Refrigeration system and process

Claim 2

A heat extraction system comprising: a container, the interior of which is isolated from the surrounding atmosphere; a refrigerant in the container, some of the refrigerant in the container being in the liquid phase and some being in the vapor phase; rotating means disposed within the container and extended into the liquid therein for causing the temperature at the exterior surface of the rotating means to drop below the temperature of the bulk of the liquid refrigerant when rotated about a substantially upright axis, the configuration of the rotating means being such that when the rotating means is rotated at sufficient speed a reduction in pressure and temperature occurs in the refrigerant along the surface of the rotating means while the pressure of the great bulk of the liquid refrigerant remains unchanged; and means for revolving the rotating means at a speed great enough to cause said reduction in pressure and temperature along the surface thereof.

Claim 3

A system according to claim 1 wherein the member is substantially circular in cross-section taken perpendicular to its axis of rotation.

Claim 4

A system according to claim 2 wherein the axis of rotation is substantially at the center of the rotating means.

Claim 5

A system according to claim 3 wherein the rotating member is hollow and a fluid medium to be refrigerated is passed through the hollow interior of the member.

Claim 6

A heat extraction system for cooling a fluid medium, said system comprising: a container; a refrigerant in the container, at least some of the refrigerant being in the liquid phase; rotating means within the container and extended into the liquid refrigerant therein to cause a reduction in temperature along the exterior side surface of the rotating means when the rotating means revolves at sufficient speed, the rotating means being hollow so that the fluid medium to be refrigerated can be passed through the hollow interior of the rotating means, the rotating means further being substantially circular in cross-section taken perpendicular to its axis of rotation, the axis of rotation being substantially vertical; means for rotating the rotating means at sufficient speed to cause said reduction in temperature along the side surface of the rotating means; a compressor having a suction side connected to the container and a discharge side, whereby the compressor will draw vaporized refrigerant from the container; a condenser connected with the discharge side of the compressor for receiving compressed vapor therefrom and for condensing the vapor into a liquid; and an expansion valve connected with the condenser for receiving the liquid refrigerant therefrom and to enable the refrigerant to expand to a lower pressure, the expansion valve being connected with the container so that the expanded refrigerant enters the container.

Claim 7

A heat extraction system for cooling a fluid medium, said system comprising: a container; a refrigerant in the container, at least some of the refrigerant being in the liquid phase; rotating means within the container and extended into the liquid refrigerant therein to cause a reduction in temperature along the exterior side surface of the rotating means when the rotating means revolves at sufficient speed, the rotating means being hollow so that the fluid medium to be refrigerated can be passed through the hollow interior of the rotating means, the rotating means further being substantially circular in cross-section taken perpendicular to its axis of rotation, the axis of rotation being substantially vertical; means for rotating the rotating means at sufficient speed to cause said reduction in temperature along the side surface of the rotating means; a compressor having a suction side connected to the container and a discharge side, whereby the compressor will draw vaporized refrigerant from the container; a condenser connected with the discharge side of the compressor for receiving compressed vapor therefrom and for condensing the vapor into a liquid; and an expansion valve connected with the condenser for receiving the liquid refrigerant therefrom and to enable the refrigerant to expand to a lower pressure, the expansion valve being connected with the container so that the expanded refrigerant enters the container.

Claim 8

A heat extraction system comprising: a container, a refrigerant in the container, at least some of the refrigerant being in the liquid phase; a rotating member disposed within the container and extended into the liquid refrigerant therein, the rotating member revolving about a substantially upright axis and being configured such that when rotated at sufficient speed the refrigerant along the side surface of the member will boil and the temperature of the rotating member along the side surface thereof will drop below the temperature of the bulk of the liquid refrigerant; means for rotating the member at said sufficient speed; and a condenser connected with the container for condensing the vapor resulting from boiling of the refrigerant along the surface of the member.

Claim 9

A heat extraction system comprising: a container, a refrigerant in the container, at least some of the refrigerant being in the liquid phase; a rotating member disposed within the container and extended into the liquid refrigerant therein, the rotating member revolving about a substantially upright axis and being configured such that when rotated at sufficient speed the refrigerant along the side surface of the member will boil and the temperature of the rotating member along the side surface thereof will drop below the temperature of the bulk of the liquid refrigerant; means for rotating the member at said sufficient speed; and a condenser connected with the container for condensing the vapor resulting from boiling of the refrigerant along the surface of the member.

Claim 10

A heat extraction process comprising: rotating a member about a substantially upright axis in a liquid refrigerant bath to cause boiling of the refrigerant along the surface of the member, the configuration of the member and the speed of rotation being such that the temperature along the side surface of the member drops below the temperature of the bulk of the liquid refrigerant; transferring heat from a fluid medium to the refrigerant of the bath, said heat transfer occurring through the member; extracting heat from the refrigerant after it boils along the surface of the member to cause the refrigerant to condense back to a liquid; and returning the condensate to the liquid refrigerant bath.

Claim 11

A heat extraction process comprising: rotating a member about a substantially upright axis in a liquid refrigerant bath to cause boiling of the refrigerant along the surface of the member, the configuration of the member and the speed of rotation being such that the temperature along the side surface of the member drops below the temperature of the bulk of the liquid refrigerant; transferring heat from a fluid medium to the refrigerant of the bath, said heat transfer occurring through the member; extracting heat from the refrigerant after it boils along the surface of the member to cause the refrigerant to condense back to a liquid; and returning the condensate to the liquid refrigerant bath.

Claim 12

A process according to claim 7 and further comprising: compressing the refrigerant vapor derived from the boiling before it is condensed, and reducing the pressure of the refrigerant after it is condensed.

Claim 13

A process for extracting heat from a fluid medium, said process comprising: rotating a substantially rigid body about a substantially vertical axis in a liquid refrigerant bath to cause a reduction in pressure of the refrigerant along the surface of the body without altering the pressure of the great bulk of liquid refrigerant and to cause the temperature along the surface of the body to drop below the temperature of the bulk of the refrigerant so that heat will be extracted from the body and the refrigerant; and causing the fluid medium to flow through the liquid bath while keeping it isolated from the bath, whereby heat is extracted from the fluid medium.

Claim 14

A process for extracting heat from a fluid medium, said process comprising: rotating a substantially rigid body about a substantially vertical axis in a liquid refrigerant bath to cause a reduction in pressure of the refrigerant along the surface of the body without altering the pressure of the great bulk of liquid refrigerant and to cause the temperature along the surface of the body to drop below the temperature of the bulk of the refrigerant so that heat will be extracted from the body and the refrigerant; and causing the fluid medium to flow through the liquid bath while keeping it isolated from the bath, whereby heat is extracted from the fluid medium.

Claim 15

The process according to claim 9 wherein the substantially rigid body is hollow; and wherein the fluid medium flows through the refrigerant bath by passing it through the hollow interior of the rigid body.

Claim 16

The process according to claim 10 wherein the body is of substantially circular cross-section and the axis of rotation is at the center of the circular body.

Claim 17

A process according to claim 9 wherein the reduction in the pressure of the refrigerant along the side surface of the body causes the refrigerant to boil along the side surface of the body.

Claim 18

The process according to claim 12 and further characterized by collecting the refrigerant which boils, condensing the collected refrigerant, and returning the condensate to the liquid refrigerant bath.

Claim 19

A machine comprising: a container, a liquid refrigerant in the container, rotatable means rotatable about a substantially vertical axis and being located within the container and immersed in the liquid refrigerant therein for causing the temperature at the exterior of the rotatable means to drop below the temperature of the bulk of the liquid refrigerant when rotated, the rotatable means having a side surface which moves tangentially with respect to the refrigerant surrounding it when the roTatable means is rotated, the rotatable means further being configured such that when rotated it leaves the great bulk of the refrigerant remote from its side surface at substantially the same pressure, the rotatable means further being configured to cause a reduction in pressure of the refrigerant along its side surface when rotated at sufficient speed; and means for rotating the rotatable means at a speed great enough to cause said reduction in pressure of the refrigerant along the side surface of the rotatable means accompanied by a corresponding reduction in temperature along the side surface, whereby the reduction in temperature along the side surface of the rotatable means will effect a transfer of heat.

Claim 20

A machine comprising: a container, a liquid refrigerant in the container, rotatable means rotatable about a substantially vertical axis and being located within the container and immersed in the liquid refrigerant therein for causing the temperature at the exterior of the rotatable means to drop below the temperature of the bulk of the liquid refrigerant when rotated, the rotatable means having a side surface which moves tangentially with respect to the refrigerant surrounding it when the roTatable means is rotated, the rotatable means further being configured such that when rotated it leaves the great bulk of the refrigerant remote from its side surface at substantially the same pressure, the rotatable means further being configured to cause a reduction in pressure of the refrigerant along its side surface when rotated at sufficient speed; and means for rotating the rotatable means at a speed great enough to cause said reduction in pressure of the refrigerant along the side surface of the rotatable means accompanied by a corresponding reduction in temperature along the side surface, whereby the reduction in temperature along the side surface of the rotatable means will effect a transfer of heat.

Claim 21

A machine according to claim 14 wherein the body is of circular cross-section and the axis of rotation is coincident with the center of the circular cross-section.

Claim 22

A machine according to claim 14 wherein the means for rotating the rotatable means rotates the rotatable means at a speed great enough to cause nucleate boiling of the refrigerant along the side surface of the rotatable means.

Claim 23

A process for extracting heat from a substance, said process comprising rotating a body of generally circular cross-section about a substantially upright axis in a liquid refrigerant such that the circumferential side surface of the body moves tangentially with respect to the liquid refrigerant and such that the rotation leaves the great bulk of the liquid located remote from the side surface at substantially the same pressure, the speed of rotation being great enough to cause a reduction in the pressure in the refrigerant along the side surface of the body and to cause a reduction in temperature at the side surface of the body to a temperature below the temperature of the bulk of the refrigerant; and locating the substance from which heat is to be extracted such that heat is transferred from that substance to the refrigerant.

Claim 24

A process for extracting heat from a substance, said process comprising rotating a body of generally circular cross-section about a substantially upright axis in a liquid refrigerant such that the circumferential side surface of the body moves tangentially with respect to the liquid refrigerant and such that the rotation leaves the great bulk of the liquid located remote from the side surface at substantially the same pressure, the speed of rotation being great enough to cause a reduction in the pressure in the refrigerant along the side surface of the body and to cause a reduction in temperature at the side surface of the body to a temperature below the temperature of the bulk of the refrigerant; and locating the substance from which heat is to be extracted such that heat is transferred from that substance to the refrigerant.

Claim 25

A process according to claim 17 wherein the speed of rotation for the body is great enough to cause nucleate boiling of the refrigerant along the side surface of the body; and wherein the substance from which heat is to be extracted is located such that the energy required for the nucleate boiling is derived at least in part from the substance as an extraction of heat therefrom.