Chemisorption air conditioner

Claim 2

A chemisorption apparatus for heating or cooling comprising: (a) a housing in right cylindrical form divisible into temperature zones and having inlet and outlet apertures to said zones; (b) a plurality of enclosed fins arrayed in a circle radially spaced from each other arranged coaxially with said housing, said array being movable through said temperature zones in a continuous thermal cycle, each of said fins having one part for containing an absorbent material and another part for containing a reactant material, said absorbent material being adapted to combine together with or to disassociate from said reactant material, depending on the temperatures applied to said parts of said fins as they are moved through said temperature zones; (c) means for moving said array inc1uding a drive shaft to which said fins are mounted for rotation through the temperture zones of said housing; and (d) horizontal dividers arranged between each pair of adjacent fins for dividing said housing into an upper part and a lower part, said dividers extending to the housing and being adapted in conjunction with said rotatable fin array to form upper and lower temperature zones through which the array of fins rotates, wherein the absorbent containing parts of the fins constitute the lower parts thereof which are rotated through the lower temperature zone of the housing.

Claim 3

The apparatus described in claim 1 adapted as a cooling system, wherein one temperature zone of the lower part of the housing is maintained at a selected high temperature and a corresponding temperature zone in a respective upper part of the housing is maintained at a lower temperature through heat exchange with a heat sink, the reactant material in the fins passing through said zones thereby becoming dissociated from the absorbent material in the lower part of the fins and moving to the upper part thereof, and further wherein another temperature zone of the lower part of the housing is maintained at a lower temperature through heat exchange with a heat sink, the reactant material in the fins passing through said other zone thereby moving from the upper parts of the fins and combining with said absorbent material in the lower parts thereof, whereby a low temperature output is provided at the upper parts of the fins.

Claim 4

The apparatus described in claim 1 adapted as a heating system, wherein one temperature zone of the lower part of the housing is maintained at a selected warm temperature and a corresponding temperature zone in a respective upper part of the housing is maintained at a lower temperature through heat exchange with a heat sink, the reactant material in the fins passing through said zones thereby becoming dissociated from the absorbent material in the lower part of the fins and moving to the upper part thereof, and further wherein another temperature zone of the upper part of the housing is maintained at a warm temperature through heat exchange with a heat source, the reactant material in the fins passing through said other zone thereby moving from the upper parts of the fins and combining with said absorbent material in the lower parts thereof, whereby a high temperature output is provided at the lower parts of the fins.

Claim 5

The apparatus described in claim 1 wherein the absorbent material is a dry chemical absorbent that combines with the reactant in gaseous form and transforms chemically into a dry, solid form.

Claim 6

The apparatus described in claim 1, wherein the absorbent is an alkaline or alkalinoterrous halide, and the reactant is water vapor.

Claim 7

The apparatus described in claim 1, wherein the absorbent is calcium chloride, and the reactant is water vapor.

Claim 8

The apparatus described in claim 1, wherein the absorbent is lithium chloride, and the reactant is water vapor.

Claim 9

The apparatus described in claim 1, wherein the absorbent is an ammoniacate, and the reactant is ammonia.

Claim 10

The apparatus described in claim 1, wherein the absorbent is sodium bioxalate, and the reactant is water vapor.

Claim 11

The apparatus described in claim 1, wherein the absorbent is magnesium oxide, and the reactant is water vapor.

Claim 12

A chemisorption air conditioning apparatus for use in conjunction with a waste heat generating source such as a vehicle engine comprising: (a) a cylindrical housing divisible into temperature zones and having inlet and outlet apertures to said zones; (b) a plurality of enclosed fins arrayed in a circle radially spaced from each other, said array of fins being mounted to a drive shaft coaxial with said housing for rotation through the temperature zones of said housing in a continuous thermal cycle, each of said fins having one part for containing an absorbent material and another part for containing a reactant material, said absorbent material being adapted to combine together with or to disassociate a reactant material, depending on the temperatures applied to said parts of said fins as they are moved through said temperature zones; (c) means for rotating said array of fins in a continuous thermal cycle through said temperature zones; and (d) horizontal dividers arranged between each pair of adjacent fins for dividing said housing into an upper part and a lower part, said dividers extending to the housing and being adapted in conjunction with said rotatable fin array to form upper and lower temperature zones through which the array of fins rotates, wherein the absorbent containing parts of said fins constitute the lower parts thereof which are rotated through the lower temperature zones of the housing.

Claim 13

A chemisorption air conditioning apparatus for use in conjunction with a waste heat generating source such as a vehicle engine comprising: (a) a cylindrical housing divisible into temperature zones and having inlet and outlet apertures to said zones; (b) a plurality of enclosed fins arrayed in a circle radially spaced from each other, said array of fins being mounted to a drive shaft coaxial with said housing for rotation through the temperature zones of said housing in a continuous thermal cycle, each of said fins having one part for containing an absorbent material and another part for containing a reactant material, said absorbent material being adapted to combine together with or to disassociate a reactant material, depending on the temperatures applied to said parts of said fins as they are moved through said temperature zones; (c) means for rotating said array of fins in a continuous thermal cycle through said temperature zones; and (d) horizontal dividers arranged between each pair of adjacent fins for dividing said housing into an upper part and a lower part, said dividers extending to the housing and being adapted in conjunction with said rotatable fin array to form upper and lower temperature zones through which the array of fins rotates, wherein the absorbent containing parts of said fins constitute the lower parts thereof which are rotated through the lower temperature zones of the housing.

Claim 14

The chemisoption apparatus described in claim 11 wherein the absorbent material is selected from a group consisting of an alkaline material, an alkalinoterrous halide, an ammoniacate, sodium dioxalate, and magnesium oxide.

Claim 15

The chemisorption air conditioning apparatus described in claim 11 adapted as a cooling system, wherein one temperature zone of the lower part of the housing is supplied with a high temperature input and a corresponding temperature zone in a respective upper part of the housing is maintained at a lower temperature through heat exchange with a heat sink, the reactant material in the fins passing through said zones thereby becoming dissociated from the absorbent material in the lower part of the fins and moving to the upper part thereof, and further wherein another temperature zone of the lower part of the housing is maintained at a lower temperature through heat exchange with a heat sink, the reactant material in the fins passing through said other zone thereby moving from the upper parts of the fins and combining with said absorbent material in the lower parts thereof, whereby a low temperature output is provided at the upper parts of the fins.

Claim 16

The chemisorption air conditioning apparatus described in claim 11, wherein waste heat transterred through circulated fluid from the vehicle's engine supplies the high temperature input for the lower part of said one temperature zone.

Claim 17

The chemisorption air conditioning apparatus described in claim 11, wherein the lower temperature in the upper part of said one temperature zone and the lower temperature in the lower part of said other temperature zone are maintained by fluid heat exchange through a radiator system for the vehicle to the ambient air as the heat sink.

Claim 18

The apparatus described in claim 11 wherein the absorbent material is a dry chemical absorbent that combines with the reactant in gaseous form and transforms chemically into a dry, solid form.

Claim 19

A chemisorption apparatus for heating or cooling comprising: (a) a cylindrical housing divisible into temperature zones and having inlet and outlet apertures to said zones; (b) an array of thermal elements rotatable about a longitudinal axis of said cylindrical housing so as to rotate said thermal elements through said temperature zones, each thermal element being constructed so as to enclose a sealed, self-contained volume wherein a first portion of said volume includes means for holding an absorbent material therein and a second portion of said volume includes means for receiving a reactant material disassociated from the absorbent material, said absorbent and reactant materials being selected to combine together or to disassociate depending on the temperatures applied to said portions of said thermal elements as they are rotated through said temperature zones; (c) a partition for dividing said housing into a first temperature zone through which the absorbent containing first portions of said thermal elements are rotated and a second temperature zone through which the reactant containing second portions of said thermal elements are rotated; (d) means for dividing each of said first and second temperature zones into two temperature subzones, wherein the subzones of one of said temperature zones comprise a high temperature subzone and an intermediate temperature subzone, and the subzones of the other of said temperature zones comprise another intermediate temperature subzone and a low temperature subzone; and (e) means for rotating said array of thermal elements in a continuous cycle through said temperature zones.

Claim 20

A chemisorption apparatus for heating or cooling comprising: (a) a cylindrical housing divisible into temperature zones and having inlet and outlet apertures to said zones; (b) an array of thermal elements rotatable about a longitudinal axis of said cylindrical housing so as to rotate said thermal elements through said temperature zones, each thermal element being constructed so as to enclose a sealed, self-contained volume wherein a first portion of said volume includes means for holding an absorbent material therein and a second portion of said volume includes means for receiving a reactant material disassociated from the absorbent material, said absorbent and reactant materials being selected to combine together or to disassociate depending on the temperatures applied to said portions of said thermal elements as they are rotated through said temperature zones; (c) a partition for dividing said housing into a first temperature zone through which the absorbent containing first portions of said thermal elements are rotated and a second temperature zone through which the reactant containing second portions of said thermal elements are rotated; (d) means for dividing each of said first and second temperature zones into two temperature subzones, wherein the subzones of one of said temperature zones comprise a high temperature subzone and an intermediate temperature subzone, and the subzones of the other of said temperature zones comprise another intermediate temperature subzone and a low temperature subzone; and (e) means for rotating said array of thermal elements in a continuous cycle through said temperature zones.

Claim 21

The chemisorption apparatus described in claim 17 adapted as a cooling system, wherein said first temperature zone comprises said high temperature subzone and said intermediate temperature subzone, and said second temperature zone comprises said other intermediate temperature subzone and said low temperature subzone, whereby the absorbent containing first portions of the thermal elements rotate through said high temperature subzone so as to disassociate reactant material to the reactant containing second portions of said thermal elements which rotate through the other intermediate temperature subzone of said second temperature zone during one part of said continuous cycle, and said absorbent containing first portions then rotate through said intermediate temperature subzone of said first temperature zone so as to reabsorb the reactant material from the reactant containing second portions of said thermal elements which rotate through said low temperature subzone of said second temperature zone during another portion of said continuous cycle, whereby a cooling output of the system is provided at said low temperature subzone.

Claim 22

The chemisorption apparatus described in claim 17 adapted as a heating system, wherein said first temperature zone comprises said high temperature subzone and said intermediate temperature subzone, and said second temperature zone comprises said other intermediate temperature subzone and said low temperature subzone, whereby the absorbent containing first portions of the thermal elements rotate through said intermediate temperature subzone so as to disassociate reactant material to the reactant containing second portions of said thermal elements which rotate through the low temperature subzone of said second temperature zone during one part of said continuous cycle, and said absorbent containing first portions then rotate through said high temperature subzone of said first temperature zone while reabsorbing the reactant material from the reactant containing second portions of said thermal elements which rotate through said other intermediate temperature subzone during another portion of said continuous cycle, whereby a heating output of the system is provided at said high temperature subzone.

Claim 23

The chemisorption apparatus described in claim 18 adapted as an air conditioning system for a vehicle having a waste heat source, such as a cooling system for an engine of said vehicle, and a heat discharging sink, such as a radiator system of said vehicle, wherein said high temperature subzone is maintained by said waste heat source, one or both of said intermediate temperature subzones is maintained by said heat discharging sink, and the cooling output of said low temperature subzone is provided for cooling a passenger compartment of said vehicle.

Claim 24

The chemisorption apparatus described in claim 17 wherein the absorbent material is a dry chemical absorbent which combines with the reactant material in gaseous form so as to transform chemically into a dry, solid form.

Claim 25

The chemisorption apparatus described in claim 17 wherein the absorbent material is selected from a group consisting of an alkaline material, an alkalinoterrous halide, an ammoniacate, sodium dioxalate, and magnesium oxide.

Claim 26

The apparatus of claim 17 further comprising means for performing a flushing operation within the thermal elements wherein excess reactant material in said reactant containing part is driven back into said absorbent containing part during a flushing cycle.

Claim 27

The apparatus described in claim 17, wherein the absorbent is in a dry particle or granular form, and the absorbent retaining means is a porous structure in the lower part of each element for suspending the absorbent therein.

Claim 28

The apparatus described in claim 17, wherein the reactant part defining means includes a wick arranged in the reactant part of each element.

Claim 29

The apparatus described in claim 17, further comprising a filter permeable only to molecules of the reactant material arranged between said absorbent retaining part and said reactant retaining part of each element.

Claim 30

The apparatus described in claim 17, wherein the absorbent retaining means is an organic resin compound or binder mixed with the absorbent and applied in a layer to the walls of the lower part of each element.