The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 28, 2007
Filed:
Dec. 10, 2003
Kenji Watanabe, Yokohama, JP;
Tomonari Ito, Chiba, JP;
Tomohiro Ogawa, Kawasaki, JP;
The Tokyo Electric Power Company, Incorporated, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
The object of the present invention is to provide a heat pump having a high coefficient of performance (COP), and a heat utilizing apparatus that allows the obtaining of high energy efficiency by using that heat pump. The heat pump, comprising a refrigerant circuitthat contains a decomposerin which a gas hydrate decomposition process is carried out and a formerin which a gas hydrate formation process is carried out. This refrigerant circuitimparts heat to a high-temperature object in the gas hydrate formation process by taking up heat from a low-temperature object in the gas hydrate decomposition process. In addition, the heat pump comprises at least an excess water separatorthat separates excess water from the gas hydrate formed in former, or a compression system that sends gas and liquid which are decomposition products of the gas hydrate decomposed in decomposerto formerafter compressing and mixing.