Method for chilling a building

Abstract

A method for chilling a building includes the steps of: heating a working solution contained in a solar panel using solar radiation, separating the heated working solution in vapor and a concentrated working solution, condensing the vapor to liquid refrigerant, evaporating the liquid refrigerant, (i) in a building to be chilled or (ii) outside a building to be chilled, wherein the cooling obtained by evaporation is transferred to a cooling liquid outside the building and transported to the building to be chilled for delivery of the cooling, absorbing in an absorber the vapor in the concentrated working solution, and returning the working solution to the first step.

1 . A method for chilling a building comprising the steps of:
 a. Heating an working solution contained in a solar panel using solar radiation,   b. Separating the heated working solution in vapor and a concentrated working solution,   c. Condensing the vapor to liquid refrigerant,   d. Evaporating the liquid refrigerant
 i. in a building to be chilled or 
 ii. outside a building to be chilled, wherein the cooling obtained by evaporation is transferred to a cooling liquid outside the building and transported to the building to be chilled for delivery of the cooling, 
   at an evaporation temperature of 6-20° C.,   e. Absorbing in an absorber the vapor in the working solution, and   f. Returning the working solution to step a.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the heat generated by the condensing and the absorbing step is removed by a single fan. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the volume for the working solution in the solar panel of step 1.a is integrated into the volume of the absorber in step 1.e. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the volume of working fluid in the solar panel may be drained to a reservoir of the absorber during inoperability of the system. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein the solar panel is arranged in a position above the reservoir of the absorber to allow gravity to transfer the working fluid to the reservoir of the absorber. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the concentrated working solution in the absorber is distributed by a liquid distributor through one or more tubes to a counter-flow with the vapor to allow for an absorption of the vapor, said vapor distributor being integrated with a reservoir having a volume at least sufficient for accommodating the volume of the working fluid in the solar panel. 
     
     
         7 . The method in  claim 6 , wherein the vapor is distributed by a vapor distributor. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the fan is positioned to deliver an air current to the one or more tube(s) to obtain a cooling. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the vapor distributor is integrated with the reservoir of the absorber. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the liquid volume of the condenser may be drained to the evaporator. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the working solution is aqueous. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the working solution is a solution of lithium bromide in water. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the liquid refrigerant is evaporated in a building to be chilled at a pressure of 9-24 mbar. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the amount of lithium bromide is 45 to 65% by weight. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein absolute pressure of the system is 8 to 120 mbar. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the temperature of the working solution in the upper part of the solar panel is 60-110° C., suitably 75-90° C. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the temperature of the vapor produced by the evaporation of step 1.d is 6-20° C., such as 8-16° C., suitably 10-14° C., and optimally around 12° C. 
     
     
         18 . A building chilling system using solar thermal energy, comprising
 A solar thermal panel containing an working solution to be heated by solar radiation, thereby separating the working solution in a vapor and a concentrated working solution,   A condenser for condensing the vapor to liquid refrigerant,   Pressure reducing means capable of decreasing the evaporation pressure to a pressure corresponding to an evaporation temperature of 6-20° C.,   An evaporator positioned
 i. in a building to be chilled, 
 ii. or outside a building to be chilled, wherein the cooling obtained by evaporation is transferred to a cooling liquid outside the building and transported to the building to be chilled for delivery of the cooling, and 
   An absorber for absorbing the vapor from the evaporator in the concentrated working solution.   
     
     
         19 . The building chilling system according to  claim 18  wherein the condenser and the absorber is arranged in a common entity. 
     
     
         20 . The building chilling system according to  claim 19  wherein the common entity is cooled by a single fan. 
     
     
         21 . The building chilling system according to  claim 19 , wherein condenser and the absorber in the common entity are positioned adjacent in parallel for the use of a single fan. 
     
     
         22 . The building chilling system according to  claim 19 , wherein the condenser and the absorber in the common entity are positioned adjacent in series for the use of a single fan. 
     
     
         23 . The building chilling system according to  claim 19 , wherein a funnel is installed between the fan and the common entity to concentrate the air current. 
     
     
         24 . The building chilling system according to  claim 18 , wherein a liquid-liquid heat exchanger is arranged in the system for cooling the concentrated working solution from the solar panel, whereas the working solution from the absorber is heated. 
     
     
         25 . The building chilling system according to  claim 18 , wherein the absorber contains a reservoir having a volume capable of containing the amount of working fluid in the solar panel, recovery heat exchanger and pipings. 
     
     
         26 . The building chilling system according to  claim 18 , wherein the solar panel is arranged at a position higher than the reservoir of the absorber to allow for a drainage by gravity from the solar panel to the reservoir of the absorber. 
     
     
         27 . The building chilling system according to  claim 18 , wherein the absorber comprises a liquid distributor for the concentrated working solution and a vapor distributor connected by one or more tubes arranged to allow for the concentrated working solution to flow from the liquid distributor through the tube(s) by gravity to the vapor distributor in counter-flow with the vapor, said vapor distributor being integrated with a reservoir having a volume at least sufficient or accommodating the volume of the working fluid in the solar panel. 
     
     
         28 . The building chilling system according to  claim 27 , wherein the one or more tubes are essentially vertical. 
     
     
         29 . The building chilling system according to  claim 27 , wherein the fan is arranged so that the air current is directed towards the one or more tubes for allowing a cooling to take place. 
     
     
         30 . The building chilling system according to  claim 27 , wherein the reservoir of the absorber is integrated with the vapor distributor. 
     
     
         31 . The building chilling system according to  claim 1 , wherein the evaporator is connected to the pressure reducing means and/or the absorber with pipework of a polymeric material. 
     
     
         32 . The building chilling system according to  claim 31 , wherein the polymeric material is cross-linked polyethylene (PEX). 
     
     
         33 . The building chilling system according to  claim 18 , wherein the condenser is positioned at a height above the height of the evaporator to allow for the condenser to be drainable by gravity. 
     
     
         34 . The building chilling system according to  claim 18 , wherein a hermetic pump is used for returning the working solution from the absorber to the solar panel. 
     
     
         35 . The building chilling system according to  claim 18 , wherein pressure reducing means is a throttle valve. 
     
     
         36 . The building chilling system according to  claim 18 , wherein pressure reducing means is an orifice. 
     
     
         37 . The building chilling system according to  claim 18 , wherein pressure reducing means is a capillary tube. 
     
     
         38 . The building chilling system according to  claim 18 , wherein straight inserts are used in the absorber tubes with the same length as the absorber tubes. 
     
     
         39 . The building chilling system according to  claim 38 , wherein the inserts can have any shape and form including bend shape and cross shape. 
     
     
         40 . The building chilling system according to  claim 38 , wherein the inserts can have any length. 
     
     
         41 . The building chilling system according to  claim 18 , wherein the working solution is aqueous. 
     
     
         42 . The building chilling system according  claim 18 , wherein the pressure reducing means is capable of decreasing the pressure to 9-24 mbar.