SELF-CONTAINED SOLID-VAPOR HEAT PUMP CYCLES FOR CENTRAL HEAT TRANSFER BUS

FOR THERMAL LOADS CLOSE TO, BUT DIFFERENT FROM, THE OPERATING TEMPERATURE OF A CENTRAL HEAT TRANSFER BUS, HEAT PUMPS ARE NEEDED TO SPACE THE TEMPERATURE DIFFERENCE. THE LACK OF GRAVITY IN SPACE WITH THE ASSOCIATED PHASE SEPARATION PROBLEMS, AS WELL AS EFFICIENCY AND RELIABILITY REQUIREMENTS CAUSE SEVERE PROBLEMS WITH VAPOR COMPRESSION AND LIQUID-VAPOR ABSORPTION CYCLES. LIQUID-VAPOR ABSORPTIONCYCLE EFFICIENCIES ARE LIMITED BY THEIR STAGING AND DO NOT BENEFIT FROM LOW LIFT APPLICATIONS AS ENCOUNTERED IN THE ENVISIONED APPLICATION. IN THIS STUDY, A CONSTANT PRESSURE,ENGINE-STAGED, SOLID-VAPOR HEAT PUMP, IS BEING DEVELOPED WHICH DOES NOT DEPEND ON GRAVITY, HAS NO PHASE SEPARATION REQUIREMENTS OR MOVING PARTS, AND CAN BE HEAT OR COMPRESSOR ACTIVATED. STAGING IS BEING OBTAINED WITH A VARIETY OF COORDINATIVE COMPLEX COMPOUNDS WHICH LEADS TO CYCLE EFFICIENCIES SUPERIOR TO CONVENTIONAL SYSTEMS AND PERFORMANCE INCREASES WITH DECREASING TEMPERATURES LIFT REQUIREMENTS. THE RESEARCH IS FOCUSING ON THE CYCLE AND MEDIA DEVELOPMENT FOR HIGH EFFICIENCY OPERATION. IN THIS EFFORT, THE NECESSARY WORKING MEDIA, ARE BEING IDENTIFIED; APROOF-OF-PRINCIPLE HARDWARE DEMONSTRATION IS BEING PERFORMED; AND, THE HEAT PUMP PERFORMANCE IS BEING DETERMINED BY COMPUTER MODELING. MEDIA PROPERTY OPTIMIZATION AND A BREADBOARD PROOF-OF-CONCEPT HEAT PUMP WILL BE ADDRESSED AT A LATER EFFORT. WHEN SUCCESSFUL, THE DEVELOPMENT OF CONSTANT PRESSURE ENGINE STAGED SOLID-VAPOR HEAT PUMP CYCLES FOR COMMERCIAL HVAC, REFRIGERATION AND INDUSTRIAL WASTE HEAT RECOVERY WOULD BE DIRECTLY APPLICABLE AND COMMERCIALLY VIABLE.