Abstract:
An air-conditioning system which may be included in a motor vehicle may include a single pair of tube-and-plate heat exchangers arranged within a common vacuum enclosure, the heat exchangers selectively coupled with a heat source, a radiator, and an air-conditioning core. During an adsorbing/evaporating mode, coolant may circulate between a first heat exchanger and the radiator and vapor may evaporate from the surface of non-adsorbent-coated plates of the second heat exchanger and be adsorbed at adsorbent-coated plates of the first heat exchanger while coolant circulates between the second heat exchanger and the core. During a desorbing/condensing mode, coolant may circulate between a heat source and the first heat exchanger to effect desorption of vapor from the adsorbent in the first heat exchanger, while melting PCM in the core exchanges heat with air blown through the core to provide cooling.
Abstract:
An adsorption based system is provided for the selective cooling and heating of a vehicle compartment using by-product water collected from a power generating unit of a vehicle. The system may include a fuel cell stack and an exhaust conduit configured to transfer an exhaust stream from the fuel cell stack. A water reservoir stores by-product water collected from the exhaust stream. The system may include a coolant loop configured to circulate a coolant fluid. A detachable adsorption subsystem is in thermal communication with the coolant loop and the exhaust conduit, and may include an evaporator and an adsorbent bed. The adsorption subsystem is configured to: vaporize water from the water reservoir using the evaporator; adsorb the vaporized water, thereby cooling a portion of the coolant fluid; regenerate the adsorbent bed using heat from the exhaust stream to release water vapor; and direct the water vapor into the exhaust conduit.
Abstract:
An absorption plate for a vehicle is crossed by a stream of liquid absorbent fluid flowing between two exchange surfaces arranged relatively opposite one another. The exothermal absorption of a coolant fluid in vapor phase takes place through the exchange surfaces by increasing a concentration of the coolant fluid in the absorbent fluid. The relative arrangement of the two exchange surfaces forces at least one portion of the stream of absorbent fluid to pass at least once through one of the exchange surfaces and causes mixing of the stream of the absorbed fluid.
Abstract:
The present invention relates to an enclosure which is refrigerated and kept at a predetermined set temperature (Te), containing the evaporator (7) of a refrigerating unit (5). Said enclosure is characterised in that: same comprises a thermochemical system (9) the circuit of which is separate from that of the refrigerating unit and which includes a reactor (1) containing a reactive product capable of absorbing a gas, a condenser and an evaporator arranged in said enclosure (3), the reactive product and the gas being such as to be the subject, when placed in the presence of one another, of a reaction which has the effect of the gas being absorbed by the reactive product and, conversely, to be the subject of a desorption reaction of the gas absorbed by the reactive product when heat is applied thereto once the gas has been absorbed, the thermochemical system having two operating phases, namely a cold-production phase and a regeneration phase, said system comprising measurement (14) and control (19) means which only enable the thermochemical system (9) to enter the regeneration phase if the temperature of the condenser (17) thereof is below a predetermined threshold temperature (Ts).
Abstract:
A vehicle climate control system operable in a winter mode and a summer mode includes an engine-exhaust-driven hot heat transfer fluid (HTF) circuit coupled with a heater core during the winter mode to provide passenger cabin heating, and thermal energy stored in a standalone hot phase change material (PCM) battery in the hot HTF circuit may provide surge heating at or prior to engine start. The hot HTF circuit and a cold HTF circuit including an HTF cooler drive two adsorbers in the summer mode, thereby providing passenger cabin cooling in conjunction with a refrigerant circuit which includes a condenser, evaporator, expansion valve, and standalone cold PCM battery. Thermal energy stored in the standalone cold PCM battery may provide surge cooling at or prior to engine start.
Abstract:
A vehicle climate control system includes a thermal-adsorption heat pump driven by engine exhaust heat, the heat pump including two adsorbers asynchronously switching between adsorbing and desorbing modes, each adsorber coupled with a corresponding antifreeze tank via a plurality of refrigerant-containing wick chambers. Cold heat transfer fluid (HTF) flows through the adsorber during the adsorbing mode which causes evaporation of refrigerant from the wick chambers, thereby cooling antifreeze, whereas hot HTF flows through the adsorber during the desorbing mode which causes condensation of refrigerant at the wick chambers, thereby heating antifreeze. In this way, the thermal-adsorption heat pump may condition cabin air independent of engine coolant and without exerting a load on the engine.
Abstract:
A system is provided for capturing energy from heat expelled in an exhaust of an engine of a motor vehicle and storing the captured energy. The system comprises a generator, a condenser, an evaporator, and an absorber. The generator captures heat from the exhaust of the engine and may be configured for circulating a first solution having a solute that is vaporizable by heat captured by the generator. The condenser may be coupled to the generator for receiving vaporized solute and condensing the vaporized solute to a liquid. The evaporator may be coupled to the condenser and have an orifice between the condenser and the evaporator. The evaporator may have a first fluid passage for circulating the solute and a second fluid passage for circulating a second solution. The first and second fluid passages may be configured such that solute running through the first fluid passage is vaporizable by heat absorbed from the second solution running through the second fluid passage, thereby cooling the second solution. The absorber may be coupled to the evaporator and the generator. The absorber may be configured to return the solute to solution by mixing the solute with a solvent of the first solution supplied by the generator, and for returning the first solution to the generator to complete a cycle of the system.
Abstract:
The invention relates to a thermal energy management device for a vehicle, namely a vehicle equipped with an electric generator associating and fuel cell and hydrogen reformer, comprising at least one primary circuit circulating a first heat-conducting fluid, such circuit enabling calories to be collected from a thermal source and transported to at least one thermal exchanger wherein said device comprises at least one thermal exchanger constituted by a sorption exchanger, enabling the thermal energy management of vehicles, and namely, armored vehicles.
Abstract:
The air conditioning system including at least one sensor of the thermal comfort of the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle, and an apparatus having at least one pair of heat-exchanger units, each designed to increase and reduce said temperature at alternating intervals under the control of the sensor. Each heat-exchanger unit comprises a substrate having the property of absorbing and releasing heat according to the absorption of a gas. The two substrates are set in two hermetic casings in communication with one another through a compressor and a series of valves, which can be actuated so as to transfer the gas alternately from one to another of the two substrates. Each heat exchanger unit also includes an outlet conveyor with an outlet opening to the passenger compartment and another outlet opening towards the outside. The two outlets are controlled by hatches that can be actuated intermittently so as to send hot air or cold air continuously into the passenger compartment.