U.S. patent application number 13/048418 was filed with the patent office on 2012-07-12 for generator.
Invention is credited to Ming-Hui Ho, Jr-Ming Miao, Chang-Hsien TAI.
Application Number | 20120174616 13/048418 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 46454169 |
Filed Date | 2012-07-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120174616 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
TAI; Chang-Hsien ; et
al. |
July 12, 2012 |
GENERATOR
Abstract
A generator includes a liquid tank, a high temperature device
and a nozzle unit. The liquid tank has a receiving room. The high
temperature device is disposed on a surface of the liquid tank. The
nozzle unit includes a tank, an injecting tube, a nozzle and an
oscillating device. The tank is disposed in the receiving room and
filled with a working fluid. The injecting tube has one end
communicating with the tank. The nozzle is disposed on a surface of
the tank and faces the high temperature device. The oscillating
device is disposed on the tank to induce oscillation of the working
fluid in the tank, wherein the oscillation changes the pressure of
the working fluid so that the working fluid is pulled towards the
nozzle and is sprayed on the high temperature device by the
nozzle.
Inventors: |
TAI; Chang-Hsien; (Pingtung,
TW) ; Miao; Jr-Ming; (Pingtung, TW) ; Ho;
Ming-Hui; (Pingtung, TW) |
Family ID: |
46454169 |
Appl. No.: |
13/048418 |
Filed: |
March 15, 2011 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
62/476 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F25B 33/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
62/476 |
International
Class: |
F25B 15/00 20060101
F25B015/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jan 11, 2011 |
TW |
100100932 |
Claims
1. A generator, comprising: a liquid tank having a receiving room;
a high temperature device disposed on a surface of the liquid tank;
and a nozzle unit having a tank, an injecting tube, a nozzle and an
oscillating device, wherein the tank is disposed in the receiving
room and is filled with a working fluid, the injecting tube has one
end communicating with the tank, the nozzle is disposed on a
surface of the tank and faces the high temperature device, the
oscillating device is disposed on the tank to induce oscillation of
the working fluid in the tank, and the oscillation changes the
pressure of the working fluid so that the working fluid is pulled
towards the nozzle and is sprayed on the high temperature device by
the nozzle.
2. The generator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the high
temperature device is coupled with a conduction member disposed in
the receiving room of the liquid tank.
3. The generator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the oscillating
device is a piezoelectric film.
4. The generator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the high
temperature device is coupled with a cooling system.
5. The generator as claimed in claim 4, wherein the cooling system
includes a heat-conducting device coupled with the high temperature
device.
6. The generator as claimed in claim 5, wherein the heat-conducting
device has one face abutting against a heat-storing medium made of
a porous material.
7. The generator as claimed in claim 6, wherein the face of the
heat-conducting device that abuts against the heat-storing medium
is a saw-toothed face to increase the contact area between the
heat-conducting device and the heat-storing medium.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention generally relates to a generator and,
more particularly, to a generator that is installed in an
absorption refrigeration system and has an improved refrigerant
vaporization efficiency.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional absorption refrigeration
system 9 generally includes a generator 91, a condenser 92, an
evaporator 93 and an absorber 94. The generator 91, condenser 92,
evaporator 93 and absorber 94 are connected via a plurality of
circulation tubes 95 to form an enclosed loop.
[0005] The generator 91 includes a liquid tank 911 and a heat
source 912. The liquid tank 911 is filled with a working fluid. The
heat source 912 can provide heat to the liquid tank 911 to vaporize
an absorbent flowing in the working fluid. Substantially, the heat
source 912 can provide heat to the liquid tank 911 in two manners:
direct and indirect manners. In the direct manner, the heat source
912 directly heats up the generator 91 using natural gas or burning
oil. In the indirect manner, the heat source 912 heats up a medium
first and the medium then passes the heat to the generator 91.
[0006] The commonly available working fluid is a binary solution of
ammonia water or lithium bromide. Circulating cooling effect may be
achieved via interaction between two substances of the binary
solution. Specifically, the ammonia water is a mixture of ammonia
and water, with the ammonia being a refrigerant and the water being
an absorbent. The ammonia water has a cooling temperature about
minus 20 degree and is often used in a large-sized refrigerator.
The lithium bromide solution is a mixture of lithium bromide and
water, with the water being a refrigerant and the lithium bromide
being an absorbent. The lithium bromide solution has a cooling
temperature about 18 degree and is thus often used in an
air-conditioning system. In the following description, the lithium
bromide solution is exemplarily used as the working liquid to
describe the operation of the conventional absorption refrigeration
system 9.
[0007] As described above, the heat source 912 provides heat to the
liquid tank 911 of the generator 91 to heat up the lithium bromide
solution in the liquid tank 911, producing steam with high
temperature and high pressure. The high-temperature and
high-pressure steam enters the condenser 92 via a first circulation
tube 951 and then condenses into middle-temperature water which, in
turn, enters the evaporator 93 via a second circulation tube 952
and then condenses into low-temperature water. An expansion valve
931 is provided to reduce the pressure of the low-temperature water
and to spray the low-temperature water into a third circulation
tube 953, so as to produce steam with low temperature and low
pressure. Since the absorber 94 is in a low pressure of vacuum or
nearly vacuum, the low-temperature and low-pressure steam will be
automatically pulled into the absorber 94 via the third circulation
tube 953. Since the vaporization of liquid requires absorption of
heat, the low-temperature and low-pressure steam will absorb the
heat from the ambient environment for cooling effect.
[0008] The low-temperature and low-pressure steam in the third
circulation tube 953 will mix with the lithium bromide solution in
the absorber 94 and thus dilute the lithium bromide solution. The
diluted lithium bromide solution flows to the generator 91 via a
fourth circulation tube 954 so that it can be reheated and
vaporized. During vaporization of the diluted lithium bromide
solution, the water contained in the diluted lithium bromide
solution will be steamed out so that the concentration of the
diluted lithium bromide solution is increased (high concentration).
The vaporized lithium bromide solution (with higher concentration)
then flows back to the absorber 94 via a fifth circulation tube
955, causing the high-concentration lithium bromide solution and
low-concentration lithium bromide solution (the diluted lithium
bromide solution not vaporized) to constantly circulate around the
generator 91 and absorber 94. In addition, the conventional
absorption refrigeration system 9 may further include a
refrigerating device 96 with refrigerating water flowing therein.
The refrigerating device 96 passes through the absorber 94 and
condenser 92, limiting the liquid in the absorber 94 and condenser
92 at a predetermined temperature. Thus, cooling effect of the
conventional absorption refrigeration system 9 is maintained.
[0009] Based on the above description, it can be known that the
conventional absorption refrigeration system 9 operates on the
absorbed heat of the generator 91, and the circulating cooling
efficiency of the conventional absorption refrigeration system 9 is
proportional to the vaporization efficiency of the lithium bromide
solution in the generator 91. However, since the conventional
absorption refrigeration system 9 produces steam by heating the
lithium bromide solution in the generator 91, the lithium bromide
solution is not vaporized in an efficient manner. To efficiently
vaporize the lithium bromide solution, more energy should be given
to the heat source 912 to maintain the heat source 912 at a high
temperature. However, this will consume more energy.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] It is therefore the primary objective of this invention to
provide a generator with an improved refrigerant vaporization
efficiency to achieve a better circulating cooling efficiency for
an absorption refrigeration system.
[0011] The invention discloses a generator including a liquid tank,
a high temperature device and a nozzle unit. The liquid tank has a
receiving room. The high temperature device is disposed on a
surface of the liquid tank. The nozzle unit includes a tank, an
injecting tube, a nozzle and an oscillating device. The tank is
disposed in the receiving room and filled with a working fluid. The
injecting tube has one end communicating with the tank. The nozzle
is disposed on a surface of the tank and faces the high temperature
device. The oscillating device is disposed on the tank to induce
oscillation of the working fluid in the tank, wherein the
oscillation changes the pressure of the working fluid so that the
working fluid is pulled towards the nozzle and is sprayed on the
high temperature device by the nozzle.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] The present invention will become more fully understood from
the detailed description given hereinafter and the accompanying
drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are
not limitative of the present invention, and wherein:
[0013] FIG. 1 shows a diagram of a conventional absorption
refrigeration system.
[0014] FIG. 2 shows a diagram of a generator according to a
preferred embodiment of the invention.
[0015] FIG. 3 shows an exemplary application of the generator of
the invention in an absorption refrigeration system.
[0016] FIG. 4 shows a diagram of a motor cooling system of an
electric vehicle.
[0017] FIG. 5 shows a coupling diagram of the generator of the
invention and the motor cooling system of the electric vehicle.
[0018] In the various figures of the drawings, the same numerals
designate the same or similar parts. Furthermore, when the term
"first", "second", "third", "fourth", "inner", "outer" "top",
"bottom" and similar terms are used hereinafter, it should be
understood that these terms refer only to the structure shown in
the drawings as it would appear to a person viewing the drawings,
and are utilized only to facilitate describing the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0019] Referring to FIG. 2, a generator is disclosed according to a
preferred embodiment of the invention. The generator 1 includes a
liquid tank 11, a high temperature device 12 and a nozzle unit 13.
The high temperature device 12 and nozzle unit 13 are disposed in
the liquid tank 11. The nozzle unit 13 can spray liquid on the high
temperature device 12.
[0020] The liquid tank 11 has a receiving room 111 and a backflow
tube 112. The backflow tube 112 may be disposed on a bottom of the
liquid tank 11 or on a surface of the liquid tank 11 adjacent to
the bottom of the liquid tank 11. In addition, the backflow tube
112 has one end communicating with the receiving room 111 and the
other end communicating with an absorber 4 (see FIG. 3). A working
fluid 5 circulates around the generator 1 and absorber 4 for
circulating cooling purposes. The working fluid 5 consists of a
low-concentration working fluid 5a and a high-concentration working
fluid 5b. A first circulation tube 113 may be disposed on a top of
the liquid tank 11 or on a surface of the liquid tank 11 adjacent
to the top of the liquid tank 11. The first circulation tube 113
has one end communicating with the receiving room 111 and the other
end communicating with a condenser 2.
[0021] The high temperature device 12 may be disposed on a surface
of the liquid tank 11 adjacent to the top of the liquid tank 11. In
this embodiment, the high temperature device 12 may be further
coupled with a conduction member 121, which can absorb the heat of
the high temperature device 12 and thus maintains at a high
temperature. Both the conduction member 121 and high temperature
device 12 are disposed in the receiving room 111.
[0022] The nozzle unit 13 includes a tank 131, an injecting tube
132, a nozzle 133 and an oscillating device 134. The tank 131 is
disposed in the receiving room 111 of the liquid tank 11 and can
receive the low-concentration working fluid 5a. The injecting tube
132 has one end communicating with the tank 131 and the other end
communicating with the absorber 4. The nozzle 133 can be disposed
on a surface of the tank 131 and faces the conduction member 121 of
the high temperature device 12. The oscillating device 134 is
disposed on the tank 131 and can induce oscillation of the
low-concentration working fluid 5a in the tank 131 by way of high
frequency oscillation, thus controlling the pressure of the
low-concentration working fluid 5a. Based on this, the
low-concentration working fluid 5a in the tank 131 can periodically
flow to the nozzle 133 and can be sprayed on the conduction member
121.
[0023] The oscillating device 134 may be a piezoelectric film that
can be electrified to cause oscillation, pushing the
low-concentration working fluid 5a in the tank 131 to be sprayed
out via the nozzle 133. The oscillating device 134 has a plurality
of operation modes that can be switched by way of frequency
control, enabling the nozzle 133 to intermittently spray the
low-concentration working fluid 5a on the conduction member 121. In
this way, poor heat conduction of the conduction member 121
resulting from constant spraying of the low-concentration working
fluid 5a may be avoided.
[0024] FIG. 3 shows an absorption refrigeration system including a
generator 1, a condenser 2, an evaporator 3 and an absorber 4. The
generator 1 communicates with the condenser 2 via a first
circulation tube 113. The condenser 2 communicates with the
evaporator 3 via a second circulation tube 21. The evaporator 3
communicates with the absorber 4 via a third circulation tube 31
having an expansion valve 32 disposed at a position adjacent to the
evaporator 3. The absorber 4 communicates with the tank 131 of the
generator 1 via the injecting tube 132 and communicates with the
liquid tank 11 of the generator 1 via the backflow tube 112. The
backflow tube 112 may be partially disposed in the injecting tube
132 without communication therewith, so that the backflow tube 112
can have heat exchange with the liquid in the injecting tube
132.
[0025] The low-concentration working fluid 5a that enters the tank
131 via the injecting tube 132 may be sprayed into the receiving
room 111 of the liquid tank 11 by the nozzle 133 based on
oscillation of the oscillating device 134, allowing the
low-concentration working fluid 5a to contact the conduction member
121 of the high temperature device 12. Based on this, a portion of
the sprayed low-concentration working fluid 5a will be instantly
steamed out and the other portion of the sprayed low-concentration
working fluid 5a won't be steamed out. The refrigerant in the
portion of low-concentration working fluid 5a that is steamed out
will become a gaseous refrigerant with high temperature and high
pressure. The high-temperature and high-pressure gaseous
refrigerant then flows from the generator 1 to the condenser 2 via
the first circulation tube 113 and condenses into a liquid
refrigerant with middle temperature. Meanwhile, the other portion
of the sprayed low-concentration working fluid 5a that is not
steamed will drip down and accumulate in the receiving room 111 of
the liquid tank 11 to form the high-concentration working fluid 5b.
The high-concentration working fluid 5b flows back to the absorber
4 via the backflow tube 112.
[0026] The middle-temperature liquid refrigerant in the condenser 2
enters the evaporator 3 via the second circulation tube 21 and has
a temperature drop in the evaporator 3, thus forming a
low-temperature liquid refrigerant. The pressure of the
low-temperature liquid refrigerant is reduced by the expansion
valve 32 and the low-temperature liquid refrigerant is sprayed into
the third circulation tube 31 to produce a gaseous refrigerant with
low temperature and low pressure. Note the absorber 4 is in a low
pressure of vacuum or nearly vacuum. Therefore, the low-temperature
and low-pressure gaseous refrigerant will be automatically pulled
into the absorber 4 via the third circulation tube 31, absorbing
the heat from the ambient environment for cooling effect.
[0027] The low-temperature and low-pressure gaseous refrigerant in
the third circulation tube 31 will mix with the working fluid 5 in
the absorber 4 that is at a room temperature, diluting the
high-concentration working fluid 5b that flows back to the absorber
4. As a result, the working fluid 5 will have lower concentration
after dilution. The diluted working fluid 5 will reenter the tank
131 via the injecting tube 132 for reuse, allowing the
low-concentration working fluid 5a and high-concentration working
fluid 5b to constantly circulate around the generator 1 and
absorber 4.
[0028] Based on the design that the backflow tube 112 is partially
disposed in the injecting tube 132 without communication therewith,
the high-concentration working fluid 5b that is at a high
temperature is allowed to pass its heat to the injecting tube 132
while flowing back to the absorber 4. Therefore, the
low-concentration working fluid 5a that enters the tank 131 via the
injecting tube 132 can be preheated to facilitate vaporizing the
low-concentration working fluid 5a sprayed on the high temperature
device 12.
[0029] The generator of the invention improves the vaporization
efficiency of the refrigerant of the working fluid 5 by directly
spraying the working fluid 5 on the high temperature device 12 in
an impingement cooling manner, so as to improve the circulation
efficiency of the absorption refrigeration system. Since the
vaporization efficiency of the refrigerant of the working fluid 5
is improved, lesser energy can be provided to the high temperature
device 12 for energy saving.
[0030] The generator of the invention can be applied to various
equipments using an absorption refrigeration system for cooling
purposes. In such an application, the high temperature device 12
can be heated up by the exhausted heat generated by other
components of the equipments to achieve full utilization of energy.
Following, an example showing the use of the generator in an
electric vehicle (in which the generator is coupled with a
refrigeration system of the electric vehicle, as well as a motor
cooling system of the electric vehicle) is described.
[0031] FIG. 4 shows an exemplary use of the generator of the
invention. To efficiently collect the exhausted heat generated by a
motor cooling system 6 of the electric vehicle, the motor cooling
system 6 includes a housing 61, a fan 62, a heat-storing medium 63
and a heat-conducting device 64. The housing 61 includes essential
components of a motor such as a stator or rotor. The fan 62 is
coaxially mounted with the rotor and includes a plurality of vanes
protruding out of one end of the housing 61. The heat-storing
medium 63 is disposed on the other end of the housing 61. The
heat-storing medium 63 may be a porous material that can provide a
ventilation function while storing heat, such as aluminum material
or ceramic. The heat-conducting device 64 is disposed on a face of
the heat-storing medium 63 that faces away from the housing 61. The
heat-conducting device 64 may be a metal material with excellent
heat conductivity such as a copper.
[0032] When the fan 62 operates, external cool air is drawn into
the housing 61 and the heat generated by internal components of the
housing 61 is guided to the heat-storing medium 63 for storing.
Since the heat-storing medium 63 is porous, a small portion of the
heat can be expelled from the housing 61 therethrough, whereas most
heat goes to the heat-conducting device 64, heating up the
heat-conducting device 64. In this embodiment, the face of the
heat-conducting device 64 that abuts against the heat-storing
medium 63 may be a saw-toothed face to increase the contact area
between the heat-conducting device 64 and heat-storing medium 63.
Thus, heat absorption of the heat-conducting device 64 is
facilitated.
[0033] Referring to FIG. 5, the motor cooling system 6 may be
connected to the generator 1 of the absorption refrigeration
system, serving as a heat source providing required heat for cyclic
vaporization operation of the generator 1. In the embodiment, the
heat-conducting device 64 of the motor cooling system 6 may be
connected to the high temperature device 12 of the generator 1,
allowing the exhausted heat generated during operation of a motor
using the motor cooling system 6 to be concentrated on the high
temperature device 12. In this way, heat required for operation of
the generator 1 can be provided. Advantageously, no additional
energy of the electric vehicle is consumed, preserving more energy
for other systems of the electric vehicle. Thus, overall
performance of the electric vehicle is improved. By coupling the
refrigeration system and the motor cooling system 6 together, not
only the overall volume of a power plant of the electric vehicle
can be reduced to improve the space availability of the electric
vehicle, but also more energy can be saved to improve the motive
power of the electric vehicle. Moreover, when the refrigeration
system operates, no extra burden is caused for a power source of
the electric vehicle, thus not affecting operation of other systems
of the electric vehicle.
[0034] Furthermore, the refrigeration system may also be coupled to
other systems that generate/exhaust heat, such as a battery unit,
power generator or current transformer. Thus, the exhausted heat of
the systems can be reused in an efficient manner. As can be readily
appreciated by one skilled in the art, the refrigeration system can
also be coupled with other systems rather than just the motor
cooling system.
[0035] Although the invention has been described in detail with
reference to its presently preferable embodiment, it will be
understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that various
modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and the
scope of the invention, as set forth in the appended claims.
* * * * *