Heating and air conditioning systems incorporating solid-vapor sorption reactors capable of high reaction rates

• US 5,598,721 A
• Filed: 03/28/1995
• Issued: 02/04/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rocky Research (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rocky Research (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Rockenfeller, Uwe, Kirol, Lance D.
• Primary Examiner(s): DOERRLER, WILLIAM CHARLES
• Application Number:
  US08/412,147
• Time in Patent Office: 679 Days
• Field of Search: 62/476, 62/480, 62/481, 62/101, 237/50, 165/104.12
• US Class Current: 62/480
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 5/00 Heat-transfer, heat-exchange or heat-storage materials, e.g. refrigerants; Materials for the production of heat or cold by chemical reactions other than by combustion
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 5/047 for absorption-type refrigeration systems
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 17/083 with two or more boiler-sorbers operating alternately
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 20/003 using thermochemical reactions
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 30/27 Relating to heating, ventilation or air conditioning [HVAC] technologies
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/00 Energy efficient heating, ventilation or air conditioning [HVAC]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/14 Thermal energy storage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/10 Process efficiency

Abstract

A heating system incorporates one or more reactors containing a complex compound of a metal salt and a polar gas adsorbed thereon in which the volumetric expansion of the complex compound is restricted during adsorption and which reactors comprise one or more reaction chambers having a maximum mean mass diffusion path length of less than about 15 mm, and/or a maximum thermal diffusion path length of less than 1.5 min.

Claims

1. A heating system comprising:

(a) one or more reactors or reactor banks each containing a complex compound formed by adsorbing a polar gas on a metal salt, and in which said polar gas is alternately adsorbed and desorbed on said complex compound, said metal salt comprising a halide, nitrate, nitrite, oxalate, perchlorate, sulfate or sulfite of an alkali metal, alkaline earth metal, transition metal, zinc, cadmium, tin or aluminum, or sodium borofluoride or a double metal chloride or bromide, and wherein said complex compound in said one or more reactors is formed by restricting the volumetric expansion and controlling the density thereof, during said adsorption of said polar gas on said metal salt, whereby said complex compound is capable of increased reaction rates in moles of said polar gas adsorbed and/or desorbed per mole of said complex compound per hour at adsorption or desorption times of less than 60 minutes, respectively, as compared to a complex compound formed without restricting the volumetric expansion and controlling the density thereof said one or more reactors each having a heat transfer section for thermally exposing a heat transfer fluid and/or condensed polar gas in heat exchange communication with said complex compound;

(b) condenser means comprising at least one condenser for condensing said polar gas and heat recovery means cooperating therewith for recovering heat generated in said condenser means;

(c) evaporator means comprising at least one evaporator for evaporating condensed polar gas;

(d) a first conduit for directing condensed polar gas from said condenser means to said evaporator means;

(e) one or more second conduits cooperating with said condenser means and said one or more reactors for directing condensed polar gas from said condenser means to said reactor heat transfer section and for directing vaporized polar gas therefrom to said condenser means;

(f) one or more third conduits for directing polar gas from said evaporator means to said reactors and from said reactors to said condenser means; and

(g) heating means cooperating with said one or more reactors for heating said complex compound therein.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said one or more reactors comprise one or more reaction chambers having a maximum mean mass diffusion path length of less than about 15 mm.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said one or more reaction chambers have a maximum thermal diffusion path length of between about 0.6 and about 3 mm, a maximum mean mass diffusion path length of between about 2.5 and about 7 mm, and wherein said salt or said complex compound has a density of between about 0.2 and about 0.8 g/cc of reaction chamber volume.

4. The system of claim 2 including a plurality of heat transfer fins extending along said reactor and in heat transfer communication with said metal salt, wherein the distance between said fins is 2.8 mm or less.

5. The system of claim 2 wherein said one or more reaction chambers have a maximum thermal diffusion path length of less than about 4.5 mm.

6. The system of claim 2 wherein said complex compound or said metal salt has a density in said reactor of between about 0.2 and about 1.0 g/cc of reaction chamber volume.

7. The system of claim 2 including gas distribution means for directing said polar gas to and from said metal salt or said complex compound in said one or more reaction chambers, and wherein at least 60% of said metal salt or said complex compound, by weight, is within 25 mm or less of a gas distribution means.

8. The system of claim 2 including one or more heat exchange surfaces in thermal contact with said metal salt and said complex compound and comprising a gas permeable material.

9. The system of claim 2 including one or more gas permeable surfaces extending into said reaction chamber in contact with said metal salt and said complex compound along at least a portion of said gas permeable surface.

10. The system of claim 2 wherein said metal salt and said complex compound comprise a mixture thereof, respectively, with a gas permeable admixture composition having a microporous surface for distributing said polar gas in said mixture.

11. A system of claim 1 wherein said one or more reactors comprise one or more reaction chambers having a maximum thermal diffusion path length of less than 1.5 mm.

12. The system of claim 11 including gas distribution means for directing said polar gas to and from said metal salt or said complex compound in said reaction chambers, and wherein at least 60% of said metal salt or said complex compound, by weight, is within 25 mm or less of a gas distribution means.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein said one or more reaction chambers have a maximum mean mass diffusion path length of less than about 15 mm.

14. The system of claim 11 including one or more heat exchange surfaces in thermal contact with said metal salt and said complex compound and comprising a gas permeable material.

15. The system of claim 11 including one or more gas permeable surfaces extending into said reaction chamber in contact with said metal salt and said complex compound along at least a portion of said gas permeable surface.

16. The system of claim 11 wherein said metal salt and said complex compound comprise a mixture thereof, respectively, with a gas permeable admixture composition having a microporous surface for distributing said polar gas in said mixture.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein said one or more reactors comprise one or more reaction chambers in which at least 60% of said metal salt or said complex compound, by weight, is within 25 mm or less of a gas distribution means.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein said one or more reaction chambers have a maximum thermal diffusion path length of less than 1.5 mm.

19. The system of claim 17 including one or more heat exchange surfaces in thermal contact with said metal salt and said complex compound and comprising a gas permeable material.

20. The system of claim 17 including one or more gas permeable surfaces extending into said reaction chamber in contact with said metal salt and said complex compound along at least a portion of said gas permeable surface.

21. The system of claim 1 wherein said heating means comprises electrical resistance heating means.

22. The system of claim 1 wherein said heating means comprises direct firing or hot gases of combustion for heating said complex compounds.

23. The system of claim 1 wherein said heating means comprises a heat transfer fluid for heating said complex compounds.

24. The system of claim 23 including a burner for heating said heat transfer fluid.

25. The system of claim 23 including solar heating means for heating said heat transfer fluid.

26. The system of claim 1 wherein said heating means comprises a heat pipe or thermosyphon for heating said complex compounds.

27. The system of claim 1 wherein said heat recovery means cooperating with said condenser includes forced air convection apparatus.

28. The system of claim 1 wherein said heat recovery means apparatus comprises a hydronic heating apparatus including space and/or hot water heating components.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein said hydronic heating apparatus includes a pump and hot water directing conduits.

30. The system of claim 1 including a heat exchanger cooperating with said first conduit directing condensed polar gas from said condenser to said evaporator and a second conduit directing polar gas from said evaporator to said one or more reactors for transferring heat therebetween.

31. The system of claim 1 wherein said complex compound comprises CaCl₂ ·

X (NH₃) complexes, SrCl₂ ·

1-8 (NH₃), SrBr₂ ·

2-8 (NH₃), CaBr₂ ·

2-6 (NH₃), CaI₂ ·

2-6 (NH₃), FeCl₂ ·

2-6 (NH₃), FeBr₂ ·

2-6 (NH₃), FeI₂ ·

2-6 (NH₃), CoCl₂ ·

2-6 (NH₃), CoBr₂ ·

2-6 (NH₃), MgCl₂ ·

2-6 (NH₃), MgBr₂ ·

2-6 (NH₃), MnCl₂ ·

2-6 (NH₃), MnBr₂ ·

2-6 (NH₃), NiCl₂ ·

2-6 (NH₃), LiCl·

0-3 (NH₃), CuSO₄ ·

2-4 (NH₃), SnCl₂ ·

0-2.5 (NH₃), NaBF₄ ·

0.5-2.5 (NH₃), NaBr·

0-5.25 (NH₃) or mixtures thereof.

32. The system of claim 1 comprising one or more first reactors or reactor banks and one or more second reactors or reactor banks, said first reactors or reactor banks and said second reactors or reactor banks adsorbing and desorbing said polar gas in opposing cycles, respectively, said system including control means cooperating with said conduits for reversing the heating and cooling function of the system and for controlling the flow of polar gas to said condenser means and said evaporator means.

33. The system of claim 32 wherein said control means includes a pair of checkflowrater valves in said first conduit.

59. The system of claim 33 wherein said heating means comprises a heat pipe or thermosyphon for heating said complex compounds.

68. The system of claim 32 wherein said condenser means comprises a condenser and a reservoir cooperating therewith for receiving condensed refrigerator from said condenser.

69. The system of claim 68 including one or more valves cooperating with said one or more second conduits for selectively directing condensed refrigerant from said reservoir to said heat transfer section of said one or more first reactors or reactor banks and said one or more second reactors or reactor banks.

34. A heat pump system comprising:

(a) two or more reactors or reactor banks each containing a different complex compound therein formed by adsorbing a polar gas on a metal salt, and in which said polar gas is alternately adsorbed and desorbed on said complex compound, said metal salt comprising a halide, nitrate, nitrite, oxalate, perchlorate, sulfate or sulfite of an alkali metal, alkaline earth metal, transition metal, zinc, cadmium, tin or aluminum, or sodium borofluoride or a double metal chloride or bromide, and wherein said complex compound in said two or more reactors is formed by restricting the volumetric expansion and controlling the density thereof during said adsorption of said polar gas on said metal salt, whereby said complex compound is capable of increased reaction rates in moles of said polar gas adsorbed and/or desorbed per mole of said complex compound per hour at adsorption or desorption times of less than 60 minutes, respectively, as compared to a complex compound formed without restricting the volumetric expansion and controlling the density thereof, wherein said different complex compounds each have a different polar gas vapor pressure and wherein the adsorption temperature of a lower vapor pressure compound at adsorption pressure is at least 8°

C. higher than the desorption temperature of a higher vapor pressure compound at desorption pressure, said two or more reactors or reactor banks each having a heat transfer section for thermally exposing a heat transfer fluid and/or condensed polar gas in heat exchange communication with said complex compound;

(b) a first evaporator-condenser means for supplying heating and cooling and heat exchange means cooperating therewith for recovering said heating and cooling, and a second evaporator-condenser means and heat exchange means cooperating therewith for rejecting thermal energy therefrom;

(c) a first conduit for directing condensed polar refrigerant between said first and second evaporator-condenser means;

(d) one or more second conduits for directing condensed polar gas from a condensing evaporator-condenser means to the heat transfer section of a reactor containing the higher vapor pressure complex compound and for directing vaporized polar gas therefrom to said condensing evaporator-condenser means;

(e) one or more third conduits for directing polar gas from an evaporating evaporator-condenser means to said two or more reactors; and

(f) heating means cooperating with said one or more reactors for heating said complex compound therein.

35. The system of claim 34 wherein said one or more reactors comprise one or more reaction chambers having a maximum mean mass diffusion path length of less than about 15 mm.

36. The system of claim 35 wherein said one or more reaction chambers have a maximum thermal diffusion path length of between about 0.6 and about 3 mm, a maximum mean mass diffusion path length of between about 2.5 and about 7 mm, and wherein said salt or said complex compound has a density of between about 0.2 and about 0.8 g/cc of reaction chamber volume.

37. The system of claim 35 including a plurality of heat transfer fins extending along said reactor and in heat transfer communication with said metal salt, wherein the distance between said fins is 2.8 mm or less.

38. The system of claim 35 wherein said one or more reaction chambers have a maximum thermal diffusion path length of less than about 4.5 mm.

39. The system of claim 35 wherein said complex compound or said metal salt has a density in said reactor of between about 0.2 and about 1.0 g/cc of reaction chamber volume.

40. The system of claim 35 including gas distribution means for directing said polar gas to and from said metal salt or said complex compound in said one or more reaction chambers, and wherein at least 60% of said metal salt or said complex compound, by weight, is within 25 mm or less of a gas distribution means.

41. The system of claim 35 including one or more heat exchange surfaces in thermal contact with said metal salt and said complex compound and comprising a gas permeable material.

42. The system of claim 35 including one or more gas permeable surfaces extending into said reaction chamber in contact with said metal salt and said complex compound along at least a portion of said gas permeable surface.

43. The system of claim 35 wherein said metal salt and said complex compound comprise a mixture thereof, respectively, with a gas permeable admixture composition having a microporous surface for distributing said polar gas in said mixture.

44. The system of claim 34 wherein said one or more reactors comprise one or more reaction chambers having a maximum thermal diffusion path length of less than 1.5 mm.

45. The system of claim 44 including gas distribution means for directing said polar gas to and from said metal salt or said complex compound in said reaction chambers, and wherein at least 60% of said metal salt or said complex compound, by weight, is within 25 mm or less of a gas distribution means.

46. The system of claim 44 wherein said one or more reaction chambers have a maximum mean mass diffusion path length of less than about 15 mm.

47. The system of claim 44 including one or more heat exchange surfaces in thermal contact with said metal salt and said complex compound and comprising a gas permeable material.

48. The system of claim 44 including one or more gas permeable surfaces extending into said reaction chamber in contact with said metal salt and said complex compound along at least a portion of said gas permeable surface.

49. The system of claim 44 wherein said metal salt and said complex compound comprise a mixture thereof, respectively, with a gas permeable admixture composition having a microporous surface for distributing said polar gas in said mixture.

50. The system of claim 34 wherein said one or more reactors comprise one or more reaction chambers in which at least 60% of said metal salt or said complex compound, by weight, is within 25 mm or less of a gas distribution means.

51. The system of claim 50 wherein said one or more reaction chambers have a maximum thermal diffusion path length of less than 1.5 mm.

52. The system of claim 50 including one or more heat exchange surfaces in thermal contact with said metal salt and said complex compound and comprising a gas permeable material.

53. The system of claim 50 including one or more gas permeable surfaces extending into said reaction chamber in contact with said metal salt and said complex compound along at least a portion of said gas permeable surface.

54. The system of claim 34 wherein said heating means comprises electrical resistance heating means.

55. The system of claim 34 wherein said heating means comprises hot gases of combustion for heating said complex compounds.

56. The system of claim 34 wherein said heating means comprises a heat transfer fluid for heating said complex compounds.

57. The system of claim 56 including a burner for heating said heat transfer fluid.

58. The system of claim 56 including solar heating means for heating said heat transfer fluid.

60. The system of claim 34 wherein said heat exchange means cooperating with said first evaporator-condenser means includes a hydronic heating apparatus including space and/or hot water heating components.

61. The system of claim 34 wherein said heat exchange means cooperating with said first evaporator-condenser means includes forced air convection apparatus.

62. The system of claim 60 wherein said heat exchange means cooperating with said first evaporator-condenser means includes forced air convection apparatus.

63. The system of claim 34 including means for supplying a heat transfer fluid to and from said reactors and for directing the heat transfer fluid from an exothermic adsorption reaction to a reactor for driving an endothermic desorption reaction.

64. The system of claim 34 wherein a high vapor pressure complex compound is selected from the group consisting of CaCl₂ ·

4-8 (NH₃), CaCl₂ ·

2-4 (NH₃) and mixtures thereof, SrCl₂ ·

1-8 (NH₃), BaCl₂ ·

0-8 (NH₃), LiCl·

0-3 (NH₃), SrBr₂ ·

2-8 (NH₃), CaBr₂ ·

2-6 (NH₃), CuSO₄ ·

2-4 (NH₃), NaBF₄ ·

0.5-2.5 (NH₃), and NaBr·

0-5.25 (NH₃), and mixtures thereof.

65. The system of claim 34 wherein a lower vapor pressure complex compound is selected from the group consisting of SrCl₂ ·

1-8 (NH₃), CaCl₂ ·

2-4 (NH₃), SrBr₂ ·

2-8 (NH₃), CaBr₂ ·

2-6 (NH₃), FeCl₂ ·

2-6 (NH₃), CoCl₂ ·

2-6 (NH₃), FeBr₂ ·

2-6 (NH₃), NiCl₂ ·

2-6 (NH₃), CoBr₂ ·

2-6 (NH₃), MgCl₂ ·

2-6 (NH₃), MgBr₂ ·

2-6 (NH₃), MnCl₂ ·

-6 (NH₃), MnBr₂ ·

2-6 (NH₃), SnCl₂ ·

0-2.5 (NH₃), CuSO₄ ·

2-4 (NH₃), and CaCl₂ ·

0-1 (NH₃), CaCl₂ ·

1-2 (NH₃) and mixtures thereof.

66. The system of claim 34 comprising one or more first reactors or reactor banks and one or more second reactors or reactor banks, said first reactors or reactor banks and said second reactors or reactor banks adsorbing and desorbing said polar gas in opposing cycles, respectively, said system including control means cooperating with said conduits for reversing the heating and cooling functions of the system and for controlling the flow of polar gas to said condenser means and said evaporator means.

67. The system of claim 66 wherein said control means includes a pair of checkflowrater valves in said first conduit.