HIGH LIFT HEAT ACTUATED SOLID-VAPOR HEAT PUMP FOR SIMULTANEOUS REFRIGERATION AND WATER HEATING.

THERE IS A NEED FOR REFRIGERATION AS WELL AS HOT WATER HEATING ON MANNED SPACECRAFT. IN ORDER TO OBTAIN ENERGY ANDMASS EFFICIENT EQUIPMENT, IT IS PROPOSED TO USE COORDINATIVECOMPLEX COMPOUNDS, A SPECIAL CLASS OF NON-TOXIC SOLID-VAPOR MEDIA, FOR A DUAL DUTY THERMODYNAMIC CYCLE WHICH PROVIDES SIMULTANEOUSLY REFRIGERATION AND HOT WATER HEATING. SUCH CYCLES CAN BE DRIVEN WITH RELATIVELY LOW TEMPERATURE WASTE HEAT (400 K TO 500 K) OR WITH ELECTRIC POWER. CURRENT CYCLES AND MEDIA DO NOT ALLOW FOR DUAL DUTY CYCLES WITHOUT SIGNIFICANT PENALTIES IN PERFORMANCE AND RELIABILITY. IT IS THEREFORE PROPOSED TO DEVELOP UNIQUE COORDINATIVE COMPOUNDS, THE CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL PROPERTIESOF WHICH ALLOW FOR HIGH EFFICIENCY, LOW WEIGHT DUAL DUTY HEAT PUMP OPERATION. IN PHASE I, PROOF-OF-PRINCIPLE HARDWARE WILL BE DESIGNED, BUILT AND OPERATED UNDER ACTUAL HEAT PUMP CONDITIONS. THE EXPERIMENTAL PERFORMANCE WILL BE ANALYZED BY COMPUTER SIMULATION. THE ENVISIONED HARDWARE DOES NOT REQUIRE ANY MOVING PARTS AND CAN OPERATE UNDER ZERO GRAVITY WITHOUT PHASE SEPARATION.