Patent ID: 7775066

Claim:
A method for rapid refrigeration at a useful temperature T U which employs a thermochemical system based on the coupling of reversible physico-chemical phenomena between a gas and a solid or liquid sorbent, said physico-chemical phenomena comprising a LT phenomenon and a HT phenomenon, each of the LT phenomenon and the HT phenomenon being exothermic in one direction and endothermic in the other direction, said physico-chemical phenomena being such that, at a given pressure, the equilibrium temperature of the LT phenomenon is below the equilibrium temperature of the HT phenomenon, said method comprising carrying out at least one cycle consisting of a refrigeration step and a regeneration step starting from an initial state in which a reactor in which the LT phenomenon occurs and a reactor in which the HT phenomenon occurs are at the ambient temperature and isolated from each other, the refrigeration step consisting of the endothermic phase of the LT phenomenon, which releases a refrigerant fluid G in gas form, the regeneration step consisting of the endothermic phase of the HT phenomenon, which releases the fluid G in gas form, wherein in said method: the LT phenomenon is a liquid/gas phase change of the fluid G or an absorption of the fluid G by a liquid sorbent; the HT phenomenon is a sorption of the fluid G by a liquid or solid sorbent; the endothermic phase of the LT phenomenon takes place in a reactor thermally isolated from the ambient environment; the exothermic phase of the LT phenomenon takes place in a condenser in permanent communication with the reactor in which the HT phenomenon takes place, the condensed fluid G then being transferred into the reactor in which the endothermic phase of the LT phenomenon takes place; the refrigeration step consisting of the endothermic phase of the LT phenomenon, which releases a refrigerant fluid G in gas form, comprises: a phase A 1 during which the reactor in which the HT phenomenon takes place and the reactor in which the LT phenomenon takes place are placed in communication with each other; and a phase A 2 during which the HT and LT reactors are isolated from each other and the HT reactor is heated; and the regeneration step consisting of the endothermic phase of the HT phenomenon, which releases the fluid G in gas form, comprises: a phase C during which the HT reactor is heated and in permanent communication with a condenser, said condenser being isolated from said reactor in which the LT phenomenon takes place during at least part of phase C; a phase D consisting in transferring the fluid G in liquid form from the condenser to the LT reactor; and a phase E consisting in cooling the HT reactor in order to return it to the initial conditions.