Looped centrifugal adsorption heat pump

Abstract

Disclosed is a heat pump that does not have a mechanical compressor, it instead consists of a rotating sealed drum containing working fluid and adsorbent. The working fluid evaporates and transfers energy from a source to the adsorbent where heat is rejected, the centrifuged adsorbent outputs working fluid to continue the cycle.

1 . A heat pump comprised of; a motor, a sealed drum, a divider with fluid channels, the sealed rotating drum divided into a rotating evaporator and a rotating condenser, a working fluid within the sealed rotating drum, the bulk of which is present at the outer radius of the condenser in a pure form, an adsorbent within the sealed rotating drum located at the inner radius of the rotating condenser in a pure form, the working fluid in the rotating evaporator is vaporized into a working fluid vapor and the working fluid vapor flows from the rotating evaporator to the rotating condenser whereby the rotation of the sealed rotating drum creates a centrifugation force to desorb/phase separate the working fluid from the adsorbent, whereby the purified working fluid from the rotating condenser is forced outward towards the drum and is supplied back to the rotating evaporator through at least one feed path at the divider with fluid channels creating a continuous looped process. 
     
     
         2 . The heat pump as claimed in  claim 1  whereby the sealed rotating drum, when stationary, is evacuated of all gases, whereby the stationary rotating drum is then loaded with measured amounts of two fluids that are miscible with each other, whereby the working fluid is at least 5% more dense than the other fluid, and is at least 5% more volatile, the stationary drum is then sealed. 
     
     
         3 . The heat pump as claimed in  claim 2  whereby the total volume of the liquids when the drum is rotating shall be contained at the condenser without overflowing the barrier and spilling into the evaporator. 
     
     
         4 . The heat pump as claimed in  claim 2  where the evaporator is above the condenser so allowing fluid to drain by gravity from the evaporator to the condenser by spilling over the tapered divider, when the drum is stationary. 
     
     
         5 . The heat pump as claimed in  claim 1  whereby the binary fluid mix in the condenser is subject to centrifugation and phase separates the denser working fluid from the less dense adsorber, and that once the drum is at its operational speed no torque is required from the motor to phase separate the binary liquids. 
     
     
         6 . The heat pump as claimed in  claim 5  whereby the phase separation energy input, in the form of motor torque, is totally offset by the rotational kinetic energy of the working fluid vapor as it travels from the evaporator to the condenser, such rotational kinetic energy is transferred back to the drum by drag between the working fluid vapor and the internal parts of the drum, and finally by molecular capture at the condenser, thus for the phase separation process no motor torque is required, therefore phase separation is a zero power input alternative to traditional power consuming compressors. 
     
     
         7 . The heat pump claimed in  claim 6  whereby motor power, energy input, is still required to overcome external aerodynamic drag and bearing friction. 
     
     
         8 . The heat pump as claimed in  claim 1  is further comprised of at least one attached or integrated fins at the outer drum surface with the dual purpose of increasing thermal flux between the heat pump and external air, and increasing the amount of air dragged by the device so creating an airflow to the air conditioned space. 
     
     
         9 . The heat pump as claimed in  claim 8  whereby the spacing and number of attached fins is engineered to optimize heat flux, heat transfer, and airflow volume, whilst avoiding excessive aerodynamic drag. 
     
     
         10 . A heat pump as claimed in  claim 8  whereby the addition of a semicircular duct surrounding the rotating drum with attached fins creates an air induction zone where the difference of velocities between the air and the rotating fins creates turbulence at the fin surface which increases thermal transfer at the fin boundary layer, whilst at the same time the turbulence increases drag so pulling air into the inter fin volume, the air then is dragged towards the air output duct where it is accelerated by the drag, and so at the output end of the semicircular duct the air is centrifugally flung from the inter fin volume into the air conditioned void, or in the case of the heat rejection duct to the external environment, the loss of the air by centrifugal force leaves a partial vacuum that inducts stationary air at the inlet end(s) of the circular duct(s), the plural is used as there are two semicircular ducts, one involved with the evaporator heat input, and one with the condenser heat rejection. 
     
     
         11 . The heat pump as claimed in  claim 8  whereby the outgoing temperature exists downstream of the induction zone, whereby an incoming temperature exists upstream of the sealed rotating drum, and whereby a temperature differential exists of at least 10 degrees Celsius between the incoming temperature and the outgoing temperature. 
     
     
         12 . The heat pump as claimed in  claim 1  whereby the liquid adsorbent is replaced with a solid desiccant/adsorber, the solid residing in the condenser sitting against the inner drum surface thus forming a ring, the solid can take the form of a cast solid or of a powder that upon centrifugation naturally forms an even and balanced ring contained in the condenser. The centrifugation of the solid adsorbent/desiccant under sufficient g force will cause water, or other working fluid, within the adsorbent/desiccant to fully condense such that the radial depth of the adsorbent/desiccant will come into effect essentially increasing the internal pressure of the adsorbent/desiccant as a function of increasing radius, and as such the required RPM to achieve working fluid production decreases with adsorbent/desiccant radial thickness, and furthermore the needed RPM needed to produce working fluid at the outer radius of the adsorbent/desiccant lessens if a working fluid of lower polarity is chosen, for example DCM has about ⅓ the polarity of water, and in combination with its increased density the required RPM will be approximately half that of when water is the working fluid. 
     
     
         13 . The heat pump as claimed in  claim 1  whereby a thermally conductive matrix is added and resides in the condenser to enhance the heat transfer flux to the drum skin from the condenser inner radial surface, the matrix can be added to the solid desiccant or in the case of binary fluids is porous to the binary fluids. 
     
     
         14 . A heat pump as claimed in  claim 1  whereby the efficiency of motor power input to air conditioning output is potentially higher than air conditioners that employ a compressor and an expansion valve. 
     
     
         15 . A heat pump as claimed in  claim 1  whereby the component count is very low and significantly lower than conventional air conditioners. 
     
     
         16 . A heat pump as claimed in  claim 1  whereby the external fluids can be liquid, or supercritical fluids, or gases, and not just limited to air. 
     
     
         17 . A heat pump as claimed in  claim 1  whereby the transfer of energy from the environment to the drum and from the drum to the environment could be done by radiations, and that in such a manner there would be no aerodynamic drag on the drum. 
     
     
         18 . A heat pump as claimed in  claim 1  whereby some of the kinetic energy contained in the evaporated working fluid could be used to do work through a turbine or fan, and that work could be converted to electrical power by a dynamo, or could be output as torque via a magnetic coupling to an external stator, wherein the drum would experience a torque in the direction of operational rotation thus reducing the motor power input, thus improving the heat pump efficiency. 
     
     
         19 . A heat pump as claimed in  claim 18  where the power generated by a dynamo, or the torque produced and transferred to an external stator, is sufficient to fully overcome the aerodynamic drag on the drum and the friction in the motor or other supporting bearings.