Enhancement of low grade heat via the HYCSOS chemical heat pump

Conference · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1979

OSTI ID:5696277

Gruen, D. M.; Sheft, I.; Lamich, G. J.

The Argonne HYCSOS system is a thermally driven chemical heat pump based on two metal hydrides with different free energies of formation that functions in heating, cooling and energy conversion modes. Hydrogen is transferred by means of thermal gradients from one hydride bed to another and the heat released on hydride formation or absorbed on hydride decomposition is available for heating or cooling purposes. With three beds of the same hydride cycling between a higher temperature and a lower one, a continuous supply of high pressure hydrogen can be generated, do useful work in an expansion engine-dynamo unit supplying electricity and then be absorbed on the alloy at a lower temperature. An interesting mode of HYCSOS operation is made feasible by the recent development of a series of ternary alloys whose hydrogen decomposition pressures at a given temperature can be varied by several orders of magnitude. By proper choice of pairs of alloys with properties suitable for the available temperature regime, low grade solar energy, such as can be obtained from inexpensive flat plate collectors in northern climes with low levels of insolation, can be enhanced to provide domestic hot water. Using the LaNi/sub 5/ and CaNi/sub 5/ currently in the HYCSOS system, 34 kcal of thermal energy raised the temperature of water from 39/sup 0/C to 66/sup 0/C.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• OSTI ID: 5696277
• Report Number(s): CONF-791204-30
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140901 -- Solar Thermal Utilization-- Space Heating & Cooling
140907* -- Solar Thermal Utilization-- Water Heating
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320100 -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Buildings
ALLOY SYSTEMS
ALLOYS
APPLIANCES
CALCIUM ALLOYS
CHEMICAL HEAT PUMPS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISORPTION
CONVERSION
COOLING SYSTEMS
CRYOGENIC FLUIDS
DESORPTION
DISSOCIATION
ELEMENTS
ENERGY CONVERSION
ENERGY STORAGE
ENTROPY
EQUIPMENT
FLUIDS
GAS APPLIANCES
HEAT EXCHANGERS
HEAT PUMPS
HEAT STORAGE
HEATERS
HEATING SYSTEMS
HYDRIDES
HYDROGEN
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN STORAGE
HYDROGENATION
LANTHANUM ALLOYS
MATERIALS
METALS
NICKEL ALLOYS
NONMETALS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
RARE EARTH ALLOYS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOLAR COOLING SYSTEMS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SOLAR HEATING SYSTEMS
SOLAR WATER HEATERS
SORPTION
STORAGE
TERNARY ALLOY SYSTEMS
THERMOCHEMICAL HEAT STORAGE
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
THERMODYNAMICS
WATER HEATERS