Refrigeration method and apparatus

Claim 1

REFRIGERATION METHOD, COMPRISING THE FOLLOWING STEPS: (A) DELIVERING HIGH-PRESSURE FLUID FROM A HIGH-PRESSURE FLUID SOURCE INTO COMMUNICATING FIRST AND SECOND SPACES AND COMPRESSING RESIDUAL LOW-PRESSURE FLUID IN SAID FIRST SPACE THEREBY TO HEAT SAID RESIDUAL FLUID, WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY DISCHARGING HIGH-PRESSURE FLUID FROM COMMUNICATING THIRD AND FOURTH ENCLOSED SPACES INTO A LOW-PRESSURE REGION, THEREBY COOLING SAID FLUID IN SAID FOURTH SPACE; (B) CONTINUING DELIVERY OF SAID HIGH-PRESSURE FLUID FROM SAID HIGH-PRESSURE FLUID SOURCE AND TRANSFERRING HEATED FLUID FROM SAID FIRST SPACE TO SAID SECOND SPACE, WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY CONTINUING DISCHARGING FLUID FROM SAID FOURTH SPACE THEREBY REDUCING ITS PRESSURE TO THAT OF SAID LOW-PRESSURE REGION AND SUPPLYING FLUID TO SAID THIRD SPACE WHERE IT BECOMES RESIDUAL FLUID; (C) THROUGHOUT DELIVERY AND DISCHARGE IN STEPS (A) AND (B) EXTRACTING HEAT FROM SAID HIGH-PRESSURE FLUID THEREBY TO COOL IT INITIALLY AND TRANSFERRING HEAT TO THE LOW-PRESSURE FLUID THEREBY TO HEAT IT INITIALLY; (D) EXPANDING SAID HIGH-PRESSURE FLUID IN SAID SECOND SPACE TO COOL IT FURTHER BY DISCHARGING IT INTO A LOWPRESSURE REGION, WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY SUPPLYING HIGHPRESSURE FLUID FROM A HIGH-PRESSURE FLUID SOURCE TO SAID THIRD AND FOURTH SPACES AND COMPRESSING SAID RESIDUAL LOW-PRESSURE FLUID IN SAID THIRD SPACE DELIVERED THERETO IN STEP (B) THEREBY TO HEAT SAID RESIDUAL FLUID; (E) CONTINUING TRANSFER OF FLUID FROM SAID SECOND SPACE THEREBY REDUCING ITS PRESSURE TO THAT OF SAID LOWPRESSURE REGION AND SUPPLYING FLUID TO SAID FIRST SPACE TO BECOME SAID LOW-PRESSURE RESIDUAL FLUID OF STEP (A) WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY CONTINUING DELIVERY OF SAID HIGH-PRESSURE FLUID FROM SAID HIGH-PRESSURE FLUID SOURCE AND TRANSFERRING HEATED FLUID FROM SAID THIRD SPACE TO SAID FOURTH SPACE; AND (F) THROUGHOUT DISCHARGE AND DELIVERY IN STEPS (D) AND (E) TRANSFERRING HEAT TO THE LOW-PRESSURE FLUID TO HEAT IT INITIALLY WHILE EXTRACTING HEAT FROM SAID HIGH-PRESSURE FLUID TO COOL IT INITIALLY, THEREBY ESTABLISHING THE CONDITIONS TO BEGIN STEP (A); SAID FIRST AND THIRD SPACES FORMING A SINGLE WARM ZONE, THE TOTAL VOLUME OF WHICH REMAINS CONSTANT, THE VOLUME OF EACH OF SAID FIRST AND THIRD SPACES VARYING DURING THE CYCLE; AND SAID SECOND AND FOURTH SPACES FORMING A SINGLE COLD ZONE, THE TOTAL VOLUME OF WHICH REMAINS CONSTANT, THE VOLUME OF EACH OF SAID SECOND AND FOURTH SPACES VARYING DURING THE CYCLE FROM ESSENTIALLY ZERO TO THE TOTAL VOLUME OF SAID COLD ZONE.