Applications

ThermoSorber™

The ThermoSorber™ is a gas-fired heat pump which supplies air conditioning or refrigeration at the cold end, and which uses all the reject heat (gas heat plus cooling duty ) to heat hot water. The high temperature glide achieved with the absorption cycle makes it possible to heat hot water to 160°F, thus meeting the needs of commercial users. The hot water is normally the primary product, with the cooling in a supplementary role. This ensures high year round utilization and short paybacks. This appliance reduces the utility bill for hot water and cooling by more than half, compared to the most economic commercially available equipment.

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Status

ThermoSorber™ is currently being demonstrated at a central California poultry processor. The facility uses ThermoSorber™ to heat water for their scalding and clean-in-place operations, and uses the chilling output to provide supplemental cooling. The facility avoided purchase of an additional refrigeration compressor by using the “free” chilling from the ThermoSorber™. Uniform hot water supply temperature significantly reduced the reject rate of improperly scalded birds.

Applications
The ThermoSorber™ hot water heat pump is ideally suited for co-production of hot water and air conditioning or refrigeration. Potential applications include food processing, dairies, breweries, restaurants, laundries, commercial kitchens, hospitals, apartment buildings, motels, gymnasiums, indoor swimming pools, and any other user with significant hot water demand.

Specifications
Cooling Capacity (refrigeration tons): 15 to 150 RT (ARI Conditions)
Hot-Water Heating Capacity (Btu/hr): 470,000 to 4.8MMBtu/hr
Absorbent: Aqua AmmoniaElectricity (kW): 0.75 to 6 kW.

The ThermoSorber technology was developed with cost share funding from the National Energy Technology Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy.

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