Absorption cycle apparatus and related method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11466189-B2
Application number	US-201716499247-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 5, 2017
Priority date	Apr 5, 2017
Publication date	Oct 11, 2022
Grant date	Oct 11, 2022

Abstract

An absorption cycle apparatus including a working fluid is presented. The working fluid includes a metal halide, water and a zwitterion additive, wherein the zwitterion additive includes an amino acid, 2,2′-[(phosphonomethyl)imino]diaceticacid, 3-[(2-hydroxyethyl)amino]-1-propanesulfonic acid, or combinations thereof. A method of controlling crystallization in a working fluid of an absorption cycle apparatus is also presented.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An absorption cycle apparatus, comprising:
an absorption cooling system; and
a working fluid comprising a metal halide, water, and a zwitterion additive, wherein the zwitterion additive comprises aspartic acid, 2,2′-[(phosphonomethyl)imino] diacetic acid, 3-[(2-hydroxyethyl)amino]-1-propanesulfonic acid, or combinations thereof.

2. The absorption cycle apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the metal halide comprises a lithium halide, a calcium halide, or a combination thereof.

3. The absorption cycle apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the metal halide comprises lithium chloride, lithium bromide, calcium chloride, or combinations thereof.

4. The absorption cycle apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the zwitterion additive is present in the working fluid in an amount in a range from about 100 parts per million to about 100000 parts per million.

5. The absorption cycle apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the zwitterion additive is present in the working fluid in an amount in a range from about 0.1 weight percent to about 10 weight percent of the metal halide.

6. The absorption cycle apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the metal halide is lithium bromide, and a crystallization temperature of lithium bromide in the working fluid is less than 10° C. at a concentration of about 64 weight percent of the working fluid.

7. The absorption cycle apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the absorption cycle apparatus is an absorption chiller, an absorption heater, or a thermal energy storage apparatus.

8. The absorption cycle apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the working fluid consists of the metal halide, water, the zwitterion additive, optionally a corrosion inhibitor, optionally an alkaline treating agent, and optionally an antifoaming agent.

9. An absorption cycle apparatus, comprising:
an absorption cooling system; and
a working fluid comprising lithium bromide, water, and aspartic acid.

10. The absorption cycle apparatus of claim 9 , wherein aspartic acid is present in the working fluid in an amount in a range from about 1000 parts per million to about 50000 parts per million.

11. The absorption cycle apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the working fluid consists of lithium bromide, water, aspartic acid, optionally a corrosion inhibitor, optionally an alkaline treating agent, and optionally an antifoaming agent.

12. A method of controlling crystallization in a working fluid of an absorption cycle apparatus comprising an absorption cooling system, comprising:
introducing a zwitterion additive to the working fluid, wherein the working fluid comprises a metal halide and water, and the zwitterion additive comprises aspartic acid, 2,2′-[(phosphonomethyl)imino] diacetic acid, 3-[(2-hydroxyethyl)amino]-1-propanesulfonic acid, or combinations thereof.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the metal halide comprises a lithium halide, a calcium halide, or a combination thereof.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the metal halide comprises lithium chloride, lithium bromide, calcium chloride, or combinations thereof.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the zwitterion additive is introduced in the working fluid in an amount in a range from about 100 parts per million to about 100000 parts per million.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the zwitterion additive is introduced in the working fluid in an amount in a range from about 0.1 weight percent to about 10 weight percent of the metal halide.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the metal halide is lithium bromide present at a concentration of about 64 weight percent of the working fluid, and a crystallization temperature of lithium bromide in the working fluid is lowered by at least 5° C. after introduction of the zwitterion additive to the working fluid.

18. The method of claim 12 , wherein the absorption cycle apparatus is an absorption chiller, an absorption heater, or a thermal energy storage apparatus.

19. The method of claim 12 , wherein, after the introduction of the zwitterion additive to the working fluid, the working fluid consists of the metal halide, water, the zwitterion additive, optionally a corrosion inhibitor, optionally an alkaline treating agent, and optionally an antifoaming agent.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Tang Ching-Jen
• Bonitatibus Peter John
• Rainka Matthew Paul

Classifications

• C09K5/047 Primary

  for absorption-type refrigeration systems · CPC title

• Y02A30/27

  Relating to heating, ventilation or air conditioning [HVAC] technologies · CPC title

• F25B15/06

  the refrigerant being water vapour evaporated from a salt solution, e.g. lithium bromide {(F25B15/025 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• Y02P20/10

  Process efficiency · CPC title

• C09K5/04

  the change of state being from liquid to vapour or vice versa · CPC title