Atomized Liquid Jet Refrigeration System

Abstract

A system for controlling temperature includes an atomizer that forms micron-sized hydrogen-bonded refrigerant droplets within a chamber. A vacuum pump is coupled to the chamber to lower its interior pressure. Under these conditions, the refrigerant droplets evaporate while lowering the temperature of its immediate surrounding. The reduced pressure in the chamber delays the freezing of the refrigerant droplets to below 0° C. at about at least one of a heterogeneous nucleation temperature and a homogenous nucleation temperature of the refrigerant droplets at their size. The atomizer includes a pump that forces a hydrogen-bonded liquid refrigerant through a nozzle.

1 . A compression cycle refrigeration system, comprising: 
 a chamber;    a vacuum pump coupled to the chamber, the vacuum pump lowering pressure within the chamber to 0.1 mbar or less;    a supply of a liquid hydrogen-bonded refrigerant;    an atomizer coupled between the supply and the chamber, the atomizer outputting micron-sized refrigerant droplets into the chamber;    wherein the refrigerant droplets have diameters that are 50 microns or less, the refrigerant droplets evaporate to form a gaseous refrigerant by absorbing heat from its surrounding, and a low pressure in the chamber delays freezing of the refrigerant droplets to below 0° C. at about at least one of a heterogeneous nucleation temperature and a homogenous nucleation temperature of the refrigerant droplets at their size.    
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the pressure within the chamber is 0.01 mbar or less, and the refrigerant droplets have diameters of about 10 microns.  
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the atomizer is selected from the group consisting of an ultrasonic atomizer, a piezoelectric atomizer, and an electric discharge atomizer.  
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the atomizer includes: 
 a nozzle; and    a pump coupled between the supply and the nozzle, wherein the pump forces the liquid hydrogen-bonded refrigerant through the nozzle to form the micron-sized refrigerant droplets.    
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the nozzle comprises pinholes.  
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the pinholes have a diameter of 20 microns or less.  
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the nozzle further a heater to heat the nozzle.  
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the hydrogen-bonded refrigerant is in its liquid state at 25° C. and 1 atmosphere.  
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the hydrogen-bonded refrigerant is water.  
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the vacuum pump expels the gaseous refrigerant to the atmosphere.  
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the hydrogen-bonded refrigerant is selected from the group consisting of alcohol and alcohol/water mixture.  
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the alcohol/water mixture comprises a 70:30 mixture of ethyl alcohol and water.  
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the chamber is a heat exchanger including a conduit carrying a medium into and out from the heat exchanger to cool the medium.  
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the medium is air used to cool a space.  
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein a medium is moved over the outer surface of the chamber to cool the medium.  
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the medium is air used to cool a space.  
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 another chamber coupled to between the vacuum pump and the supply, wherein the vacuum pump compresses the gaseous refrigerant into said another chamber, the gaseous refrigerant condenses inside said another chamber to form the liquid refrigerant by loosing heat to its surrounding and is returned to the supply.    
   
   
       18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the chamber is a heat exchanger including a conduit carrying a medium into and out from the heat exchanger to absorb heat from the gaseous refrigerant.  
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein a medium is moved over the outer surface of the chamber to absorb heat from the gaseous refrigerant.  
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the supply is further coupled to the chamber to collect any refrigerant droplets that do not evaporate.  
   
   
       21 . A method for controlling temperature, comprising: 
 reducing pressure within a chamber with a vacuum pump to 0.1 mbar or less;    atomizing a liquid hydrogen-bonded refrigerant to form micron-sized hydrogen-bonded refrigerant droplets within the chamber;    wherein the refrigerant droplets have diameters that are 50 microns or less, the refrigerant droplets evaporate to form a gaseous refrigerant by absorbing heat from its surrounding, and a low pressure in the chamber delays freezing of the refrigerant droplets to below 0° C. at about at least one of a heterogeneous nucleation temperature and a homogenous nucleation temperature of the refrigerant droplets at their size.    
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the pressure within the chamber is 0.01 mbar or less, and the refrigerant droplets have diameters of about 10 microns.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein said atomizing comprises a method selected from the group consisting of an ultrasonic atomizing method, a piezoelectric atomizing method, and an electric discharge atomizing method.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein said atomizing comprises pumping the liquid refrigerant through a nozzle with a pump.  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the nozzle comprises pinholes, the pinholes comprising a diameter of 20 microns or less.  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising heating the nozzle.  
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the hydrogen-bonded refrigerant is in its liquid state at 25° C. and 1 atmosphere.  
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the hydrogen-bonded refrigerant is water.  
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising expelling the gaseous refrigerant to the atmosphere.  
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the hydrogen-bonded refrigerant is selected from the group consisting of alcohol and alcohol/water mixture.  
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the alcohol/water mixture comprises a 70:30 mixture of ethyl alcohol and water.  
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein a medium passed into and out of the chamber to cool the medium.  
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the medium is air used to cool a space.  
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein a medium passed over the chamber to cool the medium.  
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the medium is air used to cool a space.  
   
   
       36 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising: 
 compressing the gaseous refrigerant with the vacuum pump into another chamber;    condensing the gaseous refrigerant in said another chamber to form the liquid refrigerant; and    returning the liquid refrigerant for use in said atomizing.    
   
   
       37 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein said condensing the gaseous refrigerant comprises passing a medium into and out of said another chamber to heat the medium.  
   
   
       38 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein said condensing the gaseous refrigerant comprises passing a medium over said another chamber to cool the medium.