Method and apparatus for making a sorber

• US 7,003,979 B1
• Filed: 03/13/2000
• Issued: 02/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Davidson, Howard
• Primary Examiner(s): Bennett, Henry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jones, Melvin
• Application Number:
  US09/524,216
• Time in Patent Office: 2,178 Days
• Field of Search: 624/80, 624/97, 624/76, 621/01
• US Class Current: 62/497
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 35/04 using a solid as sorbent

Abstract

A structure and method of manufacture for a sorber, wherein a mass of sorbent contained in a sorber enclosure comprises a plurality of sorbent disks stacked in face-to-face relation. The sorbent disks are formed from a solid sorbent material such as zeolite and contain surface features in at least one face of each disk which, when the disks are stacked, form passageways by which sorbate is distributed throughout the mass of sorbent material. In one embodiment, each sorbent disk is annular in shape and has a plurality of radial grooves which extend from the periphery of the disk to the aperture through the center of the disk. The disks are stacked face-to-face and an inner conductor is inserted through the center apertures of the disks. This assembly is then inserted into a conductive housing and is enclosed by a pair of end plugs or caps which are secured to the housing. A port in one of the end caps allows sorbate to enter and exit the sorber enclosure. The sorber structure forms a coaxial transmission line for electromagnetic waves which are used to desorb sorbate from the sorbent disks. Alternate embodiments may use sorbent disks which employ surface features other than grooves to provide passageways through the sorbent mass. Alternate embodiments may also have configurations which are not cylindrical and/or coaxial.

Claims

1. A sorber comprising:

a plurality of disks of a sorbent material,

wherein each said disk has one or more surface features,

wherein said plurality of disks are disposed in stacked relation to form a sorbent mass, and

wherein said surface features form a plurality of passageways between an outer surface of said sorbent mass and an interior of said sorbent mass; and

a housing which forms an enclosure around said sorbent mass, wherein said housing has one or more ports configured to enable sorbate to flow into said housing and out of said housing.

2. The sorber of claim 1 wherein said surface features comprise a plurality of radial grooves which extend from the periphery of said each disk to an interior portion of said each disk.

3. The sorber of claim 1 wherein said sorbent material comprises zeolite.

4. The sorber of claim 1 wherein said sorbent material comprises a ceramic.

5. The sorber of claim 1 wherein said sorber is configured to be coupled to an electromagnetic wave generator.

6. The sorber of claim 5 wherein the sorber further comprises one or more conductors configured to form a waveguide, wherein said waveguide is configured to direct said electromagnetic waves generated by said electromagnetic wave generator onto said sorbent mass.

7. The sorber of claim 6 wherein said one or more conductors comprise said housing and an inner conductor.

8. The sorber of claim 7 further comprising a plurality of metal disks, wherein each of said metal disks is disposed between an adjacent pair of said sorbent disks.

9. The sorber of claim 8 wherein each of said metal disks is electrically coupled to one of said conductors.

10. The sorber of claim 9 wherein each of said metal disks further comprises a lip extending longitudinally from said each metal disk, wherein said lip is configured to contact said one of said conductors to which said each metal disk is electrically coupled.

11. The sorber of claim 9 wherein said metal disks are alternately coupled to said housing and said inner conductor.

12. The sorber of claim 11 wherein said metal disks are generally annular in shape, each having an aperture therethrough, wherein ones of said metal disks which are coupled to said housing have an enlarged aperture to avoid contact with said inner conductor, wherein ones of said metal disks which are coupled to said inner conductor have a decreased outer diameter to avoid contact with said housing, and wherein each of said sorbent disks has a lip configured to extend between an adjacent one of said metal disks and one of said housing and said inner conductor.

13. The sorber of claim 1 configured to be heated by a conventional heater during a desorption cycle.

14. A cooling system comprising:

a condenser configured to condense a gaseous sorbate to a liquid state;

an evaporator configured to receive said liquid sorbate and to evaporate said liquid sorbate to create a cooling effect; and

a sorber coupled to said condenser to adsorb said evaporated sorbate, wherein said sorber is configured to desorb said sorbate and wherein said sorber is coupled to said evaporator and to convey said sorbate to said condenser;

wherein said sorber contains a mass of sorbent and wherein said sorbent comprises a plurality of disks stacked face-to-face, each said disk having a plurality of grooves formed in at least one face thereof, wherein when said plurality of disks is stacked said plurality of grooves form a plurality of passageways from an outer surface of said mass of sorbent to an interior of said mass of sorbent.

15. A method comprising:

providing a plurality of disks of a sorbent material, wherein each said disk has one or more surface features;

stacking said plurality of sorbent disks face-to-face, wherein said surface features in each said sorbent disk form a plurality of passageways between said sorbent disks;

enclosing said stacked sorbent disks in a sorber housing; and

sealing said sorber enclosure.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein providing said sorbent disks comprises forming zeolite in a desired shape and sintering said zeolite.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein providing said sorbent disks comprises forming radial grooves in said sorbent material.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising swaging said sorber enclosure against said sorbent disks after said sorbent disks are enclosed in said housing.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein said housing comprises an outer conductor, the method further comprising providing an inner conductor and positioning said inner conductor in an aperture extending through each of said sorbent disks.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein stacking said plurality of sorbent disks face-to-face comprises placing each of a plurality of metal disks between an adjacent pair of said sorbent disks, wherein each of said metal disks is placed in contact with one of said conductors.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

forming each of said metal disks with a lip adjacent to said one of said conductors with which said each metal disk is in contact;

forming each of said sorbent disks with a lip configured to be positioned between an adjacent one of said metal disks and said one of said conductors with which said each metal disk is in not contact when said sorbent disks and said metal disks are stacked.

22. A sorber comprising:

a plurality of members each of said members comprising a sorbent material, and having one or more surface features, wherein said plurality of members are disposed in stacked relation to form a sorbent mass, and

wherein said surface features form a plurality of passageways between an outer surface of said sorbent mass and an interior of said sorbent mass; and

a housing which forms an enclosure around said sorbent mass, wherein said housing has one or more ports configured to enable sorbate to flow into said housing and out of said housing.

23. The sorber of claim 22, wherein said surface features comprise a plurality of radial grooves which extend from the periphery of said each member to an interior portion of said each member.

24. The sorber of claim 22, wherein said sorbent material comprises zeolite.

25. The sorbet of claim 22, wherein said sorbent material comprises a ceramic.

26. The sorber of claim 22, wherein said sorber is configured to be coupled to an electromagnetic wave generator.

27. The sorber of claim 26, wherein the sorber further comprises one or more conductors configured to form a waveguide, wherein save waveguide is configured to direct said electromagnetic waves generated by said electromagnetic wave generator onto said sorbent mass.

28. The sorber of claim 27, wherein said one or more conductors comprise said housing and an inner conductor.

29. The sorber of claim 28, further comprising a plurality of metal members, wherein each of said members is disposed between an adjacent pair of said sorbent members.

30. The sorber of claim 29, wherein each of said metal members is electrically coupled to one of said conductors.

31. The sorber of claim 30, wherein each of said metal members further comprises a lip extending longitudinally from said each metal member, wherein said lip is configured to contact said one of said conductors to which said each metal member is electrically coupled.

32. The sorber of claim 30, wherein said metal members are alternately coupled to said housing and said inner conductor.

33. The sorber of claim 32, wherein said metal members having an aperture therethrough, wherein ones of said metal members which are coupled to said housing have an enlarged aperture to avoid contact with said inner conductor, wherein ones of said metal members which are coupled to said inner conductor have a decreased perimeter to avoid contact with said housing, and wherein each of said sorbent members has a lip configured to extend between an adjacent one of said members and one of said housing and said inner conductor.

34. The sorber of claim 22, configured to be heated by a conventional heater during a desorption cycle.

35. A cooling system comprising:

a condenser configured to condense a gaseous sorbate to a liquid state;

an evaporator configured to receive said liquid sorbate and to evaporate said liquid sorbate to create a cooling effect; and

a sorber coupled to said condensor to adsorb said evaporated sorbate, wherein said sorber is configured to desorb said sorbate and wherein said sorber is coupled to said evaporator and to convey said sorbate to said condenser;

wherein said sorber contains a mass of sorbent and wherein said mass of sorbent comprises a plurality of members stacked face-to-face, each said member having a plurality of surface features formed in at least one face thereof, wherein when said plurality of members is stacked said plurality of surface features form a plurality of passageways from an outer surface of said mass of sorbent to an interior of said mass of sorbent.

36. A method comprising:

providing a plurality of members of a sorbent material, wherein each said member has one or more surface features;

stacking said plurality of sorbent members face-to-face, wherein said surface features in each said sorbent member form a plurality of passageways between said sorbent members;

enclosing said stacked sorbent members in a sorber housing; and

sealing said sorber enclosure.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein providing said sorbent members comprises forming zeolite in a desired shape and sintering said zeolite.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein providing said sorbent members comprises forming radial grooves in said sorbent material.

39. The method of claim 36, further comprising swaging said sorber enclosure against said sorbent members after said sorbent members are enclosed in said housing.

40. The method of claim 36, wherein said housing comprises an outer conductor, the method further comprising providing an inner conductor and positioning said inner conductor in an aperture extending through each of said sorbent members.

41. The method of claim 39, wherein stacking said plurality of sorbent members face-to-face comprises placing each of a plurality of metal members between an adjacent pair of said sorbent members, wherein each of said metal members is placed in contact with one of said conductors.

42. The method of claim 41, further comprising:

forming each of said metal members with a lip adjacent to said one of said conductors with which said each metal member is in contact;

forming each of said sorbent members with a lip configured to be positioned between an adjacent one of said metal members and said one of said conductors with which said each metal member is in not contact when said sorbent members and said metal members are stacked.