Abstract: Buildings are advantageously heated or heat-conditioned with a heat pump operated with a non-azeotropic mixture of two working fluids. The mixture comprises 99 to 70% by mole of dichlorodifluoromethane (R 12), monochlorodifluoromethane (R 22) or one of the halohydrocarbon azeotropes R 500, R 501 or R 502 with 1 to 30% by mole of trifluoromethane (R 23) or the halohydrocarbon azeotrope R 503.

Abstract: A method of operating a heat pump or a thermal engine with the vaporization and the condensation of a heat transfer fluid. The fluid is a chlorofluorinated hydrocarbon with 2 or 3 carbon atoms, a hydrogen atom, at least one chlorine atom per molecule and at most one chlorine atom per carbon atom, with the remainder consisting of fluorine, and said fluid having a critical temperature of at least 140.degree. C.

Abstract: A process for cold and/or heat production using carbon dioxide, a solvent for carbon dioxide and a condensable fluid (F), comprising conducting an absorption/condensation step wherein carbon dioxide is absorbed in the solvent and the gaseous fluid (F) is condensed, a step of separation of the resultant liquid phases, a desorption step for the CO.sub.2 solution, a mixing step and an evaporation step for the condensed fluid (F).

Abstract: Process for producing cold and/or heat, making use of an absorption cycle and wherein carbon dioxide is the working fluid, comprising the steps of:(a) heating a solution L.sub.1 of carbon dioxide in a liquid solvent so as to obtain a carbon dioxide gaseous phase G.sub.1 and a desorbed liquid phase S.sub.1,(b) dissolving said gaseous phase in a liquid solvent S.sub.2 therefor while removing the evolved heat,(c) heating under reduced pressure the solution obtained in step b so as to desorb a carbon dioxide phase G.sub.2 therefrom and form a desorbed liquid phase S.sub.3,(d) admixing S.sub.1 and G.sub.2 at the pressure level of G.sub.2 while removing heat and increasing the pressure of the resulting solution L.sub.3 to the pressure of L.sub.1 and recycling it at least partially to step a, and(e) recycling at least a portion of S.sub.3 to step b after recompression to the pressure level of G.sub.1, in order to reconstitute S.sub.2.

Abstract: Buildings are advantageously heated or heat-conditioned with a heat pump operated with a non-azeotropic mixture of two working fluids. The mixture comprises 99 to 70% by mole of dichlorodifluoromethane (R 12), monochlorodifluoromethane (R 22) or one of the halohydrocarbon azeotropes R 500, R 501 or R 502 with 1 to 30% by mole of trifluoromethane (R 23) or the halohydrocarbon azeotrope R 503.

Abstract: Mechanical power is generated by a process comprising (a) progressive vaporization of a mixture of fluids, (b) expansion of the resultant vapor, (c) condensation of the vapor and (d) recycling to step (a) of the liquid phase obtained in step (c). The heat exchanges are effected counter-currently, thus providing parallel evolutions of temperature. The condensation is effected in a temperature interval of from 7.degree. to 30.degree. C.

Abstract: Cold is produced in a phase separation cycle comprising the steps of (a) compressing a refrigerant fluid and dissolving it in a solvent, (b) cooling resultant solution to form two distinct liquid phases, (c) separating the liquid phases, (d) recycling the heavy phase, (e) expanding and vaporizing the light phase to produce cold, and (f) recycling the vaporized light phase. A portion of the cold produced in step (e) is used to cool the solution from step (a), and another portion is used to cool an external medium.

Abstract: Cold and/or heat are produced by means of an absorption cycle. The process comprises six steps:(a) contacting, in an absorption/condensation step, a liquid phase of solvent (S) with a gas phase comprising both a working fluid (F) and a fluid (H),(b) separating the solution of fluid (F) in the solvent (S) from the liquid phase of fluid (H),(c) desorbing the solution of fluid (F) in the solvent (S),(d) condensing the vapor phase of high fluid (F) content obtained in step (c),(e) admixing the liquid condensation phase of step (d) with the liquid phase of fluid (H) of step (b), and vaporizing the resultant mixture, and(f) recycling a resultant gas phase to step (a).The fluid (F) is, for example, ammonia, the solvent (S) water and the fluid (H) a hydrocarbon.

Abstract: A heating and thermal conditioning process makes use of a compression heat pump operated with a mixed working fluid consisting of a non-azeotropic fluid mixture, wherein the compressed mixture. The compressed fluid mixture is completely condensed by heat exchange with an external fluid and then sub-cooled. The sub-cooled fluid is then expanded and partially vaporized, and the partially vaporized fraction is used as a sub-cooling agent for the condensed fluid mixture in a heat exchange having also the effect of completing said vaporization to produce a gaseous mixture whch is again compressed in a new cycle of operation of the heat pump.

Abstract: A heat exchanger composed of stacked perforated sheets forming two series of channels for at least two fluids, with a hot fluid and a cold fluid, the heat being transferred through the sheets. A distribution system is provided at each end and includes (a) a series of grooves communicating with an external duct, and (b) passages passing throughout a distribution plate and communicating with an external duct.

Abstract: A heat pump whose working fluid, circulating through a closed loop comprising an evaporation zone, a compression zone, a condensation zone, and an expansion zone, consists of a non-azeotropic mixture of at least two separate fluids, said working fluid being in counter-current heat-exchange contact with a first external fluid used as heat source, and with a second external fluid used as heating fluid.

Abstract: A building is heated by means of a heat pump operated with a mixture of at least two working fluids, the proportion of the minor constituent being from 0.5 to 20% by mole and the difference between the critical temperatures of the two fluids being at least 20.degree. C. Heat is received from a fluid at a temperature between 0.degree. and 20.degree. C.

Abstract: Cold or heat are produced by an absorption process comprising an absorption step, a desorption step, a rectification step, a condensation step and a vaporization step. The process operates at a lower pressure level and at a higher performance rate than the conventional absorption processes. This result is obtained by condensing the vapor phase from the rectification zone in admixture with a dilute solution of the working fluid and by supplying the absorption solution to an intermediary point of the rectification zone.

Abstract: Cold and/or heat are produced by a process operated according to the absorption technique and which comprises at least two successive absorption steps of the solute vapor in a solvent. At least one part of the heat evolved in the first absorption step is used to partially vaporize the solution recovered from the second absorption step, said second absorption step being operated at a lower temperature than the first absorption step. The solution recovered from said second absorption step is brought to higher pressure and partially vaporized with use of the heat evolved in the first absorption step. The resultant solution is then desorbed in a countercurrent contact zone wherein the solution is contacted with a vapor phase generated by heating of this solution.

Abstract: A solvent phase of low solute content is contacted with a solute gas phase for absorption of the solute; effluent gas is condensed in admixture with a portion of the solvent phase which has not been fed to the absorption zone. Overall thermal yield is increased.

Abstract: An improvement to absorption heat pumps and refrigerators, which comprises supplying of a first fraction S.sub.1 of a solution S subjected to a desorption step, to a heating and vaporization zone E where the solution S.sub.1 is progressively heated and vaporized in a temperature interval .DELTA. between an initial temperature T.sub.i, and a final temperature T.sub.f, by heat exchange with a fluid external to the desorption zone, while a vapor phase V' and optionally, a liquid phase L' are produced, which phases are separated from each other, and a second fraction S.sub.2 of the solution S is fed to a desorption zone D in which the fraction S.sub.2 and vapor phase V' are contacted to obtain a liquid phase L", phases L' and L" forming the phase L which is recycled to the absorption step.

Abstract: System for storing thermal energy obtained from a heat source operable in a discontinuous manner, such as a solar collector, comprising the successive steps of using this thermal energy to raise the temperature of a solid substance, dispersed in a liquid, above its melting point so as to obtain an emulsion of said substance in said liquid and of using a cold source in thermal exchange with said emulsion to decrease the temperature of said emulsion so as to obtain a dispersion of solid substance in the liquid and further comprising means for storing the obtained emulsion or dispersion under adiabatic conditions before proceeding to the following step.

Abstract: Heat available at a lower temperature level is converted to heat at a higher temperature level, by dissolving a gaseous fraction of a working fluid into a liquid phase, thereby producing heat at the higher temperature level, desorbing at least a portion of said gaseous fraction with a stripping gas, taking heat at said lower temperature level, fractionating the resulting gaseous mixture by partial liquefaction, separation and vaporization, into at least two gaseous fractions and recycling said fractions respectively as working fluid and as stripping gas.

Abstract: Process for producing heat at a temperature level higher than that of an available heat source comprising vaporizing a working fluid of at least two components of different boiling points by heat exchange with said heat source within a first temperature range, compressing at least a portion of the obtained vapor and condensing at least a portion of the compressed vapor in a temperature range whose highest temperature is higher than the highest temperature of said first range while transferring condensation heat to an external medium other than said heat source, expanding the condensed liquid fraction and using it as said working fluid.

Abstract: Process for producing cold by evaporation of a cooling fluid, comprising the steps of compressing a gaseous phase of the cooling fluid and dissolving it, at least partly, in a liquid solvent, precooling the resulting solution by an external fluid and further cooling it by heat exchange with a heavy and a light liquid phase, said heavy liquid phase being then recycled as liquid solvent for the gaseous phase of the cooling fluid, said light liquid phase being vaporized to produce cold, thereafter used for cooling said solution and recycled as gaseous phase of the cooling fluid.