Compact membrane-based absorption heat pump

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12000630-B2
Application number	US-202117412287-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 26, 2021
Priority date	Aug 26, 2021
Publication date	Jun 4, 2024
Grant date	Jun 4, 2024

Abstract

The present invention provides a heat pump that includes an absorber/evaporator module having a solution channel and a refrigerant channel along with first and second liquid channels. A porous membrane is positioned between the refrigerant channel and the solution channel; the porous membrane permits flow of vapor molecules therethrough while restricting flow of absorbent molecules. A membrane-based generator/condenser module with a similar structure is in fluid communication with the absorber/evaporator module. The membrane-based modules offer a large specific surface area with integrated solution/refrigerant flows, which enables formation of a highly compact heat pump exhibiting strong heat/mass transfer.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A heat pump comprising:
a first membrane-based absorber/evaporator module including:
a first solution channel;
a first refrigerant channel;
a first vapor channel positioned between the first solution channel and the first refrigerant channel;
a first liquid channel comprising a plurality of first liquid sub-channels which are arranged along a horizontal direction;
a second liquid channel comprising a plurality of second liquid sub-channels which are arranged along the horizontal direction;
a first porous membrane positioned between the first refrigerant channel and the first vapor channel; and
a second porous membrane positioned between the first vapor channel and the first solution channel; the first and second porous membranes permitting flow of vapor molecules therethrough while restricting flow of absorbent molecules;
a first hollow support plate connecting to and abutting against the first porous membrane;
a second hollow support plate connecting to and abutting against the second porous membrane, wherein the first hollow support plate and the second hollow support plate are located between the first porous membranes and second porous membranes;
a first vertical wall extending from the first refrigerant channel to the first solution channel with passing by the first porous membrane, the first hollow support plate, the first vapor channel, the second hollow support plate, and the second porous membrane in sequence; and
a second vertical wall extending from the first refrigerant channel to the first solution channel with passing by the first porous membrane, the first hollow support plate, the first vapor channel, the second hollow support plate, and the second porous membrane in sequence, wherein the first hollow support plate and the second hollow support plate are located between the first vertical wall and the second vertical wall, wherein each of the first and second vertical walls border an outermost first liquid sub-channel as well as an outermost second liquid sub-channel, and wherein the first vapor channel is defined and bordered by the first and second hollow support plates and the first and second vertical walls collectively by connecting opposite end surfaces of the first and second hollow support plates to the first and second vertical walls, and surfaces of the first and second hollow support plates face each other and are entirely exposed by the first vapor channel;

a second membrane-based generator/condenser module including:
a second solution channel;
a second refrigerant channel;
a second vapor channel positioned between the second solution channel and the second refrigerant channel;
a third liquid channel comprising a plurality of third liquid sub-channels which are arranged along the horizontal direction;
a fourth liquid channel comprising a plurality of fourth liquid sub-channels which are arranged along the horizontal direction;
a third porous membrane positioned between the second refrigerant channel and the second vapor channel; and
a fourth porous membrane positioned between the second vapor channel and the second solution channel; the third and fourth porous membranes permitting flow of vapor molecules therethrough while restricting flow of absorbent molecules;
a third hollow support plate connecting to and abutting against the third porous membrane;
a fourth hollow support plate connecting to and abutting against the fourth porous membrane, wherein the third hollow support plate and the fourth hollow support plate are located between the third porous membranes and fourth porous membranes;
a third vertical wall extending from the second refrigerant channel to the second solution channel with passing by the third porous membrane, the second hollow support plate, the second vapor channel, the fourth hollow support plate, and the fourth porous membrane in sequence; and
a fourth vertical wall extending from the second refrigerant channel to the second solution channel with passing by the third porous membrane, the second hollow support plate, the second vapor channel, the fourth hollow support plate, and the fourth porous membrane in sequence, wherein the third hollow support plate and the fourth hollow support plate are located between the third vertical wall and the fourth vertical wall, wherein each of the third and fourth vertical walls border an outermost third liquid sub-channel as well an outermost fourth liquid sub-channel, and wherein the second vapor channel is defined and bordered by the third and fourth hollow support plates and the third and fourth vertical walls collectively by connecting opposite end surfaces of the third and fourth hollow support plates to the third and fourth vertical walls, and surfaces of the third and fourth hollow support plates face each other and are entirely exposed by the second vapor channel; and

fluid communication paths between the first membrane-based absorber/evaporator module and the second membrane-based generator/condenser module.

2. The heat pump of claim 1 , further comprising a solution pump.

3. The heat pump of claim 1 , further comprising a heat exchanger positioned between and in fluid communication with the first membrane-based absorber/evaporator module and the second membrane-based generator/condenser module.

4. The heat pump of claim 1 , wherein the first and third liquid channels are respectively positioned adjacent to the first and second refrigerant channels and the second and fourth liquid channels are respectively positioned adjacent to the first and second solution channels.

5. The heat pump of claim 1 , wherein the porous membrane is selected from one or more of polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), or their composites.

6. The heat pump of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first solution channel and the second solution channel has an absorbent-containing solution flowing therethrough, and the absorbent-containing solution includes one or more of a salt, an ionic liquid, water, LiBr, LiCl, LiNO 3 or NH 3 .

7. The heat pump of claim 1 , further comprising at least one refrigerant which flows through at least one of the first refrigerant channel and the second refrigerant channel and includes one or more of hydrofluorocarbon, hydrofluroolefin, or CO 2 .

8. The heat pump of claim 1 , wherein the first refrigerant channel comprises a plurality of first refrigerant sub-channels which are arranged along the horizontal direction, wherein the first solution channel comprises a plurality of first solution sub-channels which are arranged along the horizontal direction, wherein the second refrigerant channel comprises a plurality of second refrigerant sub-channels which are arranged along the horizontal direction, wherein the second solution channel comprises a plurality of second solution sub-channels which are arranged along the horizontal direction.

9. The heat pump of claim 8 , wherein the first refrigerant channel and the first liquid channel share the same horizontal wall, and wherein the first solution channel and the second liquid channel share the same horizontal wall.

10. The heat pump of claim 1 , wherein the first vertical wall and the second vertical wall have surfaces facing each other and entirely exposed from the first vapor channel, and the third vertical wall and the fourth vertical wall have surfaces facing each other and entirely exposed from the second vapor channel.

11. The heat pump of claim 1 , wherein the surfaces of the first hollow support plates, the second hollow support plate, the first vertical wall, and the second vertical wall surrounding the first vapor channel colle

Assignees

• Univ City Hong Kong

Inventors

• Wu Wei
• Zhai Chong
• Sui Zengguang
• Sui Yunren
• Ding Zhixiong

Classifications

• F25B37/00 Primary

  Absorbers; Adsorbers (boiler-absorbers F25B35/00) · CPC title

• F25B15/02

  without inert gas ({F25B15/004, F25B15/006, F25B15/008}, F25B15/12, F25B15/14, F25B15/16 take precedence) · CPC title

• F25B15/002 Primary

  using the endothermic solution of salt · CPC title

• Y02B30/62

  Absorption based systems · CPC title

• Y02A30/27

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