Continuous constant pressure process for staging solid-vapor compounds

Claim 1

An improved method of operating a mechanical or pressure driven heat pump comprising: (a) selecting a plurality of two or more different compounds comprising a solid reactant absorbent and a gaseous reactant absorbed thereon, wherein each of said compounds has a different gaseous reactant vapor pressure, substantially independent of the concentration of the gaseous reactant and wherein at least one of said compounds is selected from the following: Ba Cl 2 •0-8 (NH 3 ), Sr Cl 2 •1-8 (NH 3 ), Sr Br 2 •2-8 (NH 3 ), Ca Cl 2 •0-1 (NH 3 ), Ca Cl 2 •1-2 (NH 3 ), Ca Cl 2 •2-4 (NH 3 ), Ca Cl 2 •4-8 (NH 3 ), Ca Br 2 •2-6 (NH 3 ), Ni Cl 2 •2-6 (NH 3 ), Fe Cl 2 •2-6 (NH 3 ), Fe Br 2 •2-6 (NH 3 ), Co Cl 2 •2-6 (NH 3 ), Co Br 2 •2-6 (NH 3 ), Mg Cl 2 •2-6 (NH 3 ), Mg Br 2 •2-6 (NH 3 ), Mn Cl 2 •2-6 (NH 3 ), Mn Br 2 •2-6 (NH 3 ), Cu SO 4 •2-5 (NH 3 ), Zn Cl 2 •1-4 (NH 3 ), or Na BF 4 •0.5-2.5 (NH 3 ), (b) locating a first set of the said different compounds in a first reactor and a second set of the said different compounds in a second reactor, wherein the compounds of each of said first and second sets are located in said first and second reactors in successive ascending order of compound vapor pressure, (c) in a first reaction cycle, pressurizing said first reactor at a first pressure with said gaseous reactant and said second reactor at a second pressure with said gaseous reactant, higher than said first pressure, supplying a heat transfer fluid at a first temperature along said first reactor in thermal communication with said first set of compounds, whereby said compounds desorb said gaseous reactant in endothermic reactions, supplying a heat transfer fluid at a second temperature, higher than said first temperature, along said second reactor in thermal communication with said second set of compounds, whereby said compounds absorb said gaseous reactant in exothermic reactions, and (d) in a second reaction cycle, pressurizing said second reactor at said first pressure with said gaseous reactant and said first reactor at said second pressure with said gaseous reactant, supplying heat transfer fluid at a first temperature along said second reactor in thermal communication with said second set of compounds, whereby said compounds desorb said gaseous reactant in endothermic reactions, and supplying heat transfer fluid at a second temperature, along said first reactor in thermal communication with said first set of compounds, whereby said compounds absorb said gaseous reactant in exothermic reactions, and (e) wherein desorbed and absorbed gaseous reactant is directed to and from a mechanical or pressure driven compressor, respectively.