HIGH DENSITY CHEMICAL THERMAL STORAGE SYSTEM FOR LOW GRAVITY ENVIRONMENTS

THERMAL STORAGE SYSTEMS ARE NEEDED FOR EFFECTIVE THERMAL MANAGEMENT ON MANNED SPACECRAFT AND PLANETARY BASED SYSTEMS. THERMAL STORAGE EQUIPMENT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO REDUCE THE OVERALL SYSTEM MASS BY DECREASING THE CAPACITY REQUIREMENTS OF HEAT PUMPS, REFRIGERATORS AND CHILLERS THROUGH LOAD LEVELING. TODAY'S THERMAL STORAGE CONCEPTS, HOWEVER, ARE INADEQUATE FOR SPACE APPLICATION, SINCE THE ENERGY DENSITIES ARE VERY LOW (333 KJ/KG THEORETICAL MAXIMUM FOR ICE COOL STORAGE) AND NONE OF THE ENVIRONMENTALLY SAFE SYSTEMS CAN PROVIDE DUAL TEMPERATURE (HEAT AND COOL) STORAGE. THEREFORE, IT IS PROPOSED TO DEVELOP A WATER BASED CHEMICAL ABSORPTION PROCESS WHICH PROVIDES COOL AND HEAT STORAGE AT ENERGY DENSITIES THREE TIMES HIGHER THAN OBTAINABLE WITH ICE, EUTECTIC SALTS, CLATHRATES OR SENSIBLE THERMAL STORAGE SYSTEMS. THE PROPOSED SYSTEM IS BASED ON THE ABSORPTION OF WATER VAPOR INTO SELECTED AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS, IS ENVIRONMENTALLY SAFE AND BENEFITS FROM LOW GRAVITY ENVIRONMENTS. THE PHASE I OBJECTIVE IS TO IDENTIFY SUITABLE SORPTION SYSTEMS, MEASURE THE KEY PROPERTIES, DESIGN THE PRINCIPAL HARDWARE CONFIGURATION AND PROVIDE EXPERIMENTAL PROOF-OF-PRINCIPLE. PHASE II WILL THEN FOCUS ON THE DETERMINATION OF HEAT AND MASS TRANSFER ADDITIVIES AND THE CONSTRUCTION AND TEST OF A PROTOTYPE THERMAL STORAGE SYSTEM.