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(11) | EP 0 138 041 A3 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Chemically assisted mechanical refrigeration process |
| (57) There is provided a chemically assisted mechanical refrigeration process including
the steps of: mechanically compressing a refrigerant stream which includes vaporized
refrigerant; contacting the refrigerant with a solvent in a mixer (11) at a pressure
sufficient to promote substantial dissolving of the refrigerant in the solvent in
the mixer (11) to form a refrigerant-solvent solution while concurrently placing the
solution in heat exchange relation with a working medium to transfer energy to the
working medium, said refrigerant-solvent solution exhibiting a negative deviation
from Raoult's Law; reducing the pressure over the refrigerant-solvent solution in
an evaporator (10) to allow the refrigerant to vaporize and substantially separate
from the solvent while concurrently placing the evolving refrigerant-solvent solution
in heat exchange relation with a working medium to remove energy from the working
medium to thereby form a refrigerant stream and a solvent stream; and passing the
solvent and refrigerant stream from the evaporator. |