Adsorption cooling system using metal organic frameworks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10830504-B2
Application number	US-201213457331-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 26, 2012
Priority date	Apr 26, 2012
Publication date	Nov 10, 2020
Grant date	Nov 10, 2020

Abstract

An adsorptive cooling system includes: a first highly adsorptive structure positioned to receive thermal energy from a thermal energy source, including: a first substrate; and a first metal-organic framework (MOF) coupled to the first substrate and adapted for adsorbing and desorbing a refrigerant under predetermined thermodynamic conditions; a second highly adsorptive structure positioned to receive thermal energy from the thermal energy source including: a second substrate; and a second MOF coupled to the second substrate and adapted for adsorbing and desorbing a refrigerant under predetermined thermodynamic conditions; a cooling unit; and a circulation system adapted for circulating refrigerant from the first highly adsorptive structure and the second highly adsorptive structure to the cooling unit to provide cooling from the thermal energy source and to return the refrigerant to at least one of the first highly adsorptive structure and the second highly adsorptive structure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A product comprising a highly adsorptive structure, the highly adsorptive structure comprising:
a corrugated substrate having a plurality of peaks and valleys, the valleys being defined between the peaks, wherein each of the valleys of the substrate has a plurality of microchannels extending therealong; and
a metal-organic framework (MOF) comprising a plurality of metal oxide components interconnected with each other by a plurality of organic spacer molecules thereby creating a network of continuous pores defined by the metal oxide components interconnected with each other by the plurality of organic spacer molecules for adsorbing and retaining a fluid;
wherein the MOF is coupled to at least one interior and/or exterior surface of the plurality of microchannels of the substrate,
wherein the MOF is configured to adsorb and desorb a refrigerant under predetermined thermodynamic conditions.

2. The product as recited in claim 1 , wherein the predetermined thermodynamic conditions are based on an identity of each of: the plurality of metal oxide components, the plurality of organic spacer molecules, and the refrigerant.

3. The product as recited in claim 1 , wherein the MOF is characterized by a surface area of at least about 5000 m 2 /g.

4. The product as recited in claim 1 , wherein the MOF is characterized by a pore structure, wherein the pore structure is determined based on an identity of each of: the plurality of metal oxide components and the plurality of organic spacer molecules.

5. The product as recited in claim 1 , wherein the refrigerant is selected from the group consisting of: methyl silane, propylene, propane, propadiene, cyclopropane, dimethyl ether, methyl acetylene, methyl phosphine, bromo difluoro nitroso methane, methyl nitrate, isobutene, isobutylene, 1-butene, amino methane, 1,3 butadiene, butane, trans 2-butene, trimethyl amine, cis 2-butene, 1-butene-3-one, vinyl acetylene, methane thiol, fulvene, 1-butyne, neopentane, butadiyne, methylallene, cyclobutane, acetaldehyde, cycloneptane.

6. A product comprising a highly adsorptive structure, the highly adsorptive structure comprising:
a substrate, wherein the substrate comprises a plurality of peaks and valleys, the valleys being defined between the peaks, wherein each of the valleys of the substrate has a plurality of microchannels extending therealong; and
a metal-organic framework (MOF), wherein the MOF is coupled to an interior and/or exterior surface of the plurality of microchannels.

7. The product as recited in claim 6 , wherein the microchannels are defined by a plurality of ridges and second valleys on a surface of the substrate nearest the MOF, wherein the MOF is coupled to at least one exterior surface of the second valleys.

8. The product as recited in claim 7 , wherein the microchannels are arranged to form a plurality of parallel channels.

9. The product as recited in claim 6 , wherein the metal organic framework is biased toward the substrate for increasing a thermal conductivity between the metal organic framework and the substrate, wherein the microchannels provide ingress and egress paths for a refrigerant.

10. The product as recited in claim 6 , wherein the microchannels are defined by inner and/or outer surfaces of a plurality of microcapillaries of the substrate.

11. The product as recited in claim 10 , wherein the microcapillaries provide ingress and egress paths for a refrigerant.

12. The product as recited in claim 1 , wherein the refrigerant is adsorbed to the MOF, wherein the refrigerant desorbs from the MOF at a temperature of less than 90° C.

13. The highly adsorptive structure as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a container enclosing the MOF coupled to the substrate, the container having an opening configured for ingress and egress of the refrigerant.

14. The product as recited in claim 13 , further comprising a circulation system configured to facilitate circulation of the refrigerant to and from the MOF coupled to the substrate.

15. An adsorptive cooling system comprising:
a highly adsorptive structure as recited in claim 1 and positioned to receive thermal energy from a thermal energy source;
a second highly adsorptive structure positioned to receive thermal energy from the thermal energy source, the second highly adsorptive structure comprising:
a second substrate; and
a second MOF adhered to the second substrate,
wherein the second MOF is configured to adsorb and desorb a refrigerant under predetermined thermodynamic conditions, and

a cooling unit; and
a circulation system configured to circulate a refrigerant from the highly adsorptive structure and/or the second highly adsorptive structure to the cooling unit to provide cooling from the thermal energy source and to return the refrigerant from the cooling unit to the highly adsorptive structure and/or the second highly adsorptive structure.

16. The product as recited in claim 1 , wherein the MOF comprises a plurality of micropores and macropores, the micropores each having a diameter in a range from 0.7 to 1.2 nanometers.

17. A product comprising highly adsorptive structures, product comprising:
a first highly adsorptive structure configured to receive thermal energy from a thermal energy source, the first highly adsorptive structure comprising:
a first substrate; and
a first metal-organic framework (MOF) comprising a plurality of metal components coordinated to a plurality of organic spacer molecules;
wherein the first MOF is coupled to at least one surface of the first substrate,
wherein the first MOF is configured to adsorb and desorb a refrigerant under predetermined thermodynamic conditions;

a second highly adsorptive structure configured to receive thermal energy from the thermal energy source, the second highly adsorptive structure comprising:
a second substrate; and
a second MOF adhered to the second substrate,
wherein the second MOF is configured to adsorb and desorb a refrigerant under predetermined thermodynamic conditions

a cooling unit;
a circulation system configured to circulate a refrigerant from the first highly adsorptive structure and/or the second highly adsorptive structure to the cooling unit to provide cooling from the thermal energy source and to return the refrigerant from the cooling unit to the first highly adsorptive structure and/or the second highly adsorptive structure; and
a blocking system configured to prevent the first highly adsorptive structure and/or the second highly adsorptive structure from receiving the thermal energy from the thermal energy source,
wherein the thermal energy source includes a solar energy source,
wherein the product has a 7 kilowatt cooling capacity and/or an electrical to cooling energy coefficient of performance greater than 3.8.

18. The product as recited in claim 17 , wherein the first substrate and the second substrate each comprise a plurality of microchannels, wherein the first MOF is coupled to an interior and/or exterior surface of the plurality of microchannels of the first substrate, and wherein the second MOF is coupled to an interior and/or exterior surface of the plurality of microchannels of the second substrate, wherein the first MOF is configured to desorb the refrigerant at about 1014 molecules per square meter.

19. The system as recited in claim 15 , further comprising a blocking system configured to block the highly adsorptive structure as recited in claim 1 and/or the second highly adsorptive structure from receiving the thermal energ

Assignees

• Baumann Theodore F
• Satcher Jr Joe H
• Farmer Joseph C
• L Livermore Nat Security Llc

Inventors

• Baumann Theodore F
• Satcher Jr Joe H
• Farmer Joseph C

Classifications

• Y02A30/27

  Relating to heating, ventilation or air conditioning [HVAC] technologies · CPC title

• Y02B30/00

  Energy efficient heating, ventilation or air conditioning [HVAC] · CPC title

• F25B17/08 Primary

  the absorbent or adsorbent being a solid, e.g. salt (F25B17/12 takes precedence) · CPC title

• Y10T29/49359

  Cooling apparatus making, e.g., air conditioner, refrigerator · CPC title