An absorber unit 1a includes a first absorber 13a and a second absorber 13b. The first absorber 13a includes a first heat transfer tube group 11a and a first dripper 12a. The second absorber 13b includes a second heat transfer tube group 11b and a second dripper 12b. The first heat transfer tube group 11a has a first end portion 11m, and the second heat transfer tube group 11b has a second end portion 11n. In the first end portion 11m and the second end portion 11n, a shortest distance D1 is larger than a shortest distance D2. The shortest distance D1 is a shortest distance, in a gravity direction, between the outer surfaces of a specific pair of heat transfer tubes 10 adjacent to each other in the first end portion 11m. The shortest distance D2 is a shortest distance, in the gravity direction, between the outer surfaces of a pair of heat transfer tubes 10 in the second end portion 11n that form rows corresponding to the specific pair of heat transfer tubes 10.

The present invention provides a heat pump that includes an absorber/evaporator module having a solution channel and a refrigerant channel along with first and second liquid channels. A porous membrane is positioned between the refrigerant channel and the solution channel; the porous membrane permits flow of vapor molecules therethrough while restricting flow of absorbent molecules. A membrane-based generator/condenser module with a similar structure is in fluid communication with the absorber/evaporator module. The membrane-based modules offer a large specific surface area with integrated solution/refrigerant flows, which enables formation of a highly compact heat pump exhibiting strong heat/mass transfer.

The present invention provides a heat pump that includes an absorber/evaporator module having a solution channel and a refrigerant channel along with first and second liquid channels. A porous membrane is positioned between the refrigerant channel and the solution channel; the porous membrane permits flow of vapor molecules therethrough while restricting flow of absorbent molecules. A membrane-based generator/condenser module with a similar structure is in fluid communication with the absorber/evaporator module. The membrane-based modules offer a large specific surface area with integrated solution/refrigerant flows, which enables formation of a highly compact heat pump exhibiting strong heat/mass transfer.

A new power generation thermodynamic cycle is described that eliminates need for bulk liquid condensation and vaporization steps required in conventional ORC power systems. An exemplary harmonic adsorption recuperative power cycle system offers more efficient power generation as compared with conventional ORC systems. A multibed adsorption system is used to provide thermal compression for the cycle. An adsorption compressor contains a sorbent with strong adsorption affinity for the working fluid in the pores while well outside the P-T conditions needed to condense the liquid phase, allowing the adsorption compressor to reduce operating pressure exiting the expander.

A new power generation thermodynamic cycle is described that eliminates need for bulk liquid condensation and vaporization steps required in conventional ORC power systems. An exemplary harmonic adsorption recuperative power cycle system offers more efficient power generation as compared with conventional ORC systems. A multibed adsorption system is used to provide thermal compression for the cycle. An adsorption compressor contains a sorbent with strong adsorption affinity for the working fluid in the pores while well outside the P-T conditions needed to condense the liquid phase, allowing the adsorption compressor to reduce operating pressure exiting the expander.

A tube-in-tube heat exchanger utilizes a selectively permeable tube having a selective permeable layer to allow the refrigerant to transfer into an ionic liquid to generate heating or cooling. The ionic liquid then provides heating or cooling to a heat transfer fluid through a non-permeable layer or tube. The system may be configured as a shell and tube design, with the third fluid free to flow on the outside of the shell, or as a shell and tube-in-tube, with a central tube containing a first liquid, a second tube containing a second liquid, and an outer shell containing the third liquid. The selectively permeable tube may include an anion or cation selectively permeable layer and this layer may be supported by a support layer or tube.

A tube-in-tube heat exchanger utilizes a selectively permeable tube having a selective permeable layer to allow the refrigerant to transfer into an ionic liquid to generate heating or cooling. The ionic liquid then provides heating or cooling to a heat transfer fluid through a non-permeable layer or tube. The system may be configured as a shell and tube design, with the third fluid free to flow on the outside of the shell, or as a shell and tube-in-tube, with a central tube containing a first liquid, a second tube containing a second liquid, and an outer shell containing the third liquid. The selectively permeable tube may include an anion or cation selectively permeable layer and this layer may be supported by a support layer or tube.

An absorber for an absorption refrigeration system for a vertically mounted plate absorber has fins positioned over the plate to promote distribution of a fluid under flow as a nearly continuous thin film. The absorber has rows of fins that are evenly spaced with the fins occupying a portion of the active width of the plate with adjacent rows offset by the width of the plate. A combined evaporator-absorber module is constructed with the absorbing face of the absorber parallel with an evaporating surface of an evaporator where absorber solution and refrigerant fall as parallel falling sheets of liquid. The absorber is covered with a porous hydrophobic membrane to isolate the falling absorber solution from the falling liquid refrigerant.

An absorber for an absorption refrigeration system for a vertically mounted plate absorber has fins positioned over the plate to promote distribution of a fluid under flow as a nearly continuous thin film. The absorber has rows of fins that are evenly spaced with the fins occupying a portion of the active width of the plate with adjacent rows offset by the width of the plate. A combined evaporator-absorber module is constructed with the absorbing face of the absorber parallel with an evaporating surface of an evaporator where absorber solution and refrigerant fall as parallel falling sheets of liquid. The absorber is covered with a porous hydrophobic membrane to isolate the falling absorber solution from the falling liquid refrigerant.

A guide plate having depressed portions is provided between an array of heat exchanger tubes, herein after tubes, arranged horizontally side-by-side and a next lower array of tubes arranged horizontally side-by-side, and is positioned with the lowest parts of the depressed portions near crest portions of respective lower tubes. The guide plate conveys a liquid D on outer surfaces of respective upper tubes onto similarly positioned lower tubes even when the tubes move in a right-and-left direction. A falling film heat exchanger installed in a ship, an offshore structure or the like can avoid reduction in heat exchange performance, even when the ship or the like inclines and swings, by substantially evenly distributing and dropping a liquid onto the crests of the tubes and causing the liquid dropped from the tubes located in an upper array to fall onto the tubes located in the next lower array.