Washington University

Memrysafe, Inc.

Memry Plumbing Products Corp.

Charles A Garris

A novel ejector, an ejector-refrigeration system, and a method of refrigeration are disclosed. The system is particularly well suited for the utilization of energy sources such as waste heat from automobile engines and solar collectors. Further, the system is compatible with the use of environmentally benign refrigerant such as water. Unlike conventional ejectors, the novel ejector disclosed in the present invention is designed to utilize the principal of 'pressure exchange' and is therefore capable of attaining substantially higher levels of performance than conventional ejectors whose operating mechanism is based on the principal of 'turbulent mixing'. The pressure exchanging ejector with a compressible working fluid utilizes the oblique compression and expansion waves occurring within jets emanating from the discharges of a plurality of supersonic nozzles so as to impart energy to a secondary gaseous fluid wherein the said waves are caused to move relative to the housing of said ejector by virtue of a motion inducing means applied to said nozzles, said nozzles being incorporated in a rotor. In the disclosed invention, the pressure exchanging ejector is utilized as an ejector-compressor with a vapor-compression refrigeration system whereby said working fluid constitutes the refrigerant.

Pressure exchanging ejector and refrigeration apparatus and method

A computer controlled hot/cold water mixing valve in which the set point discharge water temperature is controlling by measuring the hot inlet temperature and the cold water inlet temperature and performing appropriate calculations with the computer based on the measured temperatures.

Valve control

A system having a microprocessor to provide an adjustable control of the temperature and pressure of water at the outlet of a single adjustable valve. The water temperature at the valve outlet is constantly monitored. A processor compares the actual water temperature with a specifically requested temperature for the water at the valve outlet, and provides signals to relays and a control circuit for a motor which adjusts the temperature of water by the relative proportions of hot and cold water discharged through the valving to the outlet. The system with the microprocessor provides a multi-speed control of the motor having variations in the speed of adjustment of the valve so as to effect a quick valve movement to a temperature in the vicinity of the desired temperature after which fine tuning provides the exactly requested temperature. The calculations of the microprocessor by including continuous monitoring of the valve positions and the water temperature coordinates the relative positioning of the valve in the mixing of the hot and cold water with the regulations of the water temperature by mixture in the valve so that the instructions from the microprocessor in response to the water temperature are acocmmodated to fully open and fully closed positions of the valve.

Growing community of inventors

Vienna, VA, United States of America

Charles A Garris