Abstract: A sorption heat pump, comprising a gaseous refrigerant; a liquid solvent; a lean solution and a rich solution, wherein the lean solution and the rich solution are single phase mixes of the liquid solvent and the refrigerant; a first absorber in which the lean solution absorbs a first partial flow of the refrigerant under a pressure drop; a second absorber in which the lean solution absorbs a second partial flow of the refrigerant directly thereafter while respectively dissipating heat; and an expeller in which the rich solution absorbs ambient heat and expels the refrigerant, a down tube arranged between an outlet for the lean solution from the first absorber and an inlet for the lean solution into the second absorber, wherein a hydrostatic pressure of a liquid column of the lean solution in the down tube compensates the pressure drop.

Abstract: In a method for operating a Stirling cycle process an operating medium is essentially compressed in an isothermal manner, subsequently heated in an isochoric manner subsequently expanded in an isothermal manner and subsequently cooled in an isochoric manner which completes the cycle process. In order to improve the energy efficiency of such processes for a clockwise power machine process and also for a counterclockwise refrigeration machine it is proposed that the isothermal compression be performed freely through a liquid piston compressor (2) and/or the isothermal expansion is performed by a liquid piston expander. Additionally a device for carrying out the method is disclosed.