FR2623889A1 - THERMAL ENERGY REFRIGERATING DEVICE - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a refrigerator device whose operation is carried out by intermittent supply of thermal energy and comprises a phase of adsorption of a fluid in a body and a corresponding desorption phase, comprising an energy sensor 1 and an evaporator 2 disposed in an insulating box 3, to which is connected a first duct 4, the sensor being constituted by a housing 5 comprising an upper face 6 exposed to a source of thermal energy and a lower face 7 to which is connected a second duct 8, between which is arranged the body having the required properties of adsorption and desorption of the fluid, a space 9 being formed between the body and the lower face, and a condenser 10 being mounted on the lower face. According to the invention, the end of the second duct, opposite the casing, is connected to the upper part of a tank 11 and the end of the first duct, opposite the evaporator, enters the tank 11, in its part. lower, and carries a valve 20 consisting of a spherical valve 12, penetrating at least partially into the first duct, and a guide element 15 along a vertical axis of the valve. Application to thermal energy sensors.

Description

MI e2623889

  THERMAL ENERGY REFRIGERATING DEVICE

  The invention relates to refrigerating devices operating by virtue of the intermittent supply of thermal energy and following a cycle comprising a phase of adsorption of a fluid in a body and a

  corresponding desorption phase.

  Such a device has been described in particular in FR-A-2,574,530 or its equivalent US A-4,686,836. The device comprises a sensor

  of thermal energy and an evaporator placed in a thermal box.

  insulation. The thermal energy sensor is constituted by a sealed housing having an upper face exposed to a source of thermal energy and a lower face to which is connected a

  conduit connecting the housing to the evaporator.

  Between these two faces is a body presenting the qualities

  required adsorption and desorption of a fluid. A space is

  swabbed between the adsorbent-desorbent body and the underside of the wood.

  tier, and a condenser is mounted directly on the underside

of the case.

  Preferably, a support-plane provided with openings is placed under the adsorbent-desorbent body so as to maintain it against

the upper face of the case.

  The condenser may, for example, comprise fins arranged

  perpendicular to the underside of the case.

  The conduit preferably comprises a system that prevents vapors

  pass directly from the space in the case to the evacuation

  porator during the desorption phase. This system may consist of

a valve.

  Such a refrigerator device comprising a valve has the disadvantage of requiring human intervention twice per cycle. The object of the present invention is to obviate these disadvantages

  means of a suitable system adapted to the conduit.

  The main advantages provided by the invention are to avoid the condensation of vapors in the evaporator during the desorption phase and to increase the efficiency of the refrigerator device while making the device fully automatic, that is to say

without human intervention.

  The subject of the present invention is a refrigerator device of which

  the operation is effected by intermittent supply of thermal energy

  and includes a phase of adsorption of a fluid into a body and

  a corresponding desorption phase, comprising an energy sensor

  and an evaporator disposed in a thermally insulating box, to which is connected a first conduit, the sensor being constituted by a sealed housing having an upper face exposed to a source of thermal energy and a lower face to which is connected a second conduit, between which is disposed the body having the required properties of adsorption and desorption of the fluid, a space being provided between the body and the lower face,

  and a condenser mounted on the underside.

  According to the invention, the end of the second conduit opposite the housing, is connected to the upper part of a tank and the end of the first conduit, opposite the evaporator, enters the tank, in its lower part, and carries a valve consisting of a spherical valve penetrating at least partially into the first conduit and

  a guide element along a vertical axis.

  The present invention will be better understood and other objects, advantages and features thereof will become more clearly apparent to the

  reading the following description of an embodiment given to

  nonlimiting title and to which a drawing board is appended in which:

  - Figure 1 shows a refrigerator device according to the invention

  Figure 2 shows in detail one element of the device.

refrigerator, according to the invention.

  Referring to the figures, the refrigerator device comprises a sensor 1 which is in the form of a housing, preferably made of stainless steel. This case essentially comprises two faces

  opposite: an upper face 6 exposed to the heat energy source

  The interior of the sensor 1 is lined with a body 14 having a high adsorption or

  desorption of a fluid, such as zeolite which is an alumino-

  microporous compound silicate, the fluid used being then preferentially

  water, or such as activated charcoal, in this case the fluid

  used is preferably methanol.

  In the sensor 1, a space 9 is provided between the body 14 and the

  7. The body 14 is held on the side of the upper face

  6 is supported by a support-plane 13. The latter is held in place, for example by unrepresented lateral wedges. The body 14 being light, these wedges may be arranged only against the inner walls of the housing. The support 13 may be for example a grid, or a perforated plate. The holes in the support must be such that the body 14 can not fall into the space 9 and that the

  support remains permeable to the fluid.

  Preferably, the faces 6 and 7 have a slightly concave shape. In

  Indeed, the inside of the case is placed under a partial vacuum which generates

  dre constraints applied to the box. These are reduced when we adopt this form. It is the same when the faces

  6 and 7 have a slightly convex shape.

  Reference can be made to the description of the aforementioned patent for a

  more detailed description of such a sensor.

  Perpendicular to the lower face 7 of the housing and outer-

  the fins, which together with the space 9 and this lower face 7 form a condenser 10, are arranged in the latter. The number and the area of the fins are determined so as to obtain a condenser.

given performance.

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  The sensor 1 is connected via a first conduit 8, a reservoir 11 and a second conduit 4 to an evaporator 2 placed in a thermally insulating box 3 which is filled for example with water. The first conduit 8 is connected at one end to the space 9 formed in the sensor 1 and the sensor is arranged so that the junction point of the sensor and the conduit 8 is the low point of the housing. The first conduit 8 is connected by the other end to the part

  tank 11. The shape of the tank 11 may be

  conque, for example cylindrical, as shown in Figure 1 The volume of the reservoir is a function of the surface of the upper face 6 of the sensor 1 and the volume of the adsorbent-desorbent body contained in

The box.

  The second conduit 4 is connected by one of its ends to the

  2. The other end of the duct 4, opposite the evaporator 2, enters the tank 11, in its

  lower part and carries a valve 20.

  The valve 20 is constituted by a valve 12 of spherical shape, a portion of the duct 4 at its end located in the tank 11, in which the valve penetrates at least partially, and an element

  15 surrounding the valve 12 and for guiding the movement of

  of it in a vertical axis.

  The guide element 15 may in particular be constituted by a spring.

  The operation of the refrigerator device which is carried out thanks to the intermittent supply of thermal energy, for example energy

  solar, will now be described.

  In the presence of thermal energy, the temperature and pressure

  26t23889 progressively tent in the sensor 1. The body 14 desorption by the desorption fluid in the form of steam. The first vapors formed condense on the face 7 of the box, and sink in the

leads 8.

  The fluid accumulates in the tank 11. The pressure in the evaporator 2 is much smaller than that which prevails in the sensor 1 and the tank 11. Because of

  this pressure difference, the spherical valve 12 completely obstructs

  4. The vapors can not pass directly

  space 9 formed in the sensor at the evaporator 2.

  In the case where the thermal energy is solar energy, this

  Desorption phase corresponds to the diurnal phase.

  In the absence of thermal energy supply, the body temperature 14

  drop, as well as the pressure in the sensor 1.

  The body 14 begins to adsorb the fluid that had accumulated in the tank 11. The pressure in the tank 11 decreases while

  that prevailing in the evaporator 2 remains constant.

  When the pressure in the tank 11 becomes lower than the

  sum of the pressure in the evaporator 2 and the pressure of

  mède exerted on the spherical valve 12, the spherical valve

  raises, thus releasing the inlet of the conduit 4. The fluid accumulated in the reservoir 11 passes completely into the evaporator 2, under the effect

of gravity.

  Due to the pressure difference between the reservoir 11

  and the evaporator 2, the valve 12 remains raised and the body 14 continues.

  naked to adsorb the fluid that evaporates now from the evaporator 2.

  The circuit being hermetically closed, and the evaporation being endo-

  thermal, there is a release of cold in the evaporator. The water

  contained in the insulating box 3 in which the evapo-

  The catalyst solidifies and thus contributes to maintaining the temperature in the insulating box at a temperature close to 0 C, even when the adsorption is complete. This adsorption phase produces the

  cold continues until new energy supply.

  In the case where the thermal energy is solar energy, this

  adsorption phase corresponds to the night phase.

  It can be seen that the system according to the invention makes it possible to prevent the condensed vapors from passing directly from the space 9 formed in the sensor to the evaporator 2 during the desorption phase because of the pressure difference existing between the sensor 1 and

the evaporator 2.

  Thus, the release of heat caused by the condensation of vapors in the evaporator 2 is avoided, which increases the efficiency

of the refrigerator device.

  This efficiency is also improved because the fluid is admitted into the evaporator at a lower temperature than it would have if

  went directly from the space 9 to the evaporator 2.

  On the other hand, the amount of fluid that is evaporated in the reservoir

  see 11 before the flap lifts is quite neglected

  corn. In addition, it can be seen that the presence of the spherical valve does not interfere with the passage of vapors during the adsorption phase and therefore has virtually no influence on this operating phase.

of the refrigerator device.

  The apparatus which has been described can operate with zeolite as adsorbent-desorbent and with water as fluid; the device can also function advantageously with the aid of activated carbon as an adsorbent-desorbent body and methanol as

fluid.

  In an exemplary embodiment, the tank 11 is constituted by a stainless steel cylinder having a diameter of 150 nm, the flap

having a weight of less than 2.5 g.

  Although only one embodiment of the invention has been described, it is obvious that any modification made by the Man of Art

  in the same spirit would fall within the scope of the present invention.

7 "

Claims (1)

CLAIM   Refrigerator device whose operation is carried out by   intermittent heat energy and includes an adsorption phase   fluid in a body and a corresponding desorption phase.   comprising an energy sensor (1) and an evaporator (2)   placed in an insulating box (3), to which is connected a first   conduit (4), said sensor being constituted by a housing (5) comprising   both an upper face (5) exposed to a thermal energy source and a lower face (7) to which is connected a second conduit   (8), between which is disposed said body having the properties.   required adsorption and desorption of said fluid, a space (9) being provided between said body and said lower face, and a condenser (10) being mounted on said lower face, characterized in that the end of said second conduit, opposite to said housing, is connected to the upper part of a reservoir (11) and in that the end of the first conduit, opposite the evaporator, enters said reservoir (11), at its lower part, and carries a valve   (20) consisting of a spherical valve (12) penetrating at least   in said first conduit, and a guide element   (15) along a vertical axis of said valve.