the expeller
Implementation Method 4
a pump and a compressor that pump the solvent and refrigerant from low pressure to medium pressure after exiting the expeller
Implementation Method 5
a first partial flow of the solvent in a medium-pressure absorber at a medium-pressure level absorbs a medium-pressure partial flow
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
A sorption heat pump (1) is disclosed, comprising a gaseous refrigerant (11) and a liquid solvent (12), an enriched solution (24) and a rich solution (14), which are single-phase mixtures of the solvent (12) and the refrigerant (11), an absorption unit (2) in which a first partial stream (50) of the solvent (12) absorbs a medium-pressure partial stream (18) in a medium-pressure absorber (16) at a medium-pressure level, and a second partial stream (51) absorbs a high-pressure partial stream (19) of the refrigerant (11) in a high-pressure absorber (17) at a high-pressure level, thereby releasing the heat generated to a heat sink outside the sorption heat pump (1), and a desorber (4) in which the rich solution (14) from the absorption unit (2) absorbs heat from a heat source outside the sorption heat pump (1) at a low-pressure level, thereby discharging the refrigerant (11) expels.A sorption cycle process is further revealed in such a sorption heat pump (1). In order to reduce the energy required to reach the high-pressure level, it is proposed that only the high-pressure partial flow (19) of the refrigerant (11) is compressed from the medium-pressure level to the high-pressure level.