Thermally-integrated heat exchanger and refrigerator

Claim 1

A thermally-integrated system to produce a supply of hot water comprising: A a heat exchange unit including a water tank filled with unpressurized cold water and means to maintain said unpressurized water in the tank at a predetermined level; B a compressor-type refrigerator including an internal line conducting a refrigerant in hot vapor form from a compressor to a normally-inactive main condenser, the refrigerant from the main condenser going through an expansion valve into an evaporator which returns the refrigerant to the compressor; C an external line functioning as an auxiliary condenser for the refrigerator, said external line running from the compressor to the main condenser through the water tank, the incoming section of the external line conveying the hot refrigerant vapor being disposed in the upper region of the tank and the outgoing section in which the vapor is condensed being disposed in the lower region of the tank; and D a pressurized cold water line runing through said tank, said water line having an incoming section in the lower region in heat exchange relationship with the outgoing section of the internal line whereby the unpressurized water in the lower region of the tank is heated and transfers heat to the pressurized cold water running through the incoming section of the cold water line, the heated tank water in the lower region rising by convection to the upper region of the tank, and having an outgoing section in the upper region in heat exchange relationship with the incoming section of the external line whereby the pressurized cold water is heated in the lower region and its heat is boosted in the upper region.