DEVELOPMENT OF A MULTICOMPONENT ABSORBENT FOR USE IN ADVANCED ABSORPTION REFRIGERATION CYCLES-

RECENT INVESTIGATIONS HAVE DETERMINED THAT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF ADVANCED ABSORPTION CYCLES THAT CAN PRODUCE MAJOR GAINS IN THE ENERGY EFFICIENCIES OF ABSORPTION REFRIGERATION, AIR CONDITIONING, AND HEAT-PUMPING EQUIP- MENT. THE ADVANCES ARE SUFFICIENT TO REDUCE THE ANNUAL OPERATING COSTS OF ABSORPTION HEAT PUMPS TO WELL BELOW THOSE OF OTHER HEATING AND COOLING SYSTEMS AND TO POTENTIALLY REDUCE THE NATIONAL ENERGY USAGE SIGNIFI- CANTLY. MAJOR GAINS CAN BE ACHIEVED WITH AMMONIA/WATER, THE WORKING PAIR PRESENTLY BEST SUITED TO HEAT PUMPS WITH HIGH HEAT-INPUT TEMPERATURES. HOWEVER, THE PER- FORMANCE OF SOME OF THE CYCLES CAN BE INCREASED FURTHER BY THE USE OF HIGHER TEMPERATURE FLUIDS. THE TERNARY COMBINATION OF AMMONIA/LITHIUM BROMIDE-WATER RECENTLY HAS BEEN SHOWN TO BE USABLE TO MUCH HIGHER TEMPERATURES THAN AMMONIA/WATER BUT TO BE MUCH MORE CORROSIVE. THIS PROJECT IS TO INVESTIGATE MATERIALS THAT PERFORM AS WELL OR BETTER THAN LITHIUM BROMIDE IN THE TERNARY SYSTEMS BUT HAVE FEWER DISADVANTAGES. PRELIMINARY SCREENING TESTS ARE PLANNED TO DETERMINE THE SUITABILITY OF THE MOST PROMISING TERNARY COMBINATIONS. THE PROPERTIES TO BE MEASURED INCLUDE THE VAPOR PRESSURES OF AMMONIA IN THE SOLUTIONS, THE CRYSTALLIZATION LIMITS, HIGH-TEMPERATURE STABILITY, CORROSION, AND OTHER CHARACTERISTICS THAT COULD AFFECT THE ABSORPTION CYCLE. IF VALUABLE TERNARY SYSTEMS ARE FOUND, THE BEST ONE OR TWO WILL BE SELECTED FOR MORE ACCURATE STUDY OF THE PHYSICAL, THERMODYNAMIC, AND TRANSPORT PROPERTIES IN A POSSIBLE PHASE II PROGRAM.