Heat pump/refrigerator using liquid working fluid

Patent · Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1982

OSTI ID:864357

Wheatley, John C ^[1]; Paulson, Douglas N ^[1]; Allen, Paul C ^[2]; Knight, William R ^[3]; Warkentin, Paul A ^[4]

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1. Del Mar, CA
2. Solana Beach, CA
3. Corvallis, OR
4. San Diego, CA

A heat transfer device is described that can be operated as a heat pump or refrigerator, which utilizes a working fluid that is continuously in a liquid state and which has a high temperature-coefficient of expansion near room temperature, to provide a compact and high efficiency heat transfer device for relatively small temperature differences as are encountered in heating or cooling rooms or the like. The heat transfer device includes a pair of heat exchangers that may be coupled respectively to the outdoor and indoor environments, a regenerator connecting the two heat exchangers, a displacer that can move the liquid working fluid through the heat exchangers via the regenerator, and a means for alternately increasing and decreasing the pressure of the working fluid. The liquid working fluid enables efficient heat transfer in a compact unit, and leads to an explosion-proof smooth and quiet machine characteristic of hydraulics. The device enables efficient heat transfer as the indoor-outdoor temperature difference approaches zero, and enables simple conversion from heat pumping to refrigeration as by merely reversing the direction of a motor that powers the device.

• Research Organization: Univ. of California (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AT03-76ER70143
• Assignee: United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
• Patent Number(s): US 4353218
• OSTI ID: 864357
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

heat
pump
refrigerator
liquid
fluid
transfer
device
described
operated
utilizes
continuously
temperature-coefficient
expansion
near
temperature
provide
compact
efficiency
relatively
differences
encountered
heating
cooling
pair
exchangers
coupled
respectively
outdoor
indoor
environments
regenerator
connecting
displacer
move
via
means
alternately
increasing
decreasing
pressure
enables
efficient
unit
leads
explosion-proof
smooth
quiet
machine
characteristic
hydraulics
indoor-outdoor
difference
approaches
zero
simple
conversion
pumping
refrigeration
merely
reversing
direction
motor
powers
temperature difference
heat pump
heat exchange
heat exchanger
heat transfer
heat exchangers
temperature differences
efficient heat
transfer device
heat pumping
enables efficient
device enables
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