Solid adsorption air conditioning apparatus and method

Claim 2

A process for air conditioning comprising the steps: generating refrigerant by desorption from a solid adsorbent on the interior of a generator (adsorber) functioning as a generator by heating said generator while removing heat from a condenser in thermal insulated and valved communication with said generator causing said refrigerant to move in the vapor state to the condenser and to condense to a liquid state within the condenser; continuously expanding the liquid to an evaporator while applying heat to said evaporator by passing an ambient airstream in thermal exchange relation to said evaporator and removing heat from an adsorber (generator) functioning as an adsorber by passing an airstream to be heated in thermal exchange relation to said adsorber heating the airstream for introduction to an air conditioned space, said adsorber in thermal insulated and valved communication with said evaporator causing said refrigerant to vaporize and pass from the evaporator to the adsorber (generator) in the vapor phase and adsorb on said solid adsorbent on the interior of said adsorber which then becomes said generator (adsorber); and recycling said thermal condition sequence to provide desired conditioning to an air conditioned space.

Claim 3

The process of claim 1 additionally passing an airstream to be heated in thermal exchange relation to said condenser heating the airstream for introduction to an air conditioned space.

Claim 4

The process of claim 1 wherein multiple generator (adsorber) and adsorber (generator) modules are used in parallel relationship.

Claim 5

The process of claim 1 wherein said refrigerant is selected from the group consisting of ammonia and water.

Claim 6

The process of claim 1 wherein said adsorbent is selected from the group consisting of molecular sieves, crystalline zeolites, silica gel, lithium chloride, lithium bromide and combinations thereof.

Claim 7

The process of claim 1 wherein said refrigerant is water and said adsorbent is molecular sieve.

Claim 8

The process of claim 1 wherein the thermal input requirements to said generator are provided by a thermally staged increasing temperature airstream.

Claim 9

The process of claim 7 wherein said airstream has a lower temperature stage supplied by a heating means having waste heat source.

Claim 10

The process of claim 7 wherein said airstream has a lower temperature stage supplied by a heating means having solar heat source.

Claim 11

The process of claim 1 wherein said expanding comprises passing said liquid through capillary tubing.

Claim 12

The process of claim 1 wherein said expanding comprises passing said liquid through an expansion valve.

Claim 13

A process for air conditioning comprising the steps: generating refrigerant by desorption from a solid adsorbent on the interior of a generator (adsorber) functioning as a generator by heating said generator with a thermally staged increasing temperature airstream wherein said airstream has a lower temperature stage supplied by a heating means having low temperature heat source while removing heat from a condenser in thermal insulated and valved communication with said generator causing said refrigerant to move in the vapor state to the condenser and to condense to a liquid state within the condenser; continuously expanding the liquid to an evaporator while applying heat to said evaporator by passing an airstream to be cooled in thermal exchange relation to said evaporator cooling the airstream for introduction to an air conditioned space and removing heat from an adsorber (generator) functioning as an adsorber in thermal insulated and valved communication with said evaporator causing said refrigerant to vaporize and pass from the evaporator to the adsorber (generator) in the vapor phase and adsorb on said solid adsorbent on the interior of said adsorber which then becomes said generator (adsorber); and recycling said thermal condition sequence to provide desired conditioning to an air conditioned space.

Claim 14

A process for air conditioning comprising the steps: generating refrigerant by desorption from a solid adsorbent on the interior of a generator (adsorber) functioning as a generator by heating said generator with a thermally staged increasing temperature airstream wherein said airstream has a lower temperature stage supplied by a heating means having low temperature heat source while removing heat from a condenser in thermal insulated and valved communication with said generator causing said refrigerant to move in the vapor state to the condenser and to condense to a liquid state within the condenser; continuously expanding the liquid to an evaporator while applying heat to said evaporator by passing an airstream to be cooled in thermal exchange relation to said evaporator cooling the airstream for introduction to an air conditioned space and removing heat from an adsorber (generator) functioning as an adsorber in thermal insulated and valved communication with said evaporator causing said refrigerant to vaporize and pass from the evaporator to the adsorber (generator) in the vapor phase and adsorb on said solid adsorbent on the interior of said adsorber which then becomes said generator (adsorber); and recycling said thermal condition sequence to provide desired conditioning to an air conditioned space.

Claim 15

The process of claim 12 wherein said low temperature heat source is waste heat.

Claim 16

The process of claim 12 wherein said low temperature heat source is solar heat.

Claim 19

The apparatus of claim 15 having ducting means to pass air from a space to be conditioned in thermal exchange relation with said evaporator and returning it to a space to be cooled.

Claim 20

The apparatus of claim 15 having ducting means to pass air from a space to be conditioned in thermal exchange relation with said adsorber and returning it to a space to be heated.

Claim 21

The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the interior of the adsorber-generator module wall has high surface area extended surfaces.

Claim 22

The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the exterior of the adsorber-generator module wall has high surface area extended surfaces.

Claim 23

The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said module wall is aluminum, said interior extended surfaces are aluminum honeycomb having their open core axes at right angles to the wall and said exterior extended surfaces are aluminum honeycomb having their open core axes approximately parallel to the wall and approximately parallel to the airstream, both of said honeycomb structures in thermal exchange relation to said wall.

Claim 24

The apparatus of claim 15 wherein duct means providing thermal input requirements from a heater means to said generator means are provided with damper means to provide a thermally staged increasing temperature airstream.

Claim 25

The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said heating means is supplied by waste or solar heat source.

Claim 26

The apparatus of claim 22 wherein said damper means provides first a stream from a lower temperature heat source and then a stream from a higher temperature heat source to said generator.

Claim 27

The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said lower temperature heat source is solar heat.

Claim 28

The apparatus of claim 24 wherein said higher temperature heat source is an open flame burner.