HYCSOS: a chemical heat pump and energy conversion system based on metal hydrides. 1979 status report

Technical Report · Sun Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1979

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6033924· OSTI ID:6033924

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

The current status of the HYCSOS chemical heat pump and energy conversion system based on metal hydrides is described. Heat transfer fluid loops were insulated and modified for isothermal operation. Software development for HYCSOS manual mode operation was completed. Routines to handle data acquisition, logging, compression, correction and plotting, using a Tektronix Graphics system with flexible disk data storage, provide a rapid and versatile means of presenting HYCSOS data for analysis. Advanced concept heat exchangers to improve the heat transfer of the hydride bed with the heat transfer fluid are discussed. Preliminary tests made with a LaNi/sub 5/ loaded aluminum foam test unit showed that heat transfer properties are very markedly improved. Thermodynamic expressions are applied to the selection of alloys for use in HYCSOS. The substitution of aluminum for nickel in AB/sub 5/ type alloys is shown to reduce hysteresis and permits the use of potentially lower cost materials with added flexibility for the optimization of engineering design and performance characteristics of the hydride heat pump system. Transient thermal measurements on hydride beds of CaNi/sub 5/ and LaNi/sub 5/ show no deterioration with cycling. Relatively slow heat transfer between the hydride beds and heat transfer fluid in the coiled tube heat exchangers is indicated by temperature lag of the bed and heat transfer fluid. Improved heat transfer is anticipated with aluminum foam heat exchangers.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• OSTI ID: 6033924
• Report Number(s): ANL-79-8
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140901* -- Solar Thermal Utilization-- Space Heating & Cooling
140909 -- Solar Thermal Utilization-- Miscellaneous Solar Applications-- (1980-)
142000 -- Solar Energy-- Heat Storage-- (1980-)
25 ENERGY STORAGE
250600 -- Energy Storage-- Thermal
250800 -- Energy Storage-- Chemical
AIR CONDITIONING
ALLOYS
ALUMINIUM ALLOYS
CALCIUM ALLOYS
CHEMICAL HEAT PUMPS
COST
CRYOGENIC FLUIDS
DATA ANALYSIS
DESIGN
DISSOCIATION HEAT
ELEMENTS
ENERGY STORAGE
ENERGY TRANSFER
ENGINES
ENTHALPY
FLUIDS
HEAT ENGINES
HEAT EXCHANGERS
HEAT PUMPS
HEAT STORAGE
HEAT TRANSFER
HEAT TRANSFER FLUIDS
HEATING
HYDRIDES
HYDROGEN
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
LANTHANUM ALLOYS
NICKEL ALLOYS
NONMETALS
OPTIMIZATION
PERFORMANCE
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
RARE EARTH ALLOYS
REACTION HEAT
SOLAR AIR CONDITIONING
SOLAR HEAT ENGINES
SOLAR HEATING
SOLAR SPACE HEATING
SPACE HEATING
SPECIFIC HEAT
STORAGE
TEST FACILITIES
THERMAL INSULATION
THERMOCHEMICAL HEAT STORAGE
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
THERMODYNAMICS