Patent ID: 8568608

Claim:
An apparatus for temperature adjustment comprising (a) a compressor that increases the pressure of the vapor of at least one refrigerant, wherein the compressor comprises moving parts that are lubricated by at least one ionic liquid; (b) a condenser that receives refrigerant vapor that is passed out of the compressor, and condenses the vapor under pressure to a liquid; (c) a pressure reduction device that receives liquid refrigerant that is passed out of the condenser, and reduces the pressure of the liquid to form a mixture of refrigerant in liquid and vapor form; (d) an evaporator that receives the mixture of liquid and vapor refrigerant that is passed out of the pressure reduction device, and evaporates the remaining liquid in the mixture to form refrigerant vapor; and (e) a conduit that returns to the compressor refrigerant vapor that is passed out of the evaporator; wherein an ionic liquid is selected from one or more members of the group consisting of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate [bmim][PF6], 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate [bmim][BF4], 1,2-dimethyl-3propylimidazolium tris(trifluoromethylsuflonyl)methide [dmpim][TMeM], 3-methyl-1-propylpyridinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide [pmpy][BMeI], 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoroethylsulfonyl)imide [emim][BMeI], 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(pentafluoroethylsulfonyl)imide [emim][BEI], 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium 1,1,2,3,3,3,-hexafluoropropanesulfonate [bmim][HFPS], 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium 1,1,2-trifluoro-2-(perfluoroethoxy) ethanesulfonate [bmim][TPES], 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium 1,1,2-trifluoro-2-(trifluoromethoxy) ethanesulfonate [bmim][TTES], tetradecyl(trihexyl) phosphonium 1,1,2-trifluoro-2-(perfluoroethoxy) ethanesulfonate [6,6,6,14-P][TPES], and tributyl(tetradecyl)phosphonium 1,1,2,3,3,3-hexafluoropropanesulfonate [4,4,4,14-P][HFPS].