A NOVEL COOLING DEVICE

CONVENTIONAL REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS ARE LIMITED IN SEVERAL RESPECTS: NEITHER VAPOR COMPRESSION NOR ABSORPTION COOLERS ARE EFFICIENT IN SMALL-SCALE UNITS, AND MOST VAPOR COMPRESSION SYSTEMS USE FREONS (CFC'S) THAT ARE HARMFUL TO THE ENVIRONMENT. THERMOELECTRIC COOLERS HAVE BEEN USED IN SMALL SCALE APPLICATIONS, BUT ALSO SUFFER FROM LOW EFFICIENCY. A COOLING DEVICE WHICH OFFERS HIGHER EFFICIENCYIN A SMALL SCALE UNIT, AND WHICH AVOIDS THE USE OF CFC'S, WOULD BE HIGHLY DESIRABLE. TO MEET THESE CRITERIA, TDA PROPOSES A NOVEL COOLING DEVICE USING COUPLED ELECTROCHEMICAL OXIDATION AND REDUCTION. AFTER CARRYING OUT DETAILED THERMODYNAMIC CALCULATIONS TO DEFINE THE SYSTEM AND THE DESIRED CHARACTERISTICS OF THE COUPLED REACTIONS, WE HAVE IDENTIFIED A NUMBER OF PROMISING REACTIONSETS. HOWEVER, DETAILED DATA ON MANY OF THE DESIRABLE CHEMICAL SYSTEMS ARE NOT AVAILABLE. ACCORDINGLY, THE OBJECTIVES OF THE PROPOSED RESEARCH ARE (1) TO CARRY OUT MEASUREMENTS OF THE FUNDAMENTAL ELECTROCHEMICAL PARAMETERS OF REDOX COUPLES THAT ARE POTENTIALLY USEFUL IN SUCH A PROCESS, AND (2) TO CONDUCT A SYSTEMS ANALYSIS TO DETERMINE THE PERFORMANCE OF A DEVICE BASED ON THESE REACTIONS. IN PHASE II WE WILL CONSTRUCT AND TEST A PROTOTYPE COOLING DEVICE USING THIS APPROACH.