Abstract

A method for co-generation of electrical power and air conditioning for structures, such as office buildings, and housing units is disclosed. An internal combustion engine, preferably a diesel, drives an alternator or generator to supply the building electrical load or for reverse sale to a public utility power grid. Heat from engine exhaust gases is recovered by an absorption-cycle heat-pump system. The system is characterized by using only a single external heat exchanger and a single building air conditioning heat exchanger for selectively heating or cooling air in the air conditioning system. Selection of heating or cooling is by reversable valve means for directing heated refrigerant vapor from a heat powered vapor generator either into the inside heat exchanger for heating or to the external heat exchanger for cooling. The valve means simultaneously converts the other heat exchanger to complimentarily receive liquid refrigerant passing through an expansion valve from the first heat exchanger to absorb heat from the air conditioner for cooling, or from the atmosphere for heating. A particular advantage of this arrangement is reduction in both size and complexity of the vapor generation system to satisfy a wide range of loads because control of heat and liquid circulation rate of carrier liquid alone determine "compression" capacity as distinguished from mechanical pumping capacity of vapor compressor heat pumps. Additionally, the absorption cycle permits handling of mixtures of vapor and liquid phases of the refrigerant component without loss of effectiveness, which is likewise not possible with vapor-compression heat pump systems.