Patents Assigned to Rocky Research
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Patent number: 5335510Abstract: An improved apparatus for staging solid-vapor complex compounds comprises heat exchange means for transferring heat from super-heated refrigerant vapor from a desorbing reactor to cooled refrigerant vapor directed to an adsorbing reactor. In another embodiment a liquid subcooler is used to cool liquid refrigerant passing from a condenser to an evaporator with cold refrigerant gas directed to an adsorbing reactor from the evaporator.Type: GrantFiled: May 27, 1993Date of Patent: August 9, 1994Assignee: Rocky ResearchInventors: Uwe Rockenfeller, Lance D. Kirol
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Patent number: 5328671Abstract: In a chemisorption reaction process wherein a polar gas is repeatedly alternately adsorbed and desorbed on a complex compound formed by adsorbing said polar gas on a metal salt, said complex compound capable of having a first density if allowed to expand without restriction during said adsorption, a method of increasing the reaction rates of said chemisorption reaction process comprises controlling the volumeric expansion of said complex compound formed during at least the initial adsorption reaction of said polar gas on said metal salt to form at least a partially structurally immobilized, self-supporting, coherent, reaction product mass having a second density. The metal salt may also be mixed with a zeolite, activated carbon, activated alumina or silica gel prior to the first adsorption reaction.Type: GrantFiled: August 14, 1992Date of Patent: July 12, 1994Assignee: Rocky ResearchInventor: Uwe Rockenfeller
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Patent number: 5298231Abstract: Reaction rates in chemisorption reactions involving solid reactants and gaseous ligands are improved by maintaining optimized solid density throughout the reaction. Methods and apparatus which restrict volumetric solid expansion, compression of the solid reactant, and mixture with inert solid porous or particulate materials are disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: November 13, 1992Date of Patent: March 29, 1994Assignee: Rocky ResearchInventor: Uwe Rockenfeller
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Patent number: 5295358Abstract: An improved apparatus for staging solid-vapor complex compounds comprises heat exchange means for transferring heat from super-heated refrigerant vapor from a desorbing reactor to cooled refrigerant vapor directed to an adsorbing reactor. In another embodiment a liquid subcooler is used to cool liquid refrigerant passing from a condenser to an evaporator with cold refrigerant gas directed to an adsorbing reactor from the evaporator.Type: GrantFiled: May 27, 1993Date of Patent: March 22, 1994Assignee: Rocky ResearchInventors: Uwe Rockenfeller, Lance D. Kirol
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Patent number: 5291753Abstract: An improved apparatus for staging solid-vapor complex compounds comprises heat exchange means for transferring heat from super-heated refrigerant vapor from a desorbing reactor to cooled refrigerant vapor directed to an adsorbing reactor. In another embodiment a liquid subcooler is used to cool liquid refrigerant passing from a condenser to an evaporator with cold refrigerant gas directed to an adsorbing reactor from the evaporator.Type: GrantFiled: May 27, 1993Date of Patent: March 8, 1994Assignee: Rocky ResearchInventors: Uwe Rockenfeller, Lance D. Kirol
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Patent number: 5289690Abstract: The invention disclosed herein relates to an apparatus for being detachably connected to a chemical or refrigeration system for selectively receiving and dispensing a gaseous refrigerant or chemical from and to that system, respectively, including a vessel having a chamber capable of maintaining a pressurized gas therein, gas inlet means for directing the gas: to and from the chamber, and connection means for connecting the gas inlet to a refrigeration or chemical system; a plurality of heat exchange conduits exposed in the chamber for directing heat exchange fluid therethrough and fluid inlet and outlet means communicating exteriorly of the vessel for directing the fluid to and from the conduits, respectively; and a solid adsorbent capable of alternately adsorbing and desorbing the gaseous refrigerant or chemical and positioned in thermal communication with each of the heat exchange conduits.Type: GrantFiled: August 6, 1992Date of Patent: March 1, 1994Assignee: Rocky ResearchInventors: Uwe Rockenfeller, Lance D. Kirol
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Patent number: 5271239Abstract: Apparatus for cooling components or subassemblies of equipment at one or more locations comprises one or more first and one or more second reactors, remote from said equipment, each reactor containing a complex compound of a polar refrigerant and a metal salt a first heater in said first reactor and a second heater in said second reactor for heating the complex compound therein, respectively, a condenser, remote from said equipment, for converting gaseous refrigerant to a liquid phase, and means for cooling said condenser with ambient air, a plurality of one or more evaporators, each in independent heat exchange communication with one or more of said components or subassemblies within said equipment, valve means cooperating with first conduit means for alternately directing polar refrigerant from said first and said second reactors, respectively, to said condenser, and second conduit means for directing ammonia from said condenser to said evaporators and third conduit means for directing ammonia from said evaType: GrantFiled: November 19, 1991Date of Patent: December 21, 1993Assignee: Rocky ResearchInventors: Uwe Rockenfeller, Lance D. Kirol
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Patent number: 5263330Abstract: An apparatus comprises a plurality of two or more reaction chambers, each having a different compound therein comprising a solid reactant adsorbent and a gaseous reactant adsorbed thereon, each of said compounds having a different gaseous refrigerant vapor pressure, substantially independent of the concentration of the gaseous reactant, and having an ascending order of gaseous reactant vapor pressure wherein the adsorption temperature of a lower vapor pressure compound at adsorption temperature of a lower vapor pressure compound at adsorption pressure is at least 8.degree..degree.C.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 1991Date of Patent: November 23, 1993Assignee: Rocky ResearchInventors: Uwe Rockenfeller, Lance D. Kirol
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Patent number: 5241831Abstract: An improved apparatus for staging solid-vapor complex compounds comprises heat exchange means for transferring heat from super-heated refrigerant vapor from a desorbing reactor to cooled refrigerant vapor directed to an adsorbing reactor. In another embodiment a liquid subcooler is used to cool liquid refrigerant passing from a condenser to an evaporator with cold refrigerant gas directed to an adsorbing reactor from the evaporator.Type: GrantFiled: June 17, 1991Date of Patent: September 7, 1993Assignee: Rocky ResearchInventors: Uwe Rockenfeller, Lance D. Kirol
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Patent number: 5186020Abstract: A portable cooling apparatus comprising a thermally insulated container having a cooling chamber therein, a lid providing access to the chamber, an evaporator including a heat exchange surface exposed in the cooling chamber, a reactor assembly secured adjacent the container comprising one or more reactors containing an ammoniated complex compound or coordinative complex compound of other suitable polar refrigerant, heating means for heating the complex compound, and a valved conduit for directing refrigerant between the reactor and the evaporator assembly. In another embodiment, the cooling apparatus comprises an inside reactor assembly, replacing the evaporator, and an outside reactor assembly each assembly containing a different complex compound.Type: GrantFiled: July 19, 1991Date of Patent: February 16, 1993Assignee: Rocky ResearchInventors: Uwe Rockenfeller, Lance D. Kirol
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Patent number: 5165247Abstract: The invention disclosed herein relates to an apparatus for being detachably connected to a chemical or refrigeration system for selectively receiving and dispensing a gaseous refrigerant or chemical from and to that system, respectively, including a vessel having a chamber capable of maintaining a pressurized gas therein, gas inlet means for directing the gas to and from the chamber, and connection means for connecting the gas inlet to a refrigeration or chemical system; a plurality of heat exchange conduits exposed in the chamber for directing heat exchange fluid therethrough and fluid inlet and outlet means communicating exteriorly of the vessel for directing the fluid to and from the conduits, respectively; and a solid adsorbent capable of alternately adsorbing and desorbing the gaseous refrigerant or chemical and positioned in thermal communication with each of the heat exchange conduits.Type: GrantFiled: February 11, 1991Date of Patent: November 24, 1992Assignee: Rocky ResearchInventors: Uwe Rockenfeller, Lance D. Kirol
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Patent number: 5161389Abstract: An apparatus capable of rapidly cooling or freezing a composition comprising a walled housing member having a cooling chamber and a door for accessing the cooling chamber from the exterior of the housing, an evaporator and a blower for circulating cold air from the evaporator to the cooling chamber, first and second reactors each containing a complex compound consisting of a metal salt and ammonia adsorbed thereon, heaters in the reactors for heating the complex compound, and valves and conduits for directing ammonia from the evaporator to the reactors, from the reactors to the condenser, and from the condenser to the evaporator, and control means for sequentially operating the heaters for alternately heating the complex compounds in the reactors, operating the air handling means and one or more of the valves, and switching means for turning the apparatus on and off.Type: GrantFiled: November 13, 1990Date of Patent: November 10, 1992Assignee: Rocky ResearchInventors: Uwe Rockenfeller, Lance D. Kirol
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Patent number: 5079928Abstract: A method of transferring and recovering energy comprises placing in different reactors two or more different solid adsorbents having a gaseous reactant adsorbed thereon and each having a different gaseous reactant vapor pressure, in a first reaction cycle, pressurizing a first portion of the reactors at a first pressure to desorb the gaseous reactant in an endothermic reaction, and pressurizing a second portion of the reactors at a second pressure to adsorb the gaseous reactant in an exothermic reaction, and in a second reaction cycle, pressurizing the first portion of the reactors at the second pressure to adsorb the gaseous reactant in an exothermic reaction, and pressurizing the second portion of the reactors at the first pressure to desorb the gaseous reactant in an endothermic reaction, and directing at least a portion of the heat released during the exothermic reactions or at least a portion of heat adsorbed during the endothermic reactions to heat exchange means for energy recovery.Type: GrantFiled: June 7, 1991Date of Patent: January 14, 1992Assignee: Rocky ResearchInventors: Uwe Rockenfeller, Lance D. Kirol
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Patent number: 5027607Abstract: A method of transferring and recovering energy comprises placing in different reactors two or more different solid adsorbents having a gaseous reactant adsorbed thereon and each having a different gaseous reactant vapor pressure, in a first reaction cycle, pressurizing a first portion of the reactors at a first pressure to desorb the gaseous reactant in an endothermic reaction, and pressurizing a second portion of the reactors at a second pressure to adsorb the gaseous reactant in an exothermic reaction, and in a second reaction cycle, pressurizing the first portion of the reactors at the second pressure to adsorb the gaseous reactant in an exothermic reaction, and pressurizing the second portion of the reactors at the first pressure to desorb the gaseous reactant in an endothermic reaction, and directing at least a portion of the heat released during the exothermic reactions or at least a portion of heat absorbed during the endothermic reactions to heat exchange means for energy recovery.Type: GrantFiled: July 7, 1989Date of Patent: July 2, 1991Assignee: Rocky ResearchInventors: Uwe Rockenfeller, Lance D. Kirol
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Patent number: 5025635Abstract: A method of transferring and recovering energy comprises selecting a plurality of two or more different compounds comprising a solid reactant adsorbent and a gaseous reactant adsorbed thereon, each of said compounds having a different gaseous reactant vapor pressure, substantially independent of the concentration of the gaseous reactant, locating a first set of the different compounds in a first reactor and a second set of the different compounds in a second reactor, pressurizing the first reactor at a first pressure and the second reactor at a second pressure, supplying a heat transfer fluid at a first temperature along the first reactor in thermal communication with the first set of compounds, whereby said compounds desorb said gaseous reactant in endothermic reactions, supplying a heat transfer fluid at a second temperature, typically lower than the first temperature, along second reactor in thermal communication with the second set of compounds, whereby the compounds adsorb the gaseous reactant in exotherType: GrantFiled: November 14, 1989Date of Patent: June 25, 1991Assignee: Rocky ResearchInventors: Uwe Rockenfeller, Lance D. Kirol
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Patent number: RE34259Abstract: An improved heat exchange system incorporates the cooling created by using a metal salt/ammonia ligand complex compound which is alternately heated and cooled to alternately desorb and adsorb, respectively, the ammonia creating useful cooling or refrigeration in the temperature range of between -65.degree. C. to 15.degree. C.Type: GrantFiled: July 17, 1991Date of Patent: May 25, 1993Assignee: Rocky ResearchInventor: Uwe Rockenfeller
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Patent number: RE34542Abstract: A system for storing chemical energy comprises first and second vessels, the first containing a liquid solution of an alkali or alkaline earth metal hydroxide, halide, or thiocyanate, or ammonium halide or thiocynate at an initial concentration of between about 30% to abotu 80%, by weight, the second vessel containing liquid, a space about the liquid in each vessel and a conduit communicating between the spaces having a valve for selectively allowing liquid vapor to pass between the spaces, means for heating the solution to a temperature above about 80.degree. F., means for cooling the liquid to a temperature below about 55.degree. F., and heat exchange means for transferring heat from the heated solution and for transferring heat to the cooled liquid. Water is the preferred liquid although ammonia, lower alcohols, and polyols such as glycerol, glycols, polyglycols, glycol ethers, lower aliphatic amines and alkanol amines, and mixtures thereof, may be used.Type: GrantFiled: April 25, 1991Date of Patent: February 15, 1994Assignee: Rocky ResearchInventor: Uwe Rockenfeller