Patent ID: 8881539

Claim:
A hybrid storage absorption refrigeration system comprising: a thermal collector that provides heat to a strong absorbent-refrigerant solution in a generator, thereby producing a first refrigerant vapor and a weak solution; a condenser that condenses the first refrigerant vapor into a liquid refrigerant; an evaporator that receives a first portion of the liquid refrigerant from the condenser and produces a first refrigeration effect by absorbing heat into the first portion of the liquid refrigerant, thereby evaporating it, producing a second refrigerant vapor; a cold storage tank that receives a second portion of the liquid refrigerant from the condenser and absorbs heat out of a cold storage medium, thereby chilling the cold storage medium and evaporating the second portion of the liquid refrigerant, producing a third refrigerant vapor, the cold storage tank producing a second refrigeration effect by absorbing heat into the cold storage medium, the cold storage tank being removably attached to the refrigeration system such that the evaporator continues to produce the first refrigeration effect when the cold storage tank is removed; an absorber that combines one or more of the second and third refrigerant vapors with the weak solution, thereby producing the strong solution for the generator; a weak solution tank that receives a first portion of the weak solution from the generator and stores the first portion of the weak solution, the weak solution tank being removably attached to the refrigeration system such that one or both of the evaporator and the cold storage tank continue to produce one or both of the first and second refrigeration effects when the weak solution tank is removed; a strong solution tank that receives a first portion of the strong solution from the absorber and stores the first portion of the strong solution, the strong solution tank being removably attached to the refrigeration system such that one or both of the evaporator and the cold storage tank continue to produce one or both of the first and second refrigeration effects when the weak solution tank is removed; and a refrigerant storage tank that receives a third portion of the liquid refrigerant from the condenser and stores the third portion of the liquid refrigerant, the refrigerant storage tank being removably attached to the refrigeration system such that one or both of the evaporator and the cold storage tank continue to produce one or both of the first and second refrigeration effects when the weak solution tank is removed.