Sorption Heat Pump Jet Pump Circulation

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing sorption heat pumps and cycles require high energy for circulation, which is inefficient and costly.

Innovation Solution

A sorption heat pump design that uses a circulation pump to return the rich solution, incorporating a throttle element for flow regulation, and employs water as the solvent and ammonia as the refrigerant, or lithium bromide and water, to achieve efficient heat transfer and circulation, with options for mechanical or thermal compressors and a jet pump for energy optimization.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If a circulation pump is used to recirculate the rich solution, then circulation is achieved, but energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecirculation efficiencyVSAvoidenergy consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses the pressure difference between the absorber and expeller to drive the rich solution circulation automatically, without requiring an external circulation pump. The rich solution flows from the high-pressure absorber to the low-pressure expeller through pressure-driven flow, making the circulation system self-service and eliminating pump energy consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The invention extracts and eliminates the circulation pump component from the system by using pressure difference-driven flow instead. This removes the energy-consuming moving part while maintaining the necessary circulation function through thermodynamic pressure gradients.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Ease of operation

If a throttle element is added for partial flow regulation, then flow control is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveflow control capabilityVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The throttle element is placed locally at the bypass connection to provide flow control only where needed for the partial flow return to the absorber. This localized control approach achieves the required flow regulation without requiring complex system-wide control mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses a simple throttle element to control only the partial bypass flow rather than controlling the entire circulation. This partial control approach is sufficient for the application and avoids the complexity of controlling the complete flow system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

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

Reduces energy requirements for circulation, enabling efficient heat transfer from low to high temperature levels and achieving usable temperature ranges down to -60 °C, while maintaining high energetic efficiency through optimized flow control and refrigerant separation.

Implementation Method 1

an expeller in which the rich solution absorbs heat supplied from the outside and thereby expels the refrigerant

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPhase change: Phase Change

Implementation Method 2

an absorber in which the lean solution absorbs the gaseous refrigerant and thereby releases heat

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAbsorption: Absorption (physical)

Implementation Method 3

a circulation pump which recirculates the rich solution

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPressure-driven flow: Pump

Implementation Method 4

a bypass with a circulating pump which, after leaving the absorber, returns a partial flow to the absorber

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPressure reduction: Pressure Drop

Data Source

PatentEP4092357B1Sorption heat pump and sorption circuit process
Publication Date: 2024.05.08 AGO TECH GMBH
  • EP4092357B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4092357B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4092357B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A sorption heat pump (1) is disclosed, comprising a refrigerant and a liquid solvent, a poor and a rich solution, wherein the poor and the rich solution are single-phase solutions of the solvent and the refrigerant, as well as a desorber (5) in which the rich solution absorbs heat supplied from the outside and thereby drives out the refrigerant, an absorber (3) in which the poor solution absorbs the gaseous refrigerant and thereby releases heat, and a bypass (11) with a circulation pump (10) which, after exiting the absorber (3), returns a partial flow to the absorber (3).A sorption cycle process is further disclosed, involving a refrigerant and a liquid solvent, a poor and a rich solution, wherein the poor and the rich solutions are single-phase mixtures of the solvent and the refrigerant, and wherein the rich solution absorbs externally supplied heat and thereby drives out the refrigerant, and the poor solution absorbs the refrigerant in an absorber (3) and thereby releases heat, and wherein, after exiting the absorber (3), a partial flow is pumped back into the absorber (3). To reduce the energy requirement of the circulation, it is proposed that the circulation pump (10) be a jet pump with the poor solution flowing into the absorber (3) as the motive medium.