Electrochemical heat pump

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11015875-B2
Application number	US-201916386389-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 17, 2019
Priority date	Apr 17, 2019
Publication date	May 25, 2021
Grant date	May 25, 2021

Abstract

A solution flows through a salinate chamber and a desalinate chamber of an electrochemical cell. Solutes are moved from the desalinate chamber to the salinate chamber to create respective solvent and concentrate streams from the desalinate and salinate chambers. The concentrate stream flows to a recombination cell where it is combined with a solvent. The combination causes at least one of an absorption of heat within the recombination cell and emission of heat from the recombination cell.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A heat pump comprising:
an electrochemical cell that receives a dilute stream, the electrochemical cell comprising: a salinate chamber from which a concentrate stream flows; and a desalinate chamber separated from the salinate chamber, a solvent stream flowing from the desalinate chamber, the electrochemical cell moving solutes from the desalinate chamber to the salinate chamber; and
a recombination cell receiving the concentrate stream as an input, the recombination cell combining the concentrate stream with a solvent, the combination causing at least one of an absorption of heat into the recombination cell and emission of heat from the recombination cell.

2. The heat pump of claim 1 , wherein the concentrate stream reduces a vapor pressure within the recombination cell, the reduction in vapor pressure resulting in evaporation of at least some of the solvent, the evaporation resulting in the absorption of heat in a first portion of the recombination cell.

3. The heat pump of claim 2 , wherein the evaporated solvent combines with the concentrate stream in a second portion of the recombination cell causing emission of heat from the second portion of the recombination cell.

4. The heat pump of claim 2 , wherein the solvent is provided from solvent stream of the electrochemical cell.

5. The heat pump of claim 2 , wherein the solvent is provided from a contaminant stream that includes the solvent.

6. The heat pump of claim 1 , wherein the solvent stream comprises water, and wherein the concentrate stream comprises a LiCl solution.

7. The heat pump of claim 1 , wherein the combination of the concentrate stream with the solvent comprises a fluid combination that causes an endothermic process that results in the absorption of heat in the recombination cell.

8. The heat pump of claim 1 , wherein the electrochemical cell further comprises:
a central, ion-selective membrane that separates the desalinate chamber separated from the salinate chamber; and
an anolyte chamber and a catholyte chamber on opposite outer sides of the salinate and desalinate chambers and separated therefrom by first and second ionic exchange membranes, ion transport between the anolyte and catholyte chambers being driven by faradaic reactions induced by a voltage applied across the anolyte and catholyte chambers, the ion transport moving a concentrate from the solvent stream to the concentrate stream.

9. The heat pump of claim 8 , wherein the electrochemical cell further comprises a pump that cycles a redox shuttle solution through the anolyte and catholyte chambers via a fluid loop.

10. The heat pump of claim 1 , further comprising at least one storage facility where fluid from one or both of the concentrate and solvent streams are stored, the stored fluid being fed into the recombination cell to increase one of a rate of heat transfer or time of operation provided by the heat pump.

11. A method comprising:
flowing a solution through a salinate chamber and a desalinate chamber of an electrochemical cell;
moving solutes from the desalinate chamber to the salinate chamber to create respective solvent and concentrate streams from the desalinate and salinate chambers;
flowing the concentrate stream to a recombination cell; and
combining the concentrate stream with a solvent in the recombination cell, the combination causing at least one of absorption of heat within the recombination cell and emission of heat from the recombination cell.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
reducing a vapor pressure within the recombination cell responsive to flowing the concentrate stream to the recombination cell; and
evaporating at least some of the solvent responsive to the reduction in vapor pressure, the evaporation resulting in the absorption of heat in a first portion of the recombination cell.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising combining the evaporated solvent with the concentrate stream in a second portion of the recombination cell causing emission of heat from the second portion of the recombination cell.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the solvent is provided from solvent stream of the electrochemical cell.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the solvent is provided from a contaminant stream that includes the solvent.

16. A heat pump comprising:
an electrochemical cell that converts a dilute stream to a concentrate stream and a solvent stream, the electrochemical cell comprising:
a salinate chamber from which the concentrate stream flows;
a desalinate chamber separated from the salinate chamber by a central, ion-selective membrane, the solvent stream flowing out of the desalinate chamber; and
an anolyte chamber and a catholyte chamber on opposite outer sides of the salinate and desalinate chambers and separated therefrom by first and second ionic exchange membranes, ion transport between the anolyte and catholyte chambers being driven by faradaic reactions induced by a voltage applied across the anolyte and catholyte chambers; and

a recombination cell comprising:
a first portion that receives a solvent;
a second portion that receives the concentrate stream and outputs the dilute stream; and
a vapor chamber that couples the first and second portions, the concentrate stream reducing a vapor pressure within the vapor chamber causing evaporation of at least some of the solvent, the evaporation resulting in the absorption of heat in the first portion of the recombination cell.

17. The heat pump of claim 16 , wherein the evaporated solvent combines with the concentrate stream in the second portion of the recombination cell causing emission of heat from the second portion of the recombination cell.

18. The heat pump of claim 16 , wherein the solvent comprises water, and wherein the concentrate stream comprises a LiCl solution.

19. The heat pump of claim 16 , wherein the solvent is provided from the solvent stream of the electrochemical cell.

20. The heat pump of claim 16 , wherein the electrochemical cell further comprises a a pump that cycles a redox shuttle solution through the anolyte and catholyte chambers via a fluid loop.

Assignees

• Palo Alto Res Ct Inc

Inventors

• Benedict Michael
• Karatay Elif
• Beh Eugene S
• Rivest Jessica Louis Baker

Classifications

• F25B15/002

  using the endothermic solution of salt · CPC title

• F28D20/003 Primary

  using thermochemical reactions · CPC title

• F24V30/00

  Apparatus or devices using heat produced by exothermal chemical reactions other than combustion · CPC title

• Y02E60/14

  Thermal energy storage · CPC title

• F25B15/00

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