A thermal management system includes a refrigerant receiver having a refrigerant receiver outlet and a refrigerant receiver inlet, with the refrigerant receiver configured to store a refrigerant fluid, an ejector having a primary flow inlet coupled to receive the refrigerant fluid from the receiver, a secondary flow inlet and an outlet. The system also includes a liquid separator having an inlet, a vapor side outlet, and a liquid side outlet, an evaporator arrangement to extract heat from a heat load proximate or in contact with the evaporator arrangement, with the evaporator arrangement coupled to the ejector and the liquid separator, a closed-circuit refrigeration system having a closed-circuit fluid path including the refrigerant receiver, the evaporator arrangement, and the liquid separator, the closed-circuit refrigeration system configured to receive refrigerant fluid from the refrigerant receiver, and an open-circuit refrigeration system having an open-circuit fluid path that includes the receiver, the evaporator arrangement, and the liquid separator, that is configured to receive refrigerant fluid from the refrigerant receiver.

The invention relates to an adsorption refrigerator or an adsorption heat pump as well as a method for the operation thereof. The adsorption refrigerator or adsorption heat pump comprises at least one module having an adsorber, a mixing evaporator and a mixing condenser. It is characterized in that the adsorber together with the mixing evaporator and the mixing condenser within the module is structurally combined and contained within a common, preferably thermally insulated adsorber container for accommodating the adsorber and having an adsorber section which can be thermally contacted externally, and having a mixing section thermally insulated externally for accommodating the mixing evaporator and the mixing condenser, wherein the mixing section is formed so that a refrigerant can flow through it, so that the refrigerant, after having flown through the mixing section, can be supplied to an external heat exchanger that is separated from the module, wherein the mixing section is arranged to enable the refrigerant to be evaporated and/or condensed.

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 thermal management system includes a refrigerant receiver configured to store a refrigerant fluid, an evaporator arrangement that removes heat from a heat load converting a portion of the refrigerant fluid to refrigerant vapor and a liquid separator having an inlet, a liquid side outlet, and a vapor side outlet. The system also includes a pump that pumps refrigerant liquid received from the liquid side outlet of the liquid separator and a closed-circuit refrigeration system having a closed-circuit fluid path that includes the refrigerant receiver, the liquid separator, the pump, and the evaporator arrangement, the closed-circuit refrigeration system further including a compressor and a condenser. The system also including an open-circuit refrigeration system having an open-circuit fluid path that includes the refrigerant receiver, the liquid separator, the pump, and the evaporator arrangement, and further including a back-pressure regulator configured to receive refrigerant vapor from the vapor side outlet of the liquid separator and an exhaust line coupled to the outlet of the back-pressure regulator, with refrigerant vapor from the exhaust line not returning to the refrigerant receiver.

Disclosed is an adsorption-based heat pump useful for refrigeration and cooling/heating for applications such as HVACs and chillers. Adsorption is a surface phenomenon where a solid substance (adsorbent) attracts molecules of a gas or solution (refrigerant or adsorbate) on its surface. The latent heat of the adsorbate provides the heating/cooling effect. The novel adsorption heat pump enhances heat and/or mass transfer to and from the adsorbate. One embodiment comprises at least one evaporator, at least one desorber (adsorbent heating apparatus), at least one adsorbent cooling apparatus and at least one condenser. The embodiment employs different techniques to enhance heat and/or mass transfer.

An absorption heat pump apparatus absorbing refrigerant vapor using absorption liquid includes a container having a liquid storage portion storing a solution made of absorption liquid or a refrigerant; a heat exchanger installed in the container, and through which a heat exchange fluid flows; a pumping member pumping the solution in the liquid storage portion upward using the rotation thereof; and a coating member rotating integrally with the pumping member, and provided so as to radially extend outward from the center of rotation of the pumping member, and coating an outer surface of the heat exchanger with the solution pumped upward, wherein while the solution pumped upward moves to the center of rotation due to the rotation of the pumping member, and then radially moves outward from the center of rotation, the outer surface of the heat exchanger is coated with the solution through the coating member.

The invention relates to a module for a heat pump, comprising an adsorption-desorption region, wherein in the region a bundle of pipes through which fluid can flow is arranged and a housing encloses the pipe bundle and a movable working medium in a sealing manner, wherein a supporting structure forms a mechanical support of a wall of the housing against the action of an external pressure.

A sorption module may include a housing enclosing a working chamber including a sorption zone and a phase change zone arranged therein. The sorption module may also include a sorption structure, which may be arranged in the sorption zone and coupled in a heat-transmitting manner to a sorption path for guiding a sorption path medium, and a phase change structure, which may be arranged in the phase change zone and coupled in a heat-transmitting manner to a phase change path for guiding a phase change path medium. The sorption module may further include a control device configured to control a fluidic connection through which a working medium may be reversibly displaceable between the sorption zone and the phase change zone. The control device may include an actuator configured to control the fluidic connection depending on an adjustment of the actuator and an actuating drive configured to adjust the actuator.

Disclosed is an adsorption-based heat pump useful for refrigeration and cooling/heating for applications such as HVACs and chillers. Adsorption is a surface phenomenon where a solid substance (adsorbent) attracts molecules of a gas or solution (refrigerant or adsorbate) on its surface. The latent heat of the adsorbate provides the heating/cooling effect. The novel adsorption heat pump enhances heat and/or mass transfer to and from the adsorbate. One embodiment comprises at least one evaporator, at least one desorber (adsorbent heating apparatus), at least one adsorbent cooling apparatus and at least one condenser. The embodiment employs different techniques to enhance heat and/or mass transfer.

The present invention provides a heat pump apparatus comprising a Rankine cycle and an Carnot cycle part when implemented for cooling. The Rankine cycle comprises an evaporator configured for evaporating by direct evaporation water received from an external water source. An expander receives steam from the evaporator and drives a compressor compressing the fluid of the Carnot cycle. The fluid is thereafter condensed in a condenser and evaporated in an absorber.