Abstract: The appliance provides chilled water, heated water, or both chilled and heated water simultaneously. The primary intended use is in military vehicles, but the appliance may be used in any environment where heated and/or chilled liquid is desired.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A valve assembly includes a refrigerant inlet port and a refrigerant outlet port having a restricted opening, with the inlet port opening at least 2 times larger than the restricted outlet port opening. The valve includes components for opening and closing the inlet port in response to valve cavity pressure between the inlet and outlet ports.The larger inlet port relative to the restricted outlet port provides for rapid pressure buildup in the valve cavity when the inlet port is open which, in turn, causes rapid closing of the inlet port. The valve is capable of rapid cycling rates, highly effective for small refrigeration or cooling apparatus, as well as for controlling pressure in other applications requiring pressure regulation.

Abstract: An apparatus capable of providing rapid cooling and/or freezing comprises a cabinet or container having a cooling chamber, one or more reactors each containing a complex compound formed by adsorbing a polar gas on a metal salt, in which the polar gas is alternately adsorbed and desorbed on the complex compound, and in which the complex compound is formed by restricting the volumetric expansion and controlling the density during adsorption of the polar gas on the metal salt, whereby the complex compound is capable of adsorbing said polar gas at a rate of greater than 15 moles per mole hour of the complex compound in about 20 minutes or less, a condenser for condensing the polar gas, an evaporator thermally exposed to the cooling chamber for providing cooling therein, and conduits and one or more valves for directing said polar gas from the one or more reactors to the condenser, from the condenser to the evaporator and from the evaporator to the one or more reactors.

Abstract: An apparatus capable of providing rapid cooling and/or freezing comprises a cabinet or container having a cooling chamber, one or more reactors each containing a complex compound formed by adsorbing a polar gas on a metal salt, in which the polar gas is alternately adsorbed and desorbed on the complex compound, and in which the complex compound is formed by restricting the volumetric expansion and controlling the density during adsorption of the polar gas on the metal salt, whereby the complex compound is capable of adsorbing said polar gas at a rate of greater than 15 moles per mole hour of the complex compound in about 20 minutes or less, a condenser for condensing the polar gas, an evaporator thermally exposed to the cooling chamber for providing cooling therein, and conduits and one or more valves for directing said polar gas from the one or more reactors to the condenser, from the condenser to the evaporator and from the evaporator to the one or more reactors.

Abstract: A refrigerator and/or freezer incorporates one or more reactors containing a complex compound of a metal salt and a polar gas adsorbed thereon in which the volumetric expansion of the complex compound is restricted during adsorption, and which reactors comprise one or reaction chambers having a maximum means mass diffusion path length of less than about 15 mm, and/or a maximum thermal diffusion path length of less than 1.5 mm.

Abstract: A heating system incorporates one or more reactors containing a complex compound of a metal salt and a polar gas adsorbed thereon in which the volumetric expansion of the complex compound is restricted during adsorption and which reactors comprise one or more reaction chambers having a maximum mean mass diffusion path length of less than about 15 mm, and/or a maximum thermal diffusion path length of less than 1.5 min.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: In a sorption reaction system comprising one or more first reactors in which a refrigerant is alternately adsorbed and desorbed, and one or more second reactors in which a refrigerant is alternately desorbed and adsorbed, respectively, and having a cooling loop for directing heat transfer fluid to and from said reactors, a method of cooling an adsorbing reactor comprises directing liquid phase heat transfer fluid having a phase change from liquid to gas at a temperature at or below the temperature of adsorption to an adsorbing reactor in heat exchange exposure to the adsorbent utilizing vaporized heat transfer fluid for driving the liquid heat transfer fluid in the cooling loop. The refrigerant may be used as the heat transfer fluid. The invention includes apparatus for carrying out the method.

Abstract: Apparatus for cooling components or subassemblies of equipment at one or more locations comprises a first reactor located at a remote location from said equipment, and a second reactor located in heat exchange communication with a component or subassembly of said equipment, each of said first or second reactors containing a different complex compound of a polar refrigerant and a metal salt, wherein the equilibrium temperature of the complex compound in said first reactor differs from the equilibrium temperature of the complex compound in said second reactor by between about 10.degree. C. and about 150.degree. C. at the same operating pressure, heating means for heating a complex compound in said first reactor, and conduit means for directing polar refrigerant between said reactors.

Abstract: Apparatus for simultaneously supplying heating and cooling or refrigeration comprises first and second reactors each containing a complex compound of a metal salt and a gaseous refrigerant adsorbed thereon, a condenser, refrigerant conduit means for directing the refrigerant to and from the condenser and reactors, and fluid conduit means for directing heat transfer fluid in heat exchange communication with the condenser and selectively with the reactors. In another embodiment each reactor contains a different salt and instead of a condenser, energy is recovered through heat exchange fluid in heat exchange communication with the reactors.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.