Claims
- 1. In a method for achieving heating or refrigeration including the steps of compressing a refrigerant vapor stream, condensing said vapor, expanding said resulting fluid stream to reduce its saturation temperature and pressure, and passing said expanded fluid stream in heat exchange relationship with a source of thermal energy to re-vaporize at least a portion thereof, the improvement comprising:
- expanding said fluid stream by passing it through at least one area of constricted flow while maintaining said flow in a substantially non-throttling condition to increase the kinetic energy thereof, and converting the kinetic energy of said resulting fluid stream to shaft work.
- 2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said fluid stream prior to expansion is in a substantially saturated liquid state.
- 3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said kinetic energy is converted to shaft work by passing said resulting fluid stream through an expansion engine.
- 4. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flow through said area is disrupted to prevent metastable flow conditions therein.
- 5. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein mechanical means are interposed in said fluid stream to disrupt said flow.
- 6. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein wave energy is applied to said fluid stream to disrupt said flow.
- 7. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein a secondary stream is added to said fluid stream to disrupt said flow.
- 8. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said fluid stream is passed through a plurality of areas of constricted flow, the static pressure of said fluid stream in each said area being lower than the static pressure of said stream in the areas upstream thereof.
- 9. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said areas are spaced apart in the flow direction.
- 10. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said fluid is passed through a plurality of flow converging areas alternating with a plurality of flow diverging areas, the static pressure of said fluid in each said converging and diverging area being lower than the static pressure of said fluid in the respective counterpart converging and diverging areas upstream thereof.
- 11. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein said flow through said area is disrupted to prevent metastable flow conditions therein.
- 12. A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein mechanical means are interposed in said fluid stream to disrupt said flow.
- 13. A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein wave energy is applied to said fluid stream to disrupt said flow.
- 14. A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein a secondary stream is added to said fluid stream to disrupt said flow.
- 15. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said fluid stream is expanded by passing it through a plurality of areas of constricted flow, said areas being spaced apart in the flow direction; disrupting flow through said areas to prevent metastable flow conditions therein; and converting said kinetic energy to shaft work by passing said resulting fluid stream through an expansion engine.
- 16. In a closed cycle mechanical vapor heating or refrigeration system including compressor means for raising the temperature and pressure of a refrigerant vapor stream, condenser means for cooling said vapor stream to at least a substantially saturated liquid condition, means for expanding said liquid stream for reducing its saturation temperature and pressure, and evaporator means for passing said expanded stream in heat exchange relationship with a source of thermal energy to re-vaporize at least a portion thereof, the improvement comprising:
- said means for expanding said liquid stream comprising energy conversion means including at least one substantially non-throttling nozzle section to increase the kinetic energy of said stream, and expansion engine means for converting said stream kinetic energy to shaft work.
- 17. A system as claimed in claim 16 wherein said nozzle section comprises an area of constricted flow.
- 18. A system as claimed in claim 16 including disrupting means for preventing metastable flow conditions in said energy conversion means.
- 19. A system as claimed in claim 18, including mechanical flow disruptors interposed in said fluid stream.
- 20. A system as claimed in claim 18, including means for applying wave energy to said fluid stream.
- 21. A system as claimed in claim 18, including means for adding a secondary flow stream to said fluid stream.
- 22. A system as claimed in claim 16, wherein said energy conversion means includes a plurality of spaced apart nozzle sections.
- 23. A system as claimed in claim 22 wherein said plurality of nozzle sections includes a plurality of areas of constricted flow spaced apart in the flow direction, each said area having a greater flow restriction than the areas upstream thereof.
- 24. A system as claimed in claim 22 wherein said plurality of nozzle sections includes a plurality of areas of constricted flow spaced apart in the flow direction, each said area having a lesser flow restriction than the areas upstream thereof.
- 25. A system as claimed in claim 16, wherein said energy conversion means includes a plurality of flow converging areas alternating with a plurality of flow diverging areas.
- 26. A system as claimed in claim 25, wherein said flow converging areas are nozzle sections, said flow diverging areas are difuser sections, and the first section of said energy conversion means is a nozzle section.
- 27. A system as claimed in claim 25, wherein said flow converging areas are diffuser sections, said flow diverging areas are nozzle sections, and the first section of said energy conversion means is a nozzle section.
- 28. A system as claimed in claim 22, including disrupting means for preventing metastable flow conditions in said energy conversion means.
- 29. A system as claimed in claim 28, including mechanical flow disruptors interposed in said fluid means.
- 30. A system as claimed in claim 28, including means for applying wave energy to said fluid stream.
- 31. A system as claimed in claim 28, including means for adding a secondary flow stream to said fluid stream.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Application Ser. No. 684,074, filed May 7, 1976, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,086,772, which application was a continuation-in-part of U.S. Application Ser. No. 618,936, filed Oct. 2, 1975, now abandoned, which application was in turn, a continuation-in-part of U.S. Application Ser. No. 753,921, filed May 2, 1975, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Name |
Date |
Kind |
3934424 |
Goldsberry |
Jan 1976 |
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Continuation in Parts (3)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
684074 |
May 1976 |
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Parent |
618936 |
Oct 1975 |
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Parent |
753921 |
May 1975 |
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