Patents Assigned to Rocky Research
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Patent number: 6718792Abstract: An aqua-ammonia chiller apparatus is modified to include a heater function by providing a refrigerant by-pass for directing refrigerant to a heat exchanger capable of selectively functioning as a condenser during a heating mode or an evaporation during a cooling mode without passing through the apparatus condenser during the heating mode.Type: GrantFiled: January 5, 2000Date of Patent: April 13, 2004Assignee: Rocky ResearchInventors: Paul Sarkisian, Uwe Rockenfeller
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Patent number: 6705111Abstract: An ammonia-water absorption system uses plunger driven spring return diaphragm to pump absorption solution.Type: GrantFiled: January 9, 2003Date of Patent: March 16, 2004Assignee: Rocky ResearchInventors: Uwe Rockenfeller, Paul Sarkisian, William T. Dooley
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Patent number: 6656381Abstract: The rate of water vapor sorption of an absorption cycle cooling and/or heating system using an aqueous alkali metal halide solution as the working fluid is increased by adding to the fluid an effective additive amount of at least 2 parts per million of an aliphatic, cycloaliphatic, or aromatic ketone or aldehyde capable of increasing the rate of water vapor absorption.Type: GrantFiled: September 28, 2001Date of Patent: December 2, 2003Assignee: Rocky ResearchInventors: Travis Chandler, Uwe Rockenfeller
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Patent number: 6631624Abstract: An improved process for operating an aqua-ammonia absorption cooling system or heating and/or cooling system for supplying cooling to an indoor space, the system including a heat exchange assembly having a first heat exchanger exterior to the indoor space to be heated and/or cooled and a second heat exchanger using a phase-change refrigerant other than ammonia in heat transfer exposure with the interior of the indoor space, comprises pumping more liquid phase-change refrigerant from the refrigerant condensing heat exchanger to the refrigerant vaporizing heat exchanger than is required to meet the heat load transfer in the heat exchanger for vaporizing the phase-change refrigerant alone. The invention includes an apparatus for carrying out the process.Type: GrantFiled: November 10, 2000Date of Patent: October 14, 2003Assignee: Rocky ResearchInventors: Lance D. Kirol, Paul Sarkisian, Uwe Rockenfeller
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Patent number: 6584788Abstract: An aqua-ammonia absorption heating and/or cooling apparatus uses a thermostatic expansion valve (TXV) and a temperature-sensing bulb for controlling refrigerant flow to the evaporator having a bulb charge composition comprising a mixture of propane and butane, or an ammonia-water mixture having over 70% ammonia, by weight.Type: GrantFiled: April 16, 2002Date of Patent: July 1, 2003Assignee: Rocky ResearchInventors: Paul Sarkisian, Lance Kirol, Uwe Rockenfeller
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Patent number: 6487875Abstract: An aqua-ammonia absorption apparatus comprising an absorber assembly, a generator assembly, a condenser and an evaporator, the generator assembly comprising a boiler section, a solution-heated-desorber section, an adiabatic desorber or GAX desorber section, and a rectifier section, the interior space of at least one of said sections of said generator being substantially filled with structured packing material inert to an aqueous ammonia solution at generator temperatures.Type: GrantFiled: August 3, 2000Date of Patent: December 3, 2002Assignee: Rocky ResearchInventors: Paul Sarkisian, Lance D. Kirol
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Patent number: 6477856Abstract: A method of carrying out recuperation between alternately absorbing and desorbing reactors in which in a first reaction cycle in a desorbing reactor a gaseous reactant is desorbed from a solid sorbent and concurrently in an absorbing-reactor the gaseous reactant is absorbed on a solid sorbent, and in a second reaction cycle, absorption and desorption are reversed in said reactors, respectively, comprising communicating the reaction chambers of the desorbing reactor with the reaction chamber of the absorbing reactor and directing a portion of gaseous reactant desorbed from the sorbent composition in the desorbing reactor near the completion of a desorbing cycle to the absorbing reactor for less than about 10 minutes prior to reversing the cycles.Type: GrantFiled: July 24, 2001Date of Patent: November 12, 2002Assignee: Rocky ResearchInventors: Kaveh Khalili, Uwe Rockenfeller
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Patent number: 6427478Abstract: An aqua-ammonia absorption apparatus comprising an absorber assembly, a generator assembly, a condenser and an evaporator, wherein the absorber assembly comprises an absorber and a GAX absorber heat exchanger and wherein a strong liquor absorption solution is partially vaporized in the GAX absorber heat exchanger to form a two-phase vapor/liquor mixture, the apparatus including piping for directing separate vapor and liquid streams from the absorber assembly into the generator assembly and introducing the vapor stream into the generator assembly at a location where the composition is substantially the same as the vapor stream.Type: GrantFiled: August 3, 2000Date of Patent: August 6, 2002Assignee: Rocky ResearchInventors: Lance D. Kirol, Paul Sarkisian
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Patent number: 6415625Abstract: An auxiliary active heating and air conditioning system for a passenger area of a motor vehicle comprising a heat exchanger in the passenger area piped to receive conditioned heat transfer fluid, a sorption cooling system located outside the passenger area and having first and second reactors, each reactor containing a metal salt or a complex compound formed by absorbing a polar gas on a metal salt comprising a halide, nitrate, nitrite, oxalate, perchlorate, sulfate or sulfite of an alkali metal, alkaline earth metal, transition metal, zinc, cadmium, tin or aluminum, or sodium borofluoride or a double metal halide, the reactors having a heat transfer section for thermally exposing a heat transfer fluid and/or condensed polar gas refrigerant in heat exchange communication with the metal salt or said complex compound, a refrigerant loop including an evaporator piped to deliver conditioned heat transfer fluid to the heat exchanger during air conditioning, a heater for heating heat transfer fluid, and a valve assType: GrantFiled: July 9, 2001Date of Patent: July 9, 2002Assignee: Rocky ResearchInventors: Uwe Rockenfeller, Lance Kirol, Paul Sarkisian, Kaveh Khalili
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Patent number: 6385993Abstract: An aqua-ammonia absorption apparatus generator assembly comprising a boiler section, a solution-heated-desorber section, and adiabatic desorber or GAX desorber section, and a rectifier section, incorporates a plurality of columns, each column comprising one or more of the sections, with the columns arranged so that the lowest end of a first column is lower than the top end of a second column, and uses one or more eductors driven by a feed stream from the absorber for pumping liquid refrigerant from the bottom of a lower temperature column to the top of the next hotter column.Type: GrantFiled: August 3, 2000Date of Patent: May 14, 2002Assignee: Rocky ResearchInventors: Lance D. Kirol, Paul Sarkisian, Uwe Rockenfeller, William T. Dooley
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Patent number: 6328908Abstract: The rate of water vapor sorption of an absorption cycle cooling and/or heating system using an aqueous alkali metal halide solution as the working fluid is increased by adding to the fluid an effective additive amount of at least 2 parts per million of an aliphatic, cycloaliphatic, or aromatic ketone or aldehyde capable of increasing the rate of water vapor absorption.Type: GrantFiled: July 14, 1999Date of Patent: December 11, 2001Assignee: Rocky ResearchInventors: Travis Chandler, Uwe Rockenfeller
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Patent number: 6282919Abstract: An auxiliary active heating and air conditioning system for a passenger area of a motor vehicle comprising a heat exchanger in the passenger area piped to receive conditioned heat transfer fluid, a sorption cooling system located outside the passenger area and having first and second reactors, each reactor containing a metal salt or a complex compound formed by absorbing a polar gas on a metal salt comprising a halide, nitrate, nitrite, oxalate, perchlorate, sulfate or sulfite of an alkali metal, alkaline earth metal, transition metal, zinc, cadmium, tin or aluminum, or sodium borofluoride or a double metal halide, the reactors having a heat transfer section for thermally exposing a heat transfer fluid and/or condensed polar gas refrigerant in heat exchange communication with the metal salt or said complex compound, a refrigerant loop including an evaporator piped to deliver conditioned heat transfer fluid to the heat exchanger during air conditioning, a heater for heating heat transfer fluid, and a valve assType: GrantFiled: July 20, 1999Date of Patent: September 4, 2001Assignee: Rocky ResearchInventors: Uwe Rockenfeller, Lance Kirol, Paul Sarkisian, Kaveh Khalili
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Patent number: 6276166Abstract: An auxiliary thermal storage heating and air conditioning system having an output for selectively delivering warm and cool air to the passenger area of a motor vehicle incorporates a reactor containing a metal salt or a complex compound formed by absorbing a polar gas refrigerant on a metal salt comprising a halide, nitrate, nitrite, oxalate, perchlorate, sulfate or sulfite of an alkali metal, alkaline earth metal, transition metal, zinc, cadmium, tin or aluminum, or sodium borofluoride or a double metal halide. In a preferred embodiment, the reactor contains a sorbent/substrate composition comprising a substrate material inert to the polar gas and incorporating the salt or the complex compound. One embodiment utilizes apparatus having a heat exchanger which selectively functions as an evaporator for a cooling mode and a condenser for a heating mode, and inside and outside coils for transferring system generated thermal energy.Type: GrantFiled: July 20, 1999Date of Patent: August 21, 2001Assignee: Rocky ResearchInventors: Paul Sarkisian, Uwe Rockenfeller, Lance Kirol, Kaveh Khalili
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Patent number: 6224842Abstract: A sorber heat exchanger is provided with a substrate material incorporating a sorbent for reacting with a polar gas refrigerant or hydrogen. A preferred sorbent is a metal salt capable of reacting with the polar gas refrigerant to form a complex compound. The sorbent incorporating substrate is loaded into the reactor space between the heat transfer surfaces. Incorporating the sorbent into the substrate reduces sorbent migration thereby improving performance and life expectancy of the heat exchanger.Type: GrantFiled: May 4, 1999Date of Patent: May 1, 2001Assignee: Rocky ResearchInventors: Uwe Rockenfeller, Lance D. Kirol, Kaveh Khalili, James W. Langeliers, William T. Dooley
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Patent number: 6130411Abstract: The hitting distance performance of a golf ball is improved by heating the ball to an average temperature of between 30.degree. C. and 55.degree. C. during an active heating period of 30 minutes or less followed by a temperature equilibration period of 20 minutes or less. A golf ball heating appliance for carrying out the process has an upper and lower receptacle for receiving a plurality of golf balls and includes an electrical heating element capable of delivering at least 2 watts, and preferably, 4 watts of power per ball during the active heating period.Type: GrantFiled: October 20, 1999Date of Patent: October 10, 2000Assignee: Rocky ResearchInventors: Uwe Rockenfeller, Paul Sarkisian
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Patent number: 5973807Abstract: A composite hologram comprises a plurality of hologram tiles arranged for display, each of said hologram tiles formed by exposing each of a plurality of different unexposed photographic plates simultaneously to light scattered by an intermediate hologram using a conjugate complex of a first reference wave from a coherent light source and to a second reference wave from said coherent light source.Type: GrantFiled: November 19, 1997Date of Patent: October 26, 1999Assignee: Rocky ResearchInventors: Hermann-Stephan Buchkremer, Uwe Rockenfeller
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Patent number: 5901572Abstract: An auxiliary heating and air conditioning system has an output for selectively delivering warm air and cool air to the passenger area of a motor vehicle. The auxiliary system includes a thermo-electric cooler, which is a solid state device having a hot side and a cold side. Heat exchangers are disposed in connection with the hot side and cold side of the thermo-electric cooler to facilitate the transfer of thermal energy away from each side of the thermo-electric cooler. Two fans are disposed in fluid communication with the first and second heat exchangers to transfer air across the exchangers and to the output for selectively heating and cooling the passenger area of the motor vehicle. Interposed between the first and second heat exchangers and the output, are first and second arrays of energy storage panels. Preferably, these panels contain phase change material which is charged during the operation of the motor vehicle to change phase and therefore store thermal energy.Type: GrantFiled: December 7, 1995Date of Patent: May 11, 1999Assignee: Rocky ResearchInventors: Larry Peiffer, Terry Zeigler, William G. Guo
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Patent number: 5901780Abstract: An auxiliary active heating and air conditioning system which uses a fuel fired heater as an energy source for both heating and air conditioning a passenger area of a motor vehicle. The system also utilizes a single heat exchanger to supply both heated and cooled air to the passenger area. The system includes a fuel fired heater for heating heat transfer fluid and a two bed sorber cooling system. The system being operable in a heating mode and a cooling mode. In the heating mode, the heated heat transfer fluid from the fuel fired heater is directed to heat exchanger in order to heat the passenger compartment. In the cooling mode, the heat transfer fluid from the heater is alternately directed to the two sorber beds such that one sorber bed is heated while the other bed cools. The alternate heating and cooling of the sorber beds in the cooling mode causes the sorber cooling system to operate and thereby deliver cooled heat transfer fluid to the heat exchanger in the passenger area.Type: GrantFiled: April 8, 1998Date of Patent: May 11, 1999Assignee: Rocky ResearchInventors: Terry A. Zeigler, Larry L. Peiffer, William G. Guo, Uwe Rockenfeller, Paul Sarkasian, Lance D. Kirol
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Patent number: RE36283Abstract: The basic apparatus of the invention is a triple effect absorption cycle apparatus, comprising first, second and third generators each containing an aqueous absorption fluid and operating at successively higher temperatures; first, second and third condensers operating at successively higher temperatures, and operatively communicating with the generators; first heat exchange means cooperating between the third condenser and second generator, and between the second condenser and first generator, for directing energy therebetween; one, two or three absorbers and one, two or three fluid loops for directing aqueous absorption fluid between absorbers and second heat exchange means for exchanging energy between aqueous absorption fluid flows in said loops; and one, two or three evaporators operatively communicating with the absorbers.Type: GrantFiled: August 2, 1996Date of Patent: August 31, 1999Assignee: Rocky ResearchInventors: Uwe Rockenfeller, Paul Sarkisian
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Patent number: RE36684Abstract: A liquid vapor absorption system comprises: one or more absorbers, one or more generators, and a fluid loop for directing refrigerant absorption fluid between the absorbers and generators, heat exchangers for selectively functioning as an evaporator or a condenser and cooperating with an indoor coil for recovering thermal energy,a reservoir for condensed refrigerant,a phase-change thermosyphon loop for directing condensed refrigerant from the reservoir to the heat exchange section of an absorber for removing heat of absorption, anda reversing valve means for selectively directing gaseous refrigerant to the heat exchangers functioning as a condenser, and for simultaneously directing gaseous refrigerant from the heat exchangers functioning as an evaporator to the absorber.Type: GrantFiled: August 14, 1998Date of Patent: May 9, 2000Assignee: Rocky ResearchInventors: Uwe Rockenfeller, Lance Kirol