Cycle stability of sorption materials and composites for the use in heat pumps and cooling machines

Thermally driven adsorption chillers and heat pumps are a very promising approach toward an efficient use of energy as well as an effective climate protection through reduced CO2 emission of conventional heating and cooling devices. With regard to current market entrance of this technology, this paper presents results on the stability of current available materials like silica gels and zeolites, recently developed materials like aluminophosphates (AIPO) and silica-aluminophosphates (SAPO) and novel materials like metal organic frameworks (MOF) under hydrothermal treatment. Seven materials as powders or granules as well as three composite have been analyzed under continuous thermal cycling in a water vapour atmosphere in order to evaluate their suitability for the use in a periodically working heat pump with water as working fluid. The stability of powders has been analyzed in-situ by thermogravimetry in a first stage short-cycle test. In case of the composite, made up of an active sorption material and a support structure, a cycling-test rig has been developed in order to realize a life-cycle stress. The need for a first stage short-cycle test is demonstrated impressively by the dramatic loss of 40% in sorption capacity of a Cu-BTC sample within the first 15 cycles. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.