Patent Application
20140026606
The present invention relates generally to air conditioning systems and particularly to a solar air conditioning system.
High electricity bills from air conditioning and/or heating use for a dwelling are common and reoccurring. Additionally, the manufacture of energy at a power plant causes pollution to be released in the air. Furthermore, electricity availability in undeveloped countries, as well as remote locations in developed countries, may be scarce, on limited basis or often non-existent. As a result, these locations are unable to store foods and liquids requiring refrigeration due to the lack of electricity. For undeveloped countries the lack of electricity is a factor in the poverty, hunger and lack of nourishment for its citizens. It is to these problems that the present invention is directed.
The present invention generally provide a solar air-conditioning system that is preferably designed to operate with concentrated solar heat supplemented with solar electric cells/battery and if necessary, power from an electric utility grid. The unit of heat added or subtracted is a British Thermal Unit (“BTU”), which is defined as the amount of heat to raise one pound of water one (1°) degree Fahrenheit. With excess capacity preferably designed in, unused BTUs can go into reserve for night and cloudy days. The present invention system can use a circulating refrigerant such as, but not limited to, Freon or ammonia in a cycle of compression and expansion. Solar concentrators can raise temperature and pressure of the refrigerant. The raised temperature can be dissipated to the atmosphere and the refrigerant proceeds to the evaporator coil. The evaporator can be located within a water tank containing an anti-freeze water solution. Preferably, the water tank contains at least approximately 1000 gallons of the anti-freeze water solution. The water is preferably the storage medium. Heat can be added to or extracted from the storage medium by the evaporator coil.
Preferably, also within the water tank can be a radiator type pickup coil. The pickup coil can be part of a separate chilled water system which can circulate its own water supply through radiators located throughout a building, dwelling, house, etc. (all collectively referred to as “dwelling”). The temperature within this separate system can be the temperature of the water within the tank by simple conduction.
The refrigerant system can include a supplemental compressor which can be electrically driven from one or more, and preferably a plurality or bank of, solar electric cells or the power grid. The refrigerant system can also include one way direction positive displacement rotary valves which can serve to insure proper gas direction and can also provide a mechanical link to the energy in the refrigerant circuit. This mechanical link can be used to power a generator or a fluid pump. When in solar heat mode, certain bypass valves within the refrigerant system allow switching to solar heating. When in this mode the generator may be electrically switched to function as a motor to assist the circulation of the refrigerant.
The present invention can also be used for or applicable to large area coolers or refrigerators and provides a device which can provide refrigeration to areas where electricity is not present or available.
As seen best in
The refrigerant within the pipe proceeds or otherwise travels to the one or more heat dissipaters, commonly known as condensers 30, which can be large area condensers. The number of condensers 30 can correspond to the number of concentrators provided for system 10. Condensers 30 dissipate heat from the heated refrigerant to the atmosphere. In one embodiment, condenser 30 can be approximately the size of its corresponding concentrator 20 in length and width and affixed to concentrator 20 with a spacing measurement between concentrator 20 and condenser 30 preferably within twelve (12″) inches of each other. However such spacing measurement is not considered limited to within twelve (12″) inches and other values can be used and are considered within the scope of the invention.
In an alternative embodiment, condenser 30 can be a single stand alone unit, which can include an electrically driven fan similar to conventional condensers. Thus,
After leaving condenser(s) 30, the refrigerant proceeds through a one direction valve 40. In a preferred embodiment, the one direction valve can be a “high side” positive displacement one direction rotary valve. Valve 40 assures that the refrigerant proceeds in the proper direction through the refrigerant circuit. As shown in
From valve 40, the refrigerant travels to an evaporator 80 which is preferably fitted with an expansion valve 90. In the preferred embodiment, expansion valve 90 can be an electronically controlled valve, though such is not considered limiting.
Valve 90 is controlled based on the pressures contained within the refrigerant circuit which can vary as the solar energy varies. The expanding refrigerant within evaporator 80 removes the heat from the coil and medium surrounding evaporator 80. Preferably, evaporator 80 can be disposed within a water tank 100. Water tank 100 is preferably large enough in size to hold a large amount of a liquid, such as, but not limited to, approximately two thousand (2000) gallons of the liquid. However, other size water tanks can be used and are considered within the scope of the invention.
Preferably, the liquid 106 contained within water tank 100 can be a mixture of water and anti-freeze. Preferably, water tank 100 can be insulated, such as, but not limited to, burying water tank 100 beneath ground level. Additionally, water tank 100 can be greater in height than width to operate co-operatively with temperature stratification. As such, heat can be removed from many gallons of water, which a non-limiting example is shown by the following factoid using a non-limiting 2000 gallon water tank 100:
British Thermal Unit (“BTU”). 1 BTU=1 pound of water 1° F.
Water=8 pounds per gallon, 1 cubic foot=7.48 gallons=60 pounds of water.
134 cubic feet−8018 pounds of water.
Non-limiting Tank 100 dimensions: 4.2 ft×8 ft×8 ft=269 cu. ft=2000 gallons
2000 gallons=16,000 pounds=16,000 BTU per degree Fahrenheit.
32° F. to 12° F.=20° F.
20° F.×16,000 BTU=320,000 BTU
320,000 BTU/20,000 BTU hour=16 hours reserve.
200 BTU/square foot/hour around solar noon.
20,000 BTU's per 100 square feet
40,000 BTU's per 200 square feet
Non-limiting Solar Concentrator 20 dimensions: each 2 ft.×10 ft.=20 square ft
10 units=200 square ft=40,000 BTU/hour
The refrigerant exits from evaporator 80 and is directed to a second one directional valve 110, which again can be a positive displacement one direction rotary valve. Valve 110 can have a larger positive displacement chamber as compared to valve 40 since it may be working with lower pressures, and thus in the preferred embodiment, can be considered a low pressure valve. Valve 110 can also have a mechanical link 62 and can be (though not required) mechanically linked with valve 40, as illustrated in
The refrigerant then is directed from valve 110 to a preferably commonly connected balancing valve 120 and/or as an inlet to compressor 140. System balancing valve 120 can have a first inlet valve 122 which can constitute the primary circuit for the refrigerant and a second inlet valve 124 which is in communication with the outlet of compressor 140. Refrigerant travels through balancing valve 120 to one direction or one-way valve 150 where it proceeds to solar concentrator(s) 20 to restart the cycle.
Compressor 140 can be driven by a conventional compressor motor 144. Thus, when there is insufficient solar energy (cloudy day, etc.), system 10 (such as through one or more sensors provided in the circuit) can sense or otherwise determine to activate motor 144 to electrically drive compressor 140. In one non-limiting example, a temperature sensor can be disposed within the water tank for determining when to turn motor 144 on. Additionally, pressure sensors or other devices can also be used for this purpose. Pressurized refrigerant from compressor 140 can proceed through second inlet valve 124 on the balancing valve to one direction valve 150. Where a temperature sensor is provided within water tank 100, compressor 140 can be activated at predetermine temperatures through its connection to a conventional switcher not shown in
The present invention can store air conditioning energy in the form of chilled water, which can be below the freezing point of 32° F., and preferably within the temperature range of 32° F. to 12° F. or about 32° F. to about 12° F. However, the present invention is not limited to this specific range and other ranges can be chosen and are within the scope of the invention.
Balancing valve 120 can be constructed such that there is linkage between first inlet valve 122 and second inlet valve 124. Thus, first inlet valve 122 can be closed, when the force of the pressurized refrigerant from compressor 140 opens second inlet valve 124. Similarly, when first inlet valve 12.2 is opened through receipt of refrigerant from valve 110, second inlet valve 124 can be closed. It is also possible and within the scope of the invention that both first inlet valve 122 and second inlet valve 124 are partially opened at the same time and the refrigerant traveling through both inlet valves (122 and 124) merges or combines and enters a single outlet which serves as the inlet to one way valve 150.
As seen in
The present invention system can also be convened or otherwise switch from solar air conditioner to solar heating. As seen in
Bypass valve 270 is shown in more detail in
As the heat of the refrigerant has not been dissipated through a condenser, the refrigerant warms water or mixture in tank 100, which in turn causes the liquid/water in pickup radiator 180 to be heated and then dispersed through system 175 by pump 196 as described above.
As seen in
It should be recognized that various combinations of concentrator(s), battery(ies), utility grid (conventional electricity), solar panel(s), etc. can be used and all combinations are considered within the scope of the invention. Thus, as non-limiting examples, the complimentary system does not necessarily preclude (1) a system which operates solely on energy from solar concentrators excluding solar electric; or (2) a system which operates solely on solar electric panels, excluding solar concentrators. Again, the above-described energy sources can be used in various combinations or by themselves and all variations are considered within the scope of the invention.
As seen in
As seen in
As seen in
Though in the preferred embodiment the chilled water system can be an isolated closed system with a pickup coil in the water tank, such is not considered limiting. It is also within the scope of the invention to have the present invention operate with no pickup coil within the tank. Such an alternative version could operate circulating the storage medium water within the water through the in-dwelling radiators.
Fundamental to the “refrigeration” or “heat pump” cycle is a dissipation of the heat of compression. This is usually accomplished by circulating the compressed refrigerant gas through a finned coil exposed to the atmosphere (i.e. a condenser coil). It may be a large area condenser to dissipate heat by simple conduction (
Another embodiment or method that can be used with the present invention system is illustrated in
It should be recognized that other concentrators can be used with the present invention system and all are considered within the scope of the invention. Certain examples of concentrators are generally shown in the Figures but are not considered to limit the types of concentrators that can be used and incorporated into the present invention system. Though shown with four concentrators for illustrative purposes, the present invention is not considered limited to any apparent size for or number of concentrators and various sizes and number of concentrators can be used and are considered within the scope of the invention. The area of the concentrators is discussed above in connection with the parent application for which this application claims priority to and which has now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,451,611.
The above-described and illustrated rotary positive displacement valves provide a unique valve design which can be advantageously optimized for the instant invention system. The movement under pressure of a gas or liquid, such as, but not limited to, a refrigerant in liquid or gas form, causes the rotation of the valve. Preferably composed of four chambers in a four vane version, each vane chamber successively is filled and caused to rotate by the high side pressure on that chamber vane. The chamber is then closed by the following vane and finally emptied as such chamber is decreased in volume due to the preferred offset center, the point of co-incidence of the inner cylinder rotor and the vane and placement of the exit port. The valves of the present invention are driven by the pressure of the heated gas. Preferably, two valves are connected together, with the high side and the low side all given stability to the refrigerant movement through the circuit. In solar heat mode, the valves may be motor driven to promote circulation of the heated refrigerant. The valves do not compress in either the solar air conditioning mode or the solar heat mode.
Thus in one embodiment, a rotational multi-vane positive displacement valve is disclosed which can comprise: an outer cylindrical valve body housing having an inlet port and an outlet port and an inner rotational cylinder disposed within the outer cylindrical valve body housing and supported by a longitudinal shaft offset from a center position of the outer housing. The inner rotational cylinder can have a plurality of spring loaded vanes along a substantial portion of its longitudinal axis that are preferably equally spaced around a circumference of the inner rotational cylinder. The outlet port can be located at least 100 degrees in direction of rotation from the inlet port, when the inner cylinder has four vanes. The shaft preferably extends beyond the outer valve housing and can be adapted for attachment to external appliances.
Thus, summarizing the present invention provides a solar air-conditioning system that is preferably designed to operate with concentrated solar heat and uses a circulating refrigerant m a cycle of compression and expansion. Solar concentrators raise the temperature and pressure of the refrigerant. The raised temperature is dissipated to the atmosphere and the refrigerant proceeds to the evaporator coil, which is located within a water tank containing at least 1000 gallons of an anti-freeze water solution. As the water is the storage medium, heat can be added to or extracted from the storage medium by the evaporator coil. A radiator pickup coil is also located, within the water tank and is part of a separate chilled water system which can circulate its own water supply through other radiators located throughout a dwelling. Additionally, one or more bypass valve(s) within the refrigerant system allow switching to solar heating.
It should be recognized that the rotary valves of the present invention form an integral and unique component of the invention as a whole. The valves provide unique features, including, but not limited to, an inner rotating cylinder offset the center of an outer housing, the point of coincidence with the outer housing and port placement. Such valves can be advantageously optimized for use with the present invention system. The movement of the refrigerant under pressure either in gas or liquid form causes the rotation of the valve. Preferably composed of four chambers in to four vane version, each vane chamber successively is filled and caused to rotate by the high side pressure on that chamber vane. Then the chamber is closed by the following vane and finally emptied as the chamber is decreased in volume due to the offset center, the point of co-incidence of the inner cylinder rotor and the vane and the placement or location of the exit port. The valves in the present invention system are preferably driven by the pressure of the heated gas. Preferably, in certain embodiments of the present invention system, two valves are connected together, namely, the high side and the side, all to provide stability to the refrigerant movement through the circuit.
The air conditioning (cooling) mode may be switched to solar heating. In this mode the valves may be motor driven to circulate heated refrigerant.
With respect to the solar concentrators used with the present invention system, it is expected that the solar concentrators can generate refrigerant temperatures in the 400 degrees centigrade range (around 1000 degrees Fahrenheit) with a corresponding rise in refrigerant pressure. A radiator can be provided to dissipate such heat. This high pressure refrigerant gas is conducted to the expansion valve in the evaporator via the high pressure rotary valve. Multiple evaporators may also be provided for use during peak pressures.
It is expected that the average working temperatures m the water tank can be well below the freezing point of water. An anti-freeze mixture prevents the water storage medium from freezing.
It should also be recognized that under certain solar conditions, the low side rotary valve, or in another embodiment the compressor, may be driven by an associated electric motor in cooperation with the solar concentrators.
Turning back to the rotary valves, in another version of the low side rotary valve, the inlet port can be modified and located approximately ninety degrees from the outlet port. As each vane passes this port it expands the area behind creating a vacuum behind and drawing low side refrigerant from the evaporator. This volume of gas can then be contained between two vanes and then expelled as the following, vane pushes the gas in the diminishing area to the outlet port. The inlet and outlet ports can be located approximately forty-five degrees from the point of co-incidence, the inner cylinder and the outer housing.
Thus, the present invention provides a rotary valve preferably having a rotating cylinder incorporating a multitude of longitudinally placed and equally spaced spring loaded vanes. In the preferred embodiment, four vanes are provided, though such is not considered limiting. The cylinder can be located within a circular outer housing and offset from the centerline of the outer housing The inner cylinder can be co-incident with the outer housing at one point. Rotation of the inner cylinder results in the vanes following the outer housing inner surface by action of the springs exerting a push force against the vane. The area between the vanes will vary throughout rotation due to the offset from center. The varying area feature is used to forcefully expel, and to draw by vacuum, the refrigerant.
The outer housing incorporates inlet and outlet ports by which the refrigerant enters and exits the valve. These inlet and outlet ports can be located respectively and approximately forty-five degrees from the point of coincidence of the cylinder and housing.
As seen in
Preferably there are two valves (i.e.
The high pressure gas from the solar concentrators and condenser enters the port of the high side valve creating a pressure against the vane in that area and causes rotation of the cylinder. With rotation the gas is captured in the area between vanes. With further rotation the area containing the gas approaches the exit port and the area is decreasing. As the point of co-incidence is approached, the gas is forced out of the valve and on to the expansion valve within the evaporator coil.
The low pressure valve draws gas from the low pressure side of the evaporator due to the expanding area behind the vane as it passes the inlet port. With rotation the area can be sealed by the following vane. The gas is contained between the vanes. With further rotation the forward vane passes the exit port near the point of co-incidence and the area between the vanes decreases. Gas is forced out of the exit port and proceeds to the concentrators to repeat the cycle.
The motor 112 commonly attached to valves 40 and 110, or in another embodiment motors attached to a common shaft near each valve, may be used to assist refrigerant circulation in times of less pressure as solar energy varies. Energy to operate the motor(s) may be drawn from a battery.
The circulation system of the present invention is designed to operate in three regimes, which are: (1) exclusively solar energy from the solar concentrators (i.e. adequate sun); (2) no solar energy (i.e. cloudy day, nighttime, etc.); and (3) in-between regimes (1) and (2) (i.e. passing clouds, rainy day, etc.).
In the first regime where solar energy is adequate, the high side rotary valve 40 is driven by the high pressure refrigerant from the solar concentrators 20 and condenser 30. In turn, the high side rotary valve 40 drives the low side rotary valve 110 or a compressor 140 (
In the second regime where there is no solar energy, such as, but not limited to, nighttime conditions, compressor 140 or low side rotary valve 110 provides the force to move the refrigerant through the cycle. Low side rotary valve 110 or compressor 140 can be driven by an electric motor 109 attached to connecting shaft 69. Low side rotary valve 110 or compressor 140 may be disconnected from high side rotary valve 40 by means of an electrically operated clutch 111 provided on connecting shaft 69. Various amounts of electrical energy may be applied to the high pressure rotary valve 40 by means of an electric motor 107. The second regime does not exclude engagement of clutch 111 and using one or more other motors with various amounts of electrical energy to promote the circulation of the refrigerant.
In the intermittent solar energy third regime, such as where there are passing clouds, rain, etc., a variety of combinations of solar and electrical energy may be combined to circulate the refrigerant. As solar energy fluctuates downward, the motor associated with low side rotary valve 110 or compressor 140 will drive such low pressure valve 110 or compressor 140. Disengagement of the high pressure rotary valve 40 using clutch 111 may or may not be needed and can depend on the amount of solar energy and pressures throughout the refrigerant circuit.
Electrical energy into the motors and clutch is supplied as required in order to promote the circulation of the refrigerant. The amount of electrical energy can be determined by pressure and temperature sensors within the refrigerant circuit.
As seen in
A plurality of motors and clutch can be provided, separately and together can be computer controlled to maintain circulation of the refrigerant, as the solar energy varies. The motors may at times add rotational energy so that the refrigerant moves as desired or they may add a retarding force to maintain desired pressures within the circuit.
Sensors can be provided throughout the system to provide pressure information to the computer.
A novel aspect of the two-valve configuration of the present invention is the uniqueness of both valves being mechanically coupled to each other in view of the offset shaft, which supports the vanes, can be supported by bearings in an endplate and which can be flush with the endplate. As a non-limiting example, to mate the two rotational valves together, or the motor to a valve, each shaft could employ a square hole in which is fitted a square joining pin, or a splined pin or shaft segment. This configuration can be used for joining the offset shafts of the valves or a motor to a valve. The end of each respective shaft can be correspondingly fitted with splined openings. Other conventional methods for joining the two rotating shafts can also be employed and are also considered within the scope of the invention. Rotation of the valves can be as a result of an electric motor incorporated in the valve pair unit and the raised pressure from the solar concentrators.
The valves are preferably part of a closed-system refrigerant circuit (closed to the outside environment). The first and second one way rotary valves can be mechanically coupled to each other such that they both rotate as one and that a pressurized circuit is maintained for the closed-system refrigerant circuit.
In addition to the above discussion regarding a two-valve configuration, another novel configuration for the present invention actually removes one of the positive displacement valves, which preferably is the valve on the left that was used for feeding the expansion valve. In this alternative embodiment, the high side of the refrigerant cycle containing the solar concentrators/refrigerant and condenser can be confined between the valve on the right side and the expansion valve. When the pressure from the heated refrigerant is sufficient to open the expansion valve (i.e. spring loaded dosed expansion with the pressure overcoming the spring pressure for opening the valve) the refrigerant passes into the evaporator giving up heat in the expansion. By way of conventional sensors provided in the closed circuit, the motor on the remaining valve can be activated at this time and used to circulate refrigerant from the low side (evaporator in the tank). Therefore, the refrigerant is cycled into the high side to continue the cycle (i.e. absorb solar energy—heat/pressure, etc.).
Furthermore, the condenser can be in the high side part of the circuit and serves to remove heat from the refrigerant. The condenser could be fitted with a fan or a circulating ground water system or simply by a design of very large area to dissipate the heat.
The above-described systems of the present invention can also be used for or applicable to large area coolers or refrigerators and provides a device which can provide refrigeration to areas where electricity is not present or available.
It should be recognized that certain features of one embodiment of the present invention system can be combined with other features of another embodiment of the present invention system to form a further embodiment of the present invention system.
While the invention has been described and disclosed in certain terms and has disclosed certain embodiments or modifications, persons skilled in the art who have acquainted themselves with the invention, will appreciate that it is not necessarily limited by such terms, nor to the specific embodiments and modifications disclosed herein. Thus, a wide variety of alternatives, suggested by the teachings herein, can be practiced without departing from the spirit of the invention, and rights to such alternatives are particularly reserved and considered within the scope of the invention.
This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/707,334, filed Dec. 6, 2012, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/593,239, filed Aug. 23, 2012, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/465,361, filed May 7, 2012, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/249,071, filed Oct. 10, 2008, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/671,547, filed Feb. 6, 2007, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,451,611, issued Nov. 18, 2008, which claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. application Ser. No. 60/853,531, filed Oct. 23, 2006. All applications are incorporated by reference in their entireties as if fully set forth herein.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60853531 | Oct 2006 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 13707334 | Dec 2012 | US |
| Child | 13860074 | US | |
| Parent | 13593239 | Aug 2012 | US |
| Child | 13707334 | US | |
| Parent | 13465361 | May 2012 | US |
| Child | 13593239 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 12249071 | Oct 2008 | US |
| Child | 13465361 | US | |
| Parent | 11671547 | Feb 2007 | US |
| Child | 12249071 | US |
