Adsorption heat exchanger devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10041709-B2
Application number	US-201715413059-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 23, 2017
Priority date	Jun 30, 2011
Publication date	Aug 7, 2018
Grant date	Aug 7, 2018

Abstract

Adsorption heat exchanger devices (11, 25) are provided for use in solid sorption refrigeration systems (1) together with methods for making such devices and adsorbent structures therefor. The methods include applying a curable binder, in solution in a solvent, to granular adsorbent material, and then evaporating the solvent and curing the binder. The curable binder solution is sufficiently dilute that, during evaporation of the solvent, the binder becomes concentrated around contact points between granules (18) of the adsorbent material whereby localized bonds (19) are formed around the contact points on curing of the binder.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for making an adsorbent structure for an adsorption heat exchanger device, the method comprising:
applying a curable binder solution to a granular adsorbent material, wherein the granular adsorbent material comprises granules with polar surfaces;
evaporating a solvent in the curable binder solution;
curing a binder, wherein the binder is in the curable binder solution;
breaking the granular adsorbent material into clusters of bonded granules;
coating a surface of at least one cavity formed at an adsorption side of a heat exchanger structure with a binder for bonding the clusters to said surface; and
stacking the clusters in the at least one cavity,
wherein the curable binder solution is diluted so that during the evaporating of the solvent the binder becomes concentrated around contact points between granules of the granular adsorbent material, and
wherein localized bonds are formed around the contact points upon curing of the curable binder.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the curable binder solution contains the binder in a ratio by mass of 1:5 from binder to solvent.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the binder shrinks upon curing the binder.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the curable binder shrinks by at least 3% upon curing the binder.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the curable binder comprises an adhesive mixture.

6. A method for making an adsorbent structure for an adsorption heat exchanger device, the method comprising:
applying a curable binder solution to a granular adsorbent material;
evaporating a solvent in the curable binder solution;
curing a binder, wherein the binder is in the curable binder solution, and wherein the binder shrinks upon curing the binder;
breaking the granular adsorbent material into clusters of bonded granules;
coating a surface of at least one cavity formed at an adsorption side of a heat exchanger structure with a binder for bonding the clusters to said surface; and
stacking the clusters in the at least one cavity of the heat exchanger structure,
wherein the curable binder solution is diluted so that during the evaporating of the solvent the binder becomes concentrated around contact points between granules of the granular adsorbent material, and
wherein localized bonds are formed around the contact points upon curing of the curable binder.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the curable binder solution contains the binder in a ratio by mass of 1:5 from binder to solvent.

8. The method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the curable binder shrinks by at least 3% upon curing the binder.

9. The method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the granular adsorbent material comprises granules with polar surfaces.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Brunschwiler Thomas J
• Goicochea Javier V
• Michel Bruno
• Ruch Patrick

Classifications

• F25B35/04 Primary

  using a solid as sorbent · CPC title

• B01J20/3042

  Use of binding agents; addition of materials ameliorating the mechanical properties of the produced sorbent · CPC title

• F25B15/00

  Sorption machines, plants or systems, operating continuously, e.g. absorption type · CPC title

• Y10T29/4935

  Heat exchanger or boiler making · CPC title

• B01J20/2803 Primary

  Sorbents comprising a binder, e.g. for forming aggregated, agglomerated or granulated products · CPC title