초록 ▼

The system includes a first heat exchanger in which the refrigerant is injected directly into the content of the first liquid circuit through at least one nozzle to simultaneously capture latent heat from the content as purified frozen liquid pieces are formed. It also includes a second heat exchang

The system includes a first heat exchanger in which the refrigerant is injected directly into the content of the first liquid circuit through at least one nozzle to simultaneously capture latent heat from the content as purified frozen liquid pieces are formed. It also includes a second heat exchanger in which the refrigerant transfers the latent heat captured from the content of the first liquid circuit to a content of the second liquid circuit, thereby raising the content of the second liquid circuit in temperature. The proposed concept provides designers with opportunities to create highly efficient systems and methods where the latent heat extracted for the purification is immediately employed to a useful purpose.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A system for transferring latent heat from a first liquid circuit to a second liquid circuit and for simultaneously separating a content of the first liquid circuit into a purified product and a by-product, the by-product containing concentrated impurities that were separated from the purified pr

1. A system for transferring latent heat from a first liquid circuit to a second liquid circuit and for simultaneously separating a content of the first liquid circuit into a purified product and a by-product, the by-product containing concentrated impurities that were separated from the purified product, the system including: a network of conduits containing a refrigerant that is substantially immiscible and unreactive with the content of the first liquid circuit;a first heat exchanger in which the refrigerant is injected directly into the content of the first liquid circuit through at least one nozzle to create frozen liquid pieces containing the purified product and to simultaneously capture the latent heat released upon freezing these liquid pieces;a second heat exchanger in which the refrigerant transfers the latent heat captured from the first liquid circuit to the second liquid circuit, thereby rising a content of the second liquid circuit in temperature; anda refrigerant compressor in fluid communication with the network of conduits, the compressor being located downstream of the first heat exchanger and upstream of the second heat exchanger. 2. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the first heat exchanger includes: a first inlet through which the content of the first liquid circuit is supplied to the first heat exchanger;a second inlet through which the refrigerant coming from the second heat exchanger is supplied to the at least one nozzle;a first outlet from which the frozen liquid pieces are retrieved out of the first heat exchanger;a second outlet from which the refrigerant is directed to the refrigerant compressor; anda third outlet for retrieving the by-product out of the first heat exchanger. 3. The system as defined in claim 2, wherein the first heat exchanger includes a thermally-insulated pressure vessel, the pressure vessel including: a first portion including a main liquid-containing chamber and a plenum chamber, the second outlet of the first heat exchanger being located in the plenum chamber; anda second portion including a water column having a bottom end opened into the main chamber of the first portion through a passageway located beneath a normal water level separating the main chamber and the plenum chamber, the water column having an upper end where is located the first outlet of the first heat exchanger. 4. The system as defined in claim 3, wherein the first heat exchanger includes a substantially vertically-extending pipe having an upper discharge end opening into the first portion of the pressure vessel, the at least one nozzle discharging the refrigerant into the pipe. 5. The system as defined in claim 4, wherein the upper discharge end is located in the plenum chamber or on a bottom of the main chamber right under the plenum chamber. 6. The system as defined in claim 4, wherein the pipe includes a bottom inlet receiving a flow of the content of the first liquid circuit from elsewhere in the system, the at least one nozzle being configured and disposed to inject the refrigerant substantially perpendicularly with reference to the flow coming out of the bottom inlet. 7. The system as defined in claim 6, wherein the bottom inlet is connected to the water column through a conduit. 8. The system as defined in claim 7, wherein the water column includes a plenum chamber preventing the frozen liquid pieces from plugging the conduit between the water column and the bottom inlet. 9. The system as defined in claim 4, wherein the system further includes an icicle cutter device located in the pipe, the icicle cutter device being adjacent to the at least one nozzle. 10. The system as defined in claim 3, wherein the system further includes means for moving the frozen liquid pieces from the main chamber into the water column. 11. The system as defined in claim 10, wherein the means for moving the frozen liquid pieces include an auger mechanically connected to a motor. 12. The system as defined in claim 3, wherein the second inlet includes a float valve regulating a flow of refrigerant supplied to the at least one nozzle in response to a variation of an actual water level in the main chamber with reference to the normal water level. 13. The system as defined in claim 3, wherein the pressure vessel includes a device for evacuating the frozen liquid pieces, the device being located at the upper end of the water column immediately upstream of the first outlet of the first heat exchanger. 14. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein at least some of the content of the second liquid circuit is preheated using waste heat from a motor driving the refrigerant compressor. 15. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the system further includes a gas removing device located upstream of the first heat exchanger, the gas removing device removing dissolved gas from the content of the first liquid circuit. 16. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the system further includes an ice crusher located downstream of the first outlet of the first heat exchanger and receiving the frozen liquid pieces therefrom. 17. A system for transferring latent heat from a first liquid circuit to a second liquid circuit and for simultaneously separating a content of the first liquid circuit into a purified product and a concentrated by-product, the system including: a heat pump unit including: an evaporator section where a refrigerant is vaporized at a first pressure directly into the content of the first liquid circuit and where some of the content of the first liquid circuit transfers enough of its latent heat to the vaporized refrigerant to form floating purified frozen liquid pieces, the refrigerant being substantially immiscible and unreactive with the content of the first liquid circuit;a compressor section where the refrigerant at the first pressure is compressed up to a second pressure; anda condenser section where the refrigerant coming from the compressor is put in heat exchange relationship with a content of the second liquid circuit and where the latent heat carried by the refrigerant is transferred to a content of the second liquid circuit before the refrigerant goes back to the evaporator section in a liquefied form; anda pressure vessel enclosing the evaporator section of the heat pump unit. 18. The system as defined in claim 17, wherein the pressure vessel includes: a first portion in which are located a main liquid-containing chamber and a plenum chamber that is located above the main chamber, the main chamber including: an upper end in direct fluid communication with a bottom end of the plenum chamber; andan upper interior wall configured and disposed to form a downwardly slanted path for the frozen liquid pieces;the first portion of the pressure vessel having a normal liquid level defining a boundary between the upper end of the main chamber and the bottom end of the plenum chamber;a second portion in which is located a water column having an upper end and a bottom end, the bottom end of the water column being in fluid communication with the main chamber using a passageway that is located through the upper interior wall beneath the normal liquid level and downstream of the downwardly slanted path; anda by-product outlet provided at a substantially downmost location within the main chamber. 19. The system as defined in claim 18, wherein the pressure vessel includes an auger that is positioned inside the main chamber, the frozen liquid pieces being conveyed along the downwardly slanted path into the passageway upon rotating the auger. 20. The system as defined in claim 17, wherein the first pressure is higher than the atmospheric pressure outside the pressure vessel. 21. A method for purifying a first liquid content and simultaneously heating a second liquid content using latent heat from the first liquid content on a continuous basis, the method including: retrieving enough of the latent heat from the first liquid content to transform a first part of the first liquid content into purified frozen liquid pieces using a vaporized refrigerant injected directly into the first liquid content, the refrigerant being substantially immiscible and unreactive with the first liquid circuit content;separating substantially all of the refrigerant from the first liquid content in which it was injected;separating the purified frozen liquid pieces from a second part of the first liquid content having a concentrated amount of contaminants;raising the second liquid content in temperature using the latent heat retrieved from the first liquid content and carried by the refrigerant; andsupplying additional amounts of the first liquid content to maintain a substantially constant level of the first liquid content.