Absorption heat pump and desiccant assisted air conditioner

Claim 2

An absorption heat pump comprising: a first circulation unit having a first evaporator, a first absorber, a first generator and a first condenser for providing a first absorption refrigeration cycle operated at a first operating temperature; a second circulation unit having a second evaporator, a second absorber, a second generator and a second condenser for providing a second absorption refrigerating cycle operated at a second operating temperature lower than said first operating temperature; a first heat exchanger for performing a heat exchange between said first evaporator and said first absorber; a second heat exchanger for performing a heat exchange between said first condenser and said second generator; and a thermal medium transporting means for extracting heat of absorption in said first absorber and heat of condensation in said second condenser for external use in a manner that an absorption temperature in said first absorber is higher than condensation temperature in said second condenser; and, wherein a third heat exchanger for performing heat exchange between a heating medium after heating the generator in the first circulation unit and said solution staying between an outlet of said absorber and an outlet of said generator in said second circulation unit.

Claim 3

An absorption heat pump as claimed in claim 1, wherein said thermal medium transport means comprises a fluid passage means for performing heat exchange therethrough, said fluid passage means communicating with a condenser heat transfer pipe provided within said second condenser and an absorber heat transfer pipe provided within said first absorber.

Claim 4

An absorption heat pump as claimed in claim 1, wherein a combination of working fluids used in said absorption heat pump comprises a first working fluid in said first circulation unit and a second working fluid used in said second circulation unit constitutionally different from each other.

Claim 5

An absorption heat pump as claimed in claim 3, wherein said combination of working fluids includes a working fluid used in the first circulation unit which is more difficult to crystallize than the working fluid used in the second circulation unit.

Claim 6

An absorption heat pump as claimed in claim 3, wherein said first working fluid comprises a mixture of lithium bromide and zinc chloride as absorbent and water as refrigerant, while said second working fluid comprise lithium bromide as absorbent and water as refrigerant.

Claim 7

An absorption heat pump as claimed in claim 1, wherein said absorption heat pump includes: a first direct passage for directly flowing said first refrigerant condensed in said first condenser into at least one of said first absorber and said first generator of said first circulation unit; and a second direct passage for directly flowing said second refrigerant condensed in said second condenser into at least one of said second absorber and said second generator of said second circulation unit.

Claim 8

An absorption heat pump as claimed in claim 1 wherein said medium transport means includes first and second direct passages provided with valves, said valves being operated to open when a refrigeration effect provided by said heat pump is stopped.

Claim 9

An absorption heat pump comprising: a first circulation unit having a first evaporator, a first absorber, a first generator and a first condenser for providing a first absorption refrigeration cycle operating at a first operating temperature; a second circulation unit having a second evaporator, a second absorber, a second generator and a second condenser for providing a second absorption refrigeration cycle operating at a second operating temperature lower than said first operating temperature; a first heat exchanger for performing a heat exchange between said first evaporator and said second absorber; a second heat exchanger for performing a heat exchange between said first condenser and said second generator; and a thermal medium transport means for extracting heat of absorption in said first absorber and heat of condensation in said second condenser for external use, wherein a combination of working fluids used in said absorption heat pump comprises a first working fluid in said first circulation unit and a second working fluid used in said second circulation unit constitutionally different from each other.

Claim 10

An absorption heat pump comprising: a first circulation unit having a first evaporator, a first absorber, a first generator and a first condenser for providing a first absorption refrigeration cycle operating at a first operating temperature; a second circulation unit having a second evaporator, a second absorber, a second generator and a second condenser for providing a second absorption refrigeration cycle operating at a second operating temperature lower than said first operating temperature; a first heat exchanger for performing a heat exchange between said first evaporator and said second absorber; a second heat exchanger for performing a heat exchange between said first condenser and said second generator; and a thermal medium transport means for extracting heat of absorption in said first absorber and heat of condensation in said second condenser for external use, wherein a combination of working fluids used in said absorption heat pump comprises a first working fluid in said first circulation unit and a second working fluid used in said second circulation unit constitutionally different from each other.

Claim 11

An absorption heat pump as claimed in claim 8, wherein said combination of working fluids includes a working fluid in the first circulation unit which would not induce crystallization at temperature and vapor pressure conditions which would induce crystallization in the working fluid used in the second circulation unit.

Claim 12

An absorption heat pump comprising: a first circulation unit having a first evaporator, a first absorber, a first generator and a first condenser for providing a first absorption refrigeration cycle operated at a first operating temperature; a second circulation unit having a second evaporator, a second absorber, a second generator and a second condenser for providing a second absorption refrigerating cycle operated at a second operating temperature lower than said first operating temperature; a first heat exchanger for performing a heat exchange between said first evaporator and said first absorber; a second heat exchanger for performing a heat exchange between said first condenser and said second generator; and a thermal medium transporting means for extracting heat of absorption in said first absorber and heat of condensation in said second condenser for external use in a manner that an absorption temperature in said first absorber is higher than condensation temperature in said second condenser, by flowing thermal medium in the order from said second condenser to said first condenser.

Claim 13

An absorption heat pump comprising: a first circulation unit having a first evaporator, a first absorber, a first generator and a first condenser for providing a first absorption refrigeration cycle operated at a first operating temperature; a second circulation unit having a second evaporator, a second absorber, a second generator and a second condenser for providing a second absorption refrigerating cycle operated at a second operating temperature lower than said first operating temperature; a first heat exchanger for performing a heat exchange between said first evaporator and said first absorber; a second heat exchanger for performing a heat exchange between said first condenser and said second generator; and a thermal medium transporting means for extracting heat of absorption in said first absorber and heat of condensation in said second condenser for external use in a manner that an absorption temperature in said first absorber is higher than condensation temperature in said second condenser, by flowing thermal medium in the order from said second condenser to said first condenser.

Claim 14

An absorption heat pump comprising: a first circulation unit having a first evaporator, a first absorber, a first generator and a first condenser for providing a first absorption refrigeration cycle operating at a first operating temperature; a second circulation unit having a second evaporator, a absorber, a second generator and a second condenser for providing a second absorption refrigeration cycle operating at a second operating temperature lower than said first operating temperature; a first heat exchanger for performing a heat exchange between said first evaporator and said second absorber; a second heat exchanger for performing heat exchange between said first condenser and said second generator; and a thermal medium transport means for extracting heat of absorption in said first absorber and heat of condensation in said second condenser by flowing thermal medium in the order from said second condenser to said first absorber; wherein a combination of working fluids used in said absorption heat pump comprises a first working fluid in said first circulation unit and a second working fluid used in said second circulation unit constitutionally different from each other.

Claim 15

An absorption heat pump comprising: a first circulation unit having a first evaporator, a first absorber, a first generator and a first condenser for providing a first absorption refrigeration cycle operating at a first operating temperature; a second circulation unit having a second evaporator, a absorber, a second generator and a second condenser for providing a second absorption refrigeration cycle operating at a second operating temperature lower than said first operating temperature; a first heat exchanger for performing a heat exchange between said first evaporator and said second absorber; a second heat exchanger for performing heat exchange between said first condenser and said second generator; and a thermal medium transport means for extracting heat of absorption in said first absorber and heat of condensation in said second condenser by flowing thermal medium in the order from said second condenser to said first absorber; wherein a combination of working fluids used in said absorption heat pump comprises a first working fluid in said first circulation unit and a second working fluid used in said second circulation unit constitutionally different from each other.

Claim 16

An absorption heat pump comprising: a first circulation unit having a first evaporator, a first absorber, a first generator and a first condenser for providing a first absorption refrigeration cycle operated at a first operating temperature; a second circulation unit having a second evaporator, a second absorber, a second generator and a second condenser for providing a second absorption refrigerating cycle operated at a second operating temperature lower than said first operating temperature; a first heat exchanger for performing a heat exchange between said first evaporator and said first absorber; a second heat exchanger for performing a heat exchange between said first condenser and said second generator; and a thermal medium transporting means for extracting heat of absorption in said first absorber and heat of condensation in said second condenser for external use in a manner that an absorption temperature in said first absorber is higher than condensation temperature in said second condenser, wherein said absorption heat pump is operable, without using an evaporative cooling device, to discard heat to ambient air.

Claim 17

An absorption heat pump comprising: a first circulation unit having a first evaporator, a first absorber, a first generator and a first condenser for providing a first absorption refrigeration cycle operated at a first operating temperature; a second circulation unit having a second evaporator, a second absorber, a second generator and a second condenser for providing a second absorption refrigerating cycle operated at a second operating temperature lower than said first operating temperature; a first heat exchanger for performing a heat exchange between said first evaporator and said first absorber; a second heat exchanger for performing a heat exchange between said first condenser and said second generator; and a thermal medium transporting means for extracting heat of absorption in said first absorber and heat of condensation in said second condenser for external use in a manner that an absorption temperature in said first absorber is higher than condensation temperature in said second condenser, wherein said absorption heat pump is operable, without using an evaporative cooling device, to discard heat to ambient air.

Claim 18

An absorption heat pump comprising: a first circulation unit having a first evaporator, a first absorber, a first generator and a first condenser for providing a first absorption refrigeration cycle operating at a first operating temperature; a second circulation unit having a second evaporator, a second absorber, a second generator and a second condenser for providing a second absorption refrigeration cycle operating at a second operating temperature lower than said first operating temperature; a first heat exchanger for performing a heat exchange between said first evaporator and said second absorber; a second heat exchanger for performing heat exchange between said first condenser and said second generator; and a thermal medium transport means for extracting heat of absorption in said first absorber and heat of condensation in said second condenser; wherein said absorption heat pump is operable, without using an evaporative cooling device, to discard heat to ambient air, and, wherein a combination of working fluids used in said absorption heat pump comprises a first working fluid in said first circulation unit and a second working fluid used in said second circulation unit constitutionally different from each other.

Claim 19

An absorption heat pump comprising: a first circulation unit having a first evaporator, a first absorber, a first generator and a first condenser for providing a first absorption refrigeration cycle operating at a first operating temperature; a second circulation unit having a second evaporator, a second absorber, a second generator and a second condenser for providing a second absorption refrigeration cycle operating at a second operating temperature lower than said first operating temperature; a first heat exchanger for performing a heat exchange between said first evaporator and said second absorber; a second heat exchanger for performing heat exchange between said first condenser and said second generator; and a thermal medium transport means for extracting heat of absorption in said first absorber and heat of condensation in said second condenser; wherein said absorption heat pump is operable, without using an evaporative cooling device, to discard heat to ambient air, and, wherein a combination of working fluids used in said absorption heat pump comprises a first working fluid in said first circulation unit and a second working fluid used in said second circulation unit constitutionally different from each other.

Claim 20

An absorption heat pump comprising: a first circulation unit having a first evaporator, a first absorber, a first generator and a first condenser for providing a first absorption refrigeration cycle operated at a first operating temperature; a second circulation unit having a second evaporator, a second absorber, a second generator and a second condenser for providing a second absorption refrigerating cycle operated at a second operating temperature lower than said first operating temperature; a first heat exchanger for performing a heat exchange between said first evaporator and said first absorber; a second heat exchanger for performing a heat exchange between said first condenser and said second generator; and a thermal medium transporting means for extracting heat of absorption in said first absorber and heat of condensation in said second condenser for external use in a manner that an absorption temperature in said first absorber is higher than condensation temperature in said second condenser, wherein said absorption heat pump is operable with a temperature difference of more that 7° C. between condensation temperature at said condenser in said second circulation unit and absorption temperature at said absorber in said first circulation unit.

Claim 21

An absorption heat pump comprising: a first circulation unit having a first evaporator, a first absorber, a first generator and a first condenser for providing a first absorption refrigeration cycle operated at a first operating temperature; a second circulation unit having a second evaporator, a second absorber, a second generator and a second condenser for providing a second absorption refrigerating cycle operated at a second operating temperature lower than said first operating temperature; a first heat exchanger for performing a heat exchange between said first evaporator and said first absorber; a second heat exchanger for performing a heat exchange between said first condenser and said second generator; and a thermal medium transporting means for extracting heat of absorption in said first absorber and heat of condensation in said second condenser for external use in a manner that an absorption temperature in said first absorber is higher than condensation temperature in said second condenser, wherein said absorption heat pump is operable with a temperature difference of more that 7° C. between condensation temperature at said condenser in said second circulation unit and absorption temperature at said absorber in said first circulation unit.

Claim 22

An absorption heat pump comprising: a first circulation unit having a first evaporator, a first absorber, a first generator and a first condenser for providing a first absorption refrigeration cycle operating at a first operating temperature; a second circulation unit having a second evaporator, a second absorber, a second generator and a second condenser for providing a second absorption refrigeration cycle operating at a second operating temperature lower than said first operating temperature; a first heat exchanger for performing a heat exchange between said first evaporator and said second absorber; a second heat exchanger for performing heat exchange between said first condenser and said second generator; and a thermal medium transport means for extracting heat of absorption in said first absorber and heat of condensation in said second condenser; wherein said absorption heat pump is operable with a temperature difference of more that 7° C. between condensation temperature at said condenser in said second circulation unit and absorption temperature at said absorber in said first circulation unit; and wherein a combination of working fluids used in said absorption heat pump comprises a first working fluid in said first circulation unit and a second working fluid used in said second circulation unit constitutionally different from each other.

Claim 23

An absorption heat pump comprising: a first circulation unit having a first evaporator, a first absorber, a first generator and a first condenser for providing a first absorption refrigeration cycle operating at a first operating temperature; a second circulation unit having a second evaporator, a second absorber, a second generator and a second condenser for providing a second absorption refrigeration cycle operating at a second operating temperature lower than said first operating temperature; a first heat exchanger for performing a heat exchange between said first evaporator and said second absorber; a second heat exchanger for performing heat exchange between said first condenser and said second generator; and a thermal medium transport means for extracting heat of absorption in said first absorber and heat of condensation in said second condenser; wherein said absorption heat pump is operable with a temperature difference of more that 7° C. between condensation temperature at said condenser in said second circulation unit and absorption temperature at said absorber in said first circulation unit; and wherein a combination of working fluids used in said absorption heat pump comprises a first working fluid in said first circulation unit and a second working fluid used in said second circulation unit constitutionally different from each other.