Catalyst – solid sorbent – or support therefor: product or process – In form of a membrane
Patent
1997-08-05
2000-06-13
Dunn, Tom
Catalyst, solid sorbent, or support therefor: product or process
In form of a membrane
502 60, 502 64, 62480, 16510415, B01J 2028
Patent
active
060749725
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to a material which can be used as an adsorbent in a refrigeration or air-conditioning unit and to a method and equipment for refrigeration or air conditioning using this adsorbent.
Solid sorption systems have been described and used for cooling purposes in place of compression/evaporation systems and can have advantages in use. Sorption heat pumps are well known and are described in an article by B. Shelpuk in Heat Recovery Systems and CHP Vol. 13 No.4, 1993 Pages 321-328.
In some types of air-conditioning system, the extracted heat is released by the adsorption of the working fluid vapour onto a sorption material where its latent heat can be released to a heat sink.
Thus it is important that there is good heat transfer between the sorption material and the heat sink. This would normally require good heat transfer through the sorption material itself and good wall heat transfer to transfer this heat to the walls of the container so that it can be readily released to the heat sink, e.g. via fins or vanes to the surrounding air as highlighted in the article "Advances in Innovative Heat Exchangers" by Cacciola et al in Science technical Froid 1994 Pages 239-245.
A discussion of the use of solid sorption systems is given in the article by F. Meunier in "Heat Recovery Systems and CHP", Vol. 13, No. 4, pages 289-295, 1993. In this article, various types of solid sorption systems are commented on and it is pointed out that the first priority is the development in the heat transfer properties of the solid sorbent.
This problem is discussed in more detail in the article in "Heat Recovery Systems and CHP", Vol. 13, No.4, pages 297-300 by J. J. Guilleminot et al. In this article, the use of zeolites as the solid sorbent in solid sorption heat pumps is discussed and methods of increasing the thermal conductivity of these sorbents by the use of metal frames is disclosed.
A metal/zeolite composite is disclosed which is made by forming a paste of zeolite powder by suspension in a silico-aluminate gel and then filling a metal foam, e.g. a copper foam, with this paste. The paste filled metal foam is then compressed at some tens of MPa and heated at 1000.degree. C. for three hours.
The composite formed is said to have improved thermal conductivity to that of granular or consolidated zeolites and an increased wall heat transfer coefficient which makes the material useful as heat pump adsorber packaging.
In such systems the zeolite is held in contact with the metal either with a binder or by other physical contact.
In addition it is important that there is good mass transfer between the working fluid and the adsorbent and that the working fluid has a low pressure drop through the adsorbent.
We have now devised a micro or mesoporous compound/metal material which is useful as a sorbent material in a refrigeration or air-conditioning system and which has improved properties.
According to the invention there is provided a material for use as an adsorbent in a sorption air-conditioning unit which material comprises a porous metal substrate on which is coated a micro or mesoporous inorganic material which can adsorb a working fluid and then desorb the working fluid by application of heat and in which material there are voids to allow at least partial penetration of the working fluid.
The invention also comprises a sorption air-conditioning unit in which a solid adsorbent comprises such a material.
By air-conditioning or refrigeration is meant the process in which the temperature of a space is reduced by the extraction of heat using a working fluid, which working fluid is then cooled and used again to extract heat from the space.
It can apply to space heating applications and to refrigerators where heat is extracted from an enclosed space.
The cooling of air can also cause water vapour in the air to condense and so act as a dehumidifying system.
Inorganic micro or mesoporous materials which can be used in the present invention include silicates, aluminates, titanates, silicaceous materials such as pill
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Bratton Graham J
Buck Karon D.
Naylor Timothy
Dunn Tom
Sherer Ronald B.
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