Abstract
The chapter is devoted to design and performance of adsorptive heat pumps. In the first sub-division, state-of-the-art of the adsorptive heat pumping is analyzed. It involves analysing operating principle of adsorptive heat pumps, comparing of the properties of adsorbents used, bed specifications, and operating conditions. Original construction of the adsorptive heat pump is designed by authors for independent heat supply systems or hot water supply of buildings and other structures for various purposes. The composites ‘silica gel – sodium sulphate' or ‘silica gel – sodium acetate' were used as adsorbents. Discharging was performed in a daytime, when heat pump supplied heating system with water warmed to 45 – 35°C. The regeneration mode proceeded at night from 0.00 to 8.00 a.m. Efficiency of suggested adsorptive heat pump is estimated by two methods: as ratio of adsorption heat to sum of desorption heat and external heat supplied to sorbent during its heating up to regeneration temperature (coefficient of performance of cycle) and as ratio of heat of adsorption to heat supplied by solar collector (net coefficient of performance). Suggested heat pump coefficients of energy performance of cycle are stated to be 2.084 when composite ‘silica gel – sodium sulphate' used and 2.021 when ‘silica gel – sodium acetate' used. Seasonal dependence of net coefficient energy performance for suggested adsorptive heat pump based on composites ‘silica gel – sodium sulphate' and ‘silica gel – sodium acetate' is revealed. Correlation of coefficients of energy performance of adsorptive heat pump and composite sorbents properties (sorption capacity and regeneration temperature) is stated. Insignificant decreasing of coefficients of energy performance when ‘silica gel – sodium acetate' used is explained by lower sorptive capacity as compared to ‘silica gel – sodium sulphate'. Suggested heat pump application perspectives are shown for heat supply systems to result from traditional energy sources independence and environmental advantages. Adsorptive heat pumps development challenges, major limitations for commercialization of adsorptive heat pumping, and requirements to ongoing innovations are analysed. The present chapter can be useful for energy efficient decentralized heat supply systems based on adsorptive heat pump unit.