Adsorbent, heat exchanger, and adsorption heat pump

Abstract

To provide a technology of increasing an amount of heat generated in an adsorbent.SOLUTION: An adsorbent comprises a plurality of flow paths whose gas diffusion resistance is lower than that of the adsorbent, and a heat conductive part formed of a material whose heat conductivity is higher than that of the adsorbent.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an adsorbent, a heat exchanger, and an adsorption heat pump. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, adsorbents that exchange heat with a heat medium by adsorbing and desorbing gas are known (for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2, and Non-Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6045413 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 5900391 [Non-patent literature]

[0004] [Non-Patent Document 1] “Development of a Compact Adsorption Heat Pump System forAutomotive Air Conditioning System” SAE Ppaer 2016-01-0181(2016) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In an adsorbent, heat is generated by the adsorbent material adsorbing gas. Therefore, in order to increase the amount of heat generated by the adsorbent, it is necessary to supply gas uniformly throughout the adsorbent to improve the utilization rate of the adsorbent, while suppressing the temperature rise of the adsorbent due to the heat of adsorption and suppressing a decrease in the adsorption rate. However, even with the above-mentioned prior art, there is still room for improvement in terms of the technology for increasing the heat generation amount of the adsorbent.

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide a technique for increasing the heat generation amount of an adsorbent. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention has been made to solve at least part of the above-mentioned problems, and can be realized in the following forms.

[0008] (1) According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an adsorbent comprising an adsorbent that adsorbs a gas, a plurality of flow paths having a gas diffusion resistance lower than that of the adsorbent, and a heat conductive portion formed of a material having a thermal conductivity higher than that of the adsorbent.

[0009] According to this configuration, the gas adsorbed by the adsorbent moves through a flow path with a lower gas diffusion resistance than the adsorbent, and is therefore easily diffused throughout the adsorbent. This improves the adsorption speed of the gas in the adsorbent and improves the utilization rate of the adsorbent. In addition, the heat of adsorption generated in the adsorbent when the adsorbent adsorbs the gas is released to the outside of the adsorbent through a heat conductive portion formed from a material with a higher thermal conductivity than the adsorbent. This makes it possible to suppress the temperature rise of the adsorbent due to the heat of adsorption, and therefore to suppress the decrease in the adsorption speed of the gas in the adsorbent. In this way, according to the above-mentioned configuration, by promoting both the diffusion of the gas in the adsorbent and the release of the heat of adsorption from the adsorbent, the adsorption speed of the gas in the adsorbent can be improved and the utilization rate of the adsorbent can be improved. Therefore, the amount of heat generated by the adsorbent can be increased. In addition, the output of the adsorber equipped with the adsorbent can be improved.

[0010] (2) In the adsorbent of the above embodiment, the multiple flow paths may include multiple first flow paths aligned in a first direction and multiple second flow paths aligned in a second direction intersecting the first direction. According to this configuration, the adsorbent is formed with multiple first flow paths and multiple second flow paths aligned in directions intersecting each other. This allows the second flow paths to be used to diffuse gas into places inside the adsorbent where the gas cannot be diffused using the first flow paths. In addition, in the adsorbent, the second flow paths are aligned in a second direction intersecting the first direction, so that the surface area inside the adsorbent is increased. This makes it easier for the adsorbent to come into contact with gas, making it easier for the adsorbent to adsorb gas, and further increasing the amount of heat generated by the adsorbent.

[0011] (3) The adsorbent of the above embodiment may further include a first adsorption layer including the plurality of first flow paths and the plurality of adsorbents located between the plurality of first flow paths, and a second adsorption layer laminated on the first adsorption layer and including the plurality of second flow paths and the plurality of adsorbents located between the plurality of second flow paths. According to this configuration, the adsorbent is formed by laminating a first adsorption layer including a first flow path and a second adsorption layer including a second flow path. As a result, for example, in an adsorbent molded by extrusion molding, only flow paths along one direction are formed, whereas in the adsorbent of the above configuration, flow paths of complex shapes can be easily formed. Therefore, gas can be diffused to the inside of the adsorbent where gas is difficult to diffuse when only flow paths along one direction are formed, and the heat generation amount of the adsorbent can be further increased.

[0012] (4) The adsorbent of the above embodiment may further include a communication flow path that communicates the first flow path and the second flow path. According to this configuration, the gas flowing through the first flow path or the second flow path in the adsorbent can flow through the second flow path or the first flow path via the communication flow path. This reduces the variation in the flow rate of the gas between the first flow path and the second flow path, so that the gas can be uniformly diffused throughout the adsorbent. This improves the utilization rate of the adsorbent, and further increases the heat generation amount of the adsorbent.

[0013] (5) In the adsorbent of the above embodiment, the heat conductive portion may be formed in contact with the adsorbent in each of the first adsorption layer and the second adsorption layer, and the heat conductive portion of the first adsorption layer and the heat conductive portion of the second adsorption layer may be connected. According to this configuration, since the heat conductive portion is formed in contact with the adsorbent, the adsorption heat generated in the adsorbent is easily transferred to the heat conductive portion. In addition, since the heat conductive portion of the first adsorption layer and the heat conductive portion of the second adsorption layer are connected, the adsorption heat transferred from the adsorbent to the heat conductive portion can be released to the outside of the adsorbent through the heat conductive portion of the adjacent adsorption layer. This can further suppress the temperature rise of the adsorbent due to the adsorption heat, and therefore the decrease in the adsorption rate of the gas in the adsorbent can be further suppressed. Therefore, the amount of heat generated by the adsorbent can be further increased.

[0014] (6) In the adsorbent of the above embodiment, the adsorbent may have a shape stretched in one direction, and the heat conductive portion may extend in the direction of extension of the adsorbent at approximately the center of the adsorbent. According to this configuration, in the adsorbent, the heat conductive portion is disposed approximately at the center of the adsorbent, and internal heat that is difficult to move to the outside of the adsorbent can be moved from the adsorbent. This can further suppress the temperature rise of the adsorbent due to the heat of adsorption, and further suppress the decrease in the adsorption rate of the gas in the adsorbent. Therefore, the amount of heat generated by the adsorbent can be further increased.

[0015] (7) The adsorbent of the above embodiment may further include an intermediate layer disposed between the first adsorption layer and the second adsorption layer, the intermediate layer being made of a material having a higher thermal conductivity than the adsorbent, and the thermal conductive portion of the first adsorption layer and the thermal conductive portion of the second adsorption layer may be connected via the intermediate layer. According to this configuration, the intermediate layer made of a material having a higher thermal conductivity than the adsorbent connects the thermal conductive portion of the first adsorption layer and the thermal conductive portion of the second adsorption layer, thereby promoting the transfer of heat between adjacent adsorption layers. This can further suppress the temperature rise of the adsorbent due to the heat of adsorption, and therefore further suppress the decrease in the adsorption rate of the gas in the adsorbent. Therefore, the amount of heat generated by the adsorbent can be further increased.

[0016] (8) In the adsorbent of the above embodiment, the adsorbent is strip-shaped, a plurality of first openings and a plurality of second openings are formed, the heat conductive portion is accommodated inside each of the plurality of second openings, the strip-shaped adsorbent is in a rolled state, the first openings communicate with each other to form the flow path, and the plurality of second openings overlap to connect the plurality of heat conductive portions. According to this configuration, the first openings formed in the adsorbent form a flow path in which the gas diffusion resistance is lower than that of the adsorbent in the rolled state. Also, a heat conductive portion made of a material having a higher thermal conductivity than the adsorbent is accommodated inside each of the plurality of second openings formed in the adsorbent, and the plurality of heat conductive portions are connected in the rolled state. As a result, by rolling the strip-shaped adsorbent, it is possible to form an adsorbent that can easily diffuse gas throughout and transfer the heat of adsorption relatively easily. Therefore, it is possible to increase the heat generation amount of the adsorbent relatively easily.

[0017] (9) According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a heat exchanger. This heat exchanger includes the above-mentioned adsorbent and a heat transfer wall, the adsorbent being disposed on one side and a heat medium flowing on the other side. According to this configuration, the heat exchanger includes a flow path through which gas can easily flow, and an adsorbent having a heat conductive portion that transfers the heat of adsorption of the adsorbent to the outside. This increases the amount of heat generated by the adsorbent, thereby improving the output of the heat exchanger.

[0018] (10) In the heat exchanger of the above aspect, the heat transfer wall may be formed in a cylindrical shape, the heat medium may flow inside, and the adsorbent may have a cylindrical shape and be arranged on an outer surface of the heat transfer wall along a circumferential direction. With this configuration, heat exchange between the heat medium flowing inside the cylindrical heat transfer wall and the adsorbent arranged on the outer surface is facilitated, so that the output of the heat exchanger can be improved.

[0019] (11) According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an adsorption heat pump. This adsorption heat pump includes the above-mentioned heat exchanger. According to this configuration, the heat exchanger of the adsorption heat pump includes a flow path through which gas can easily flow, and an adsorbent having a heat conductive portion that transfers the heat of adsorption of the adsorbent to the outside. This improves the output of the heat exchanger, and therefore the output of the adsorption heat pump can be improved.

[0020] The present invention can be realized in various aspects, such as a method for manufacturing an adsorbent, an adsorber including an adsorbent, a method for manufacturing the adsorbent, a method for manufacturing a heat exchanger, a system including an adsorption heat pump, a method for controlling an adsorption heat pump, a computer program for causing a computer to control an adsorption heat pump, a server device for distributing the computer program, a non-transitory storage medium on which the computer program is stored, etc. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an adsorption heat pump including an adsorbent according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an adsorption body according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a suction unit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a first side view of the adsorbent body. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a second side view of the adsorbent. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating heat transfer in an adsorbent. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a simulation model in an evaluation test. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the results of an evaluation test. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an adsorption body according to a second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a suction unit according to a second embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating heat transfer in an adsorbent. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a nozzle used in manufacturing an adsorbent. [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a first diagram illustrating a first method for producing an adsorbent. [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is a second diagram illustrating the first method for producing an adsorbent. [Figure 16] FIG. 2 is a first diagram illustrating a second method for producing an adsorbent. [Figure 17] FIG. 2 is a second diagram illustrating the second method for producing an adsorbent. [Figure 18] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an adsorbent according to a third embodiment. [Figure 19] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of an adsorption body according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is an enlarged view of the β portion of FIG. 19. [Figure 21] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a method for producing an adsorbent. [Figure 22] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a first modified example of the suction unit. [Figure 23]FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a second modified example of the suction unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0022] First Embodiment 1 is a schematic diagram of an adsorption heat pump 100 including an adsorbent 1 of the first embodiment. The adsorption heat pump 100 includes two reactors 6 and 7, two evaporative condensers 8 and 9, a connecting pipe connecting these, a plurality of valves arranged in the connecting pipe, and a control unit (not shown). The adsorption heat pump 100 generates cold energy from hot energy by utilizing a combination of two sets of reactors and evaporative condensers.

[0023] The reactor 6 includes a reaction vessel 6a, an adsorbent 1 accommodated in the reaction vessel 6a, and a heat exchanger 5 that circulates a heat medium inside the reaction vessel 6a. The reactor 7 includes a reaction vessel 7a, an adsorbent 1 accommodated in the reaction vessel 7a, and a heat exchanger 5 that circulates a heat medium inside the reaction vessel 7a. The adsorbent 1 adsorbs the vapor of the working fluid, such as water vapor, generated in the evaporative condensers 8 and 9. In addition, the adsorbent 1 that has adsorbed the water vapor desorbs the water vapor using the heat of the heat medium, such as hot water, flowing through the heat exchanger 5.

[0024] The evaporative condenser 8 has a water pipe 8a through which water flows, and a storage container 8b that stores the water adsorbed by the adsorbent 1. In the evaporative condenser 8, depending on the mode of the connected reactors 6, 7, the water flowing through the water pipe 8a is cooled by the heat of vaporization when the water in the storage container 8b evaporates, or the water vapor in the storage container 8b is condensed and returned to water.

[0025] The evaporative condenser 9 has a water pipe 9a through which water flows, and a storage container 9b that stores the water adsorbed by the adsorbent 1. In the evaporative condenser 9, depending on the mode of the connected reactors 6, 7, the water flowing through the water pipe 9a is cooled by the heat of vaporization when the water in the storage container 9b evaporates, or the water vapor in the storage container 9b is condensed and returned to water.

[0026] Next, the operation of the adsorption heat pump 100 of this embodiment will be described. Here, the description will be based on the adsorption heat pump 100 in the state shown in Fig. 1. In the state shown in Fig. 1, the valve between the reactor 6 and the evaporative condenser 8 and the valve between the reactor 7 and the evaporative condenser 9 are opened by a command from the control unit, and the valve between the reactor 6 and the evaporative condenser 9 and the valve between the reactor 7 and the evaporative condenser 8 are closed.

[0027] In the adsorption step, the reactor 6 and the evaporative condenser 8, which are connected via a connecting pipe, are depressurized by a pump (not shown). As a result, water vapor is generated in the evaporative condenser 8. The generated working fluid vapor passes through the connecting pipe (white arrow F11), enters the reactor 6, and is adsorbed by the adsorbent 1. At this time, the water flowing through the water pipe 8a of the evaporative condenser 8 is cooled by the heat of vaporization of the water. As a result, cold water is discharged from the water pipe 8a, and cold heat is supplied to the outside of the adsorption heat pump 100.

[0028] In the desorption step, hot water is supplied to the heat exchanger 5 of the reactor 7, which is connected to the reactor 7 and the evaporative condenser 9 via a connecting pipe. In the adsorbent 1 of the reactor 7, which adsorbs water, the heat of the supplied hot water causes the water to desorb from the adsorbent 1. The desorbed water enters the inside of the evaporative condenser 9 as water vapor (white arrow F12), and is condensed by the water flowing through the water pipe 9a to become water. This water is used in the next adsorption step.

[0029] In the adsorption heat pump 100 of this embodiment, one of the reactor 6 and the reactor 7 adsorbs water vapor, and the other of the reactor 6 and the reactor 7 desorbs water vapor, thereby continuously generating cold by supplying hot water.

[0030] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the adsorbent 1. The adsorbent 1 includes a plurality of adsorption layers 21, 22, 23, 24. Each of the adsorption layers 21, 22, 23, 24 has a plurality of adsorption units 10. In this embodiment, the adsorbent 1 is formed in a planar shape by arranging the rod-shaped adsorption units 10 at substantially equal intervals in each of the plurality of adsorption layers 21, 22, 23, 24. In the adsorbent 1, the plurality of adsorption layers 21, 22, 23, 24 are stacked as shown in FIG. 2. For convenience of explanation, in FIGS. 2 to 7, the stacking direction of the plurality of adsorption layers 21, 22, 23, 24 in the adsorbent 1 is the z-axis direction. In addition, a plane perpendicular to the z-axis direction is the xy plane, the direction in which the adsorption units 10 extend in the adsorption layers 21 and 23 is the y-axis direction, and the direction in which the adsorption units 10 extend in the adsorption layers 22 and 24 is the x-axis direction. In order to make the structure of the adsorption body 1 easier to understand, the sizes of the members and the gaps in the adsorption unit 10 and the adsorption layers 21, 22, 23, 24 are distorted from the actual proportions in Figs. 2 to 7.

[0031] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the adsorption unit 10 included in the adsorption body 1. FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of the adsorption unit 10 included in the adsorption layer 21. The adsorption unit 10 included in the adsorption layer 21 is a rod-shaped member extending in the y-axis direction, and as shown in FIG. 3(A), the cross section perpendicular to the y-axis has a rectangular shape. In this embodiment, the width and height (length in the z-axis direction) of the adsorption unit 10 in the cross section perpendicular to the y-axis are 100 μm or more and 5 mm or less. The adsorption unit 10 includes an adsorbent 11 and a heat conductive part 16. Note that, although the adsorption unit 10 included in the adsorption layer 21 will be described here, the adsorption units 10 included in the other adsorption layers 22, 23, and 24 have the same configuration.

[0032] The adsorbent 11 is formed of silica gel and a heat conduction assistant. The adsorbent 11 extends along the y-axis direction and has a first adsorbent 12 arranged on the positive side of the x-axis direction in the adsorption unit 10 and a second adsorbent 13 arranged on the negative side of the x-axis direction in the adsorption unit 10. At least an end face 12a on the positive side of the x-axis direction and an end face 12b on the positive side of the z-axis direction of the first adsorbent 12 are exposed to the outside. At least an end face 13a on the negative side of the x-axis direction and an end face 13b on the positive side of the z-axis direction of the second adsorbent 13 are exposed to the outside. The material forming the adsorbent 11 is not limited to silica gel, and may be zeolite, activated carbon, or the like. The gas adsorbed by the adsorbent 11 is not limited to water vapor, and may be ammonia, methanol, ethanol, or the like.

[0033] The heat conductive portion 16 is formed of a material having a higher thermal conductivity than the adsorbent 11, for example, a material mainly composed of graphite. The heat conductive portion 16 is extended along the y-axis direction and has a bottom portion 17 and a wall portion 18. The bottom portion 17 is a flat-plate-shaped portion disposed on the negative side of the z-axis direction in the adsorption unit 10. The bottom portion 17 is formed with a bottom surface 17a which is an end surface on the negative side of the z-axis direction in the adsorption unit 10. The wall portion 18 is formed to rise from a surface 17b on the positive side of the z-axis direction of the bottom portion 17 in the positive direction of the z-axis. As shown in FIG. 3, the wall portion 18 is disposed so as to be sandwiched between the first adsorbent 12 and the second adsorbent 13. This makes it easier to remove the adsorbent 11 from the central portion, which is relatively difficult to remove when heat of adsorption is generated by adsorption of water vapor, using the wall portion 18. In this embodiment, the wall portion 18 is disposed approximately at the center of the adsorption unit 10 in the x-axis direction and extends along the y-axis direction. An end face 18a of the wall portion 18 on the positive side in the z-axis direction is exposed to the outside on approximately the same plane as an end face 12b of the first adsorbent 12 and an end face 13b of the second adsorbent 13.

[0034] FIG. 4 is a first side view of the adsorbent 1. FIG. 5 is a second side view of the adsorbent 1. In the adsorbent 1, as shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the adsorption layers 21, 22, 23, and 24 are stacked in this order in the z-axis direction. Each of the adsorption units 10 included in the adsorption layer 21 is arranged so that the longitudinal direction is along the y-axis direction. In the adsorption layer 21, the adsorption units 10 are arranged side by side at regular intervals as shown in FIG. 4, which is a side view of the adsorbent 1 viewed along the y-axis direction. In this embodiment, the distance of the gap between adjacent adsorption units 10 is 50 μm or more and 2 mm or less, and this gap becomes a flow path 21a through which water vapor adsorbed by the adsorbent 1 flows. That is, the end face 12a on the positive side in the x-axis direction of the first adsorbent 12 in the adsorption unit 10 included in the adsorption layer 21 and the end face 13a on the negative side in the x-axis direction of the second adsorbent 1 face the flow path 21a in which the diffusion resistance of water vapor is lower than that of silica gel. The multiple flow paths 21a are formed to be aligned in the x-axis direction. The adsorption layer 21 corresponds to a "first adsorption layer" in the claims, and the flow paths 21a correspond to a "first flow path" in the claims.

[0035] Each of the adsorption units 10 in the adsorption layer 22 is arranged so that its longitudinal direction is along the x-axis direction. In the adsorption layer 22, the adsorption units 10 are arranged at regular intervals as shown in FIG. 5, which is a side view of the adsorbent 1 viewed along the x-axis direction. In this embodiment, the gap between adjacent adsorption units 10 is 50 μm or more and 2 mm or less, and this gap becomes a flow path 22a through which water vapor adsorbed to the adsorbent 1 flows. That is, the end face 12a on the negative side in the y-axis direction of the first adsorbent 12 in the adsorption unit 10 in the adsorption layer 22 and the end face 13a on the positive side in the y-axis direction of the second adsorbent 13 face the flow path 22a, which has a lower diffusion resistance of water vapor than silica gel. The multiple flow paths 22a are formed so as to be aligned in the y-axis direction. The adsorption layer 22 corresponds to the "second adsorption layer" in the claims, and the flow path 22a corresponds to the "second flow path" in the claims.

[0036] Each of the adsorption units 10 in the adsorption layer 23 is arranged so that its longitudinal direction is along the y-axis direction. In the adsorption layer 23, the adsorption units 10 are arranged side by side at regular intervals as shown in FIG. 4. In this embodiment, the gap between adjacent adsorption units 10 is 50 μm or more and 2 mm or less, and this gap becomes a flow path 23a through which water vapor adsorbed to the adsorbent 1 flows. That is, the end face 12a on the positive side in the x-axis direction of the first adsorbent 12 in the adsorption unit 10 in the adsorption layer 23 and the end face 13a on the negative side in the x-axis direction of the second adsorbent 13 face the flow path 23a whose diffusion resistance of water vapor is lower than that of silica gel. The multiple flow paths 23a are formed so as to be aligned in the x-axis direction. The adsorption layer 23 corresponds to the "first adsorption layer" in the claims, and the flow path 23a corresponds to the "first flow path" in the claims.

[0037] Each of the adsorption units 10 in the adsorption layer 24 is arranged so that the longitudinal direction is along the x-axis direction. In the adsorption layer 24, the adsorption units 10 are arranged side by side at regular intervals as shown in FIG. 5. In this embodiment, the gap between adjacent adsorption units 10 is 50 μm or more and 2 mm or less, and this gap becomes a flow path 24a through which water vapor adsorbed to the adsorbent 1 flows. That is, the end face 12a on the negative side in the y-axis direction of the first adsorbent 12 in the adsorption unit 10 in the adsorption layer 24 and the end face 13a on the positive side in the y-axis direction of the second adsorbent 13 face the flow path 24a whose diffusion resistance of water vapor is lower than that of silica gel. The multiple flow paths 24a are formed so as to be aligned in the y-axis direction. The adsorption layer 24 corresponds to the "second adsorption layer" in the claims, and the flow path 24a corresponds to the "second flow path" in the claims.

[0038] FIG. 6 is a top view of the adsorbent 1. As shown in FIG. 6, the adsorbent 1 is formed in a mesh shape by a plurality of adsorption units 10. In this embodiment, the flow paths 21a and 23a are arranged to be substantially parallel to each other. The flow paths 22a and 24a are arranged to be substantially parallel to each other and to intersect the flow paths 21a and 23a at substantially right angles. In this embodiment, the flow paths 21a, 22a, 23a, and 24a formed in the adsorption layers 21, 22, 23, and 24, respectively, are communicated by a plurality of communication flow paths 25 penetrating the adsorbent 1 in the z-axis direction. Note that in FIG. 2 and FIG. 4 to FIG. 6, the adsorbent 1 is shown to have four adsorption layers 21, 22, 23, and 24 stacked thereon, but the number of stacked adsorption layers is not limited thereto. Also, one adsorption layer is shown to have four adsorption units 10, but the number of adsorption units 10 included in one adsorption layer is not limited thereto.

[0039] Fig. 7 is a diagram illustrating heat transfer in the adsorption body 1. Fig. 7 shows a perspective view of a pair of adsorption units 10 adjacent to each other in the stacking direction of the adsorption layers 21, 22, 23, and 24, which is a part of the adsorption body 1 shown in Fig. 2. For ease of explanation, in each of the pair of adsorption units 10 shown in Fig. 7, the adsorption unit 10 located on the positive side in the z-axis direction is referred to as adsorption unit A10, and the adsorption unit 10 located on the negative side in the z-axis direction is referred to as adsorption unit B10.

[0040] In a pair of adsorption units A10, B10 stacked as shown in Fig. 7, heat (adsorption heat) generated by, for example, adsorption of water vapor in the adsorbent 11 is transferred from the positive direction to the negative direction of the z axis (arrow H1 in Fig. 7). In the adsorption unit A10, the heat H1 is mainly transferred from the wall A18 to the bottom A17 of the thermally conductive portion A16 included in the adsorption unit A10. In the pair of adsorption units A10, B10, a part of the bottom surface 17a of the bottom A17 in the adsorption unit A10 is in contact with each of an end surface 12b of the first adsorbent B12, an end surface 13b of the second adsorbent B13, and a part of the end surface 18a of the wall B18 in the adsorption unit B10. As a result, the heat H1 of the bottom A17 of the adsorption unit A10 is transferred to the adsorption unit B10 mainly by contact between the bottom surface 17a of the bottom A17 of the adsorption unit A10 and the end surface 18a of the wall B18 of the adsorption unit B30 (the dotted hatched portion shown in FIG. 7). The heat H1 transferred to the wall B18 of the thermally conductive part B16 included in the adsorption unit B10 is transferred to the bottom B17 and further to other adsorption units 10 adjacent to the adsorption unit B10 on the negative side in the z-axis direction. In this way, in the adsorption body 1, the thermally conductive parts 16 of the multiple adsorption units 10 connected along the stacking direction of the adsorption layers 21, 22, 23, 24 facilitate the transfer of heat in the stacking direction of the adsorption layers 21, 22, 23, 24. As a result, the adsorption heat generated by the adsorption of water vapor in the silica gel is easily transferred and transferred to the heat medium flowing in the heat exchanger 5, so that the temperature rise of the silica gel can be suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the water vapor adsorption rate in the adsorbent 1 due to an increase in the temperature of the silica gel.

[0041] In the adsorbent 1 of this embodiment, in the adsorption unit A10, the wall A18 is sandwiched between the first adsorbent A12 and the second adsorbent A13. This allows the wall A18 to relatively easily remove the adsorption heat from each of the first adsorbent A12 and the second adsorbent A13. In the adsorption unit B10, the wall B18 is sandwiched between the first adsorbent B12 and the second adsorbent B13. This allows the wall B18 to relatively easily remove the adsorption heat from each of the first adsorbent B12 and the second adsorbent B13. The adsorption heat removed by the walls A18 and B18 flows in the direction indicated by the arrow H1 together with the adsorption heat removed from the adsorbents of the other adsorption units, and is transferred to the heat medium flowing in the heat exchanger 5.

[0042] Next, the results of evaluating the effect of the adsorbent 1 of this embodiment using simulation calculations will be described. Here, for an adsorbent 1 equipped with an adsorption unit 10 of this embodiment having a thermally conductive portion 16, the relationship between the size of the adsorption unit 10 and the desorption performance of the adsorbent 1 was evaluated. In this evaluation, as a comparison object for the adsorbent 1 of this embodiment, an adsorbent as a comparative example equipped with an adsorption unit not having a thermally conductive portion was also evaluated for the relationship between the size of the adsorption unit and the desorption performance of the adsorbent.

[0043] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a simulation model in this evaluation test. In this evaluation test, in both the adsorbent 1 of this embodiment and the adsorbent of the comparative example, silica with a particle size of 70 μm and 20% of a heat conduction auxiliary agent were used as the adsorbent. As shown in FIG. 8, the adsorbent 1 is configured such that the size of the gap Gp between adjacent adsorption units 10 is 300 μm, and the thickness D17 of the bottom 17 of the heat conduction part 16 and the thickness D18 of the wall part 18 are both 200 μm. In the adsorbent of the comparative example, the heat conduction part 16 shown in FIG. 8 is not provided, and the adsorbent is configured only with an adsorbent having a rectangular cross section. The time for one cycle of adsorption and desorption of water vapor in the adsorbent is 150 seconds. In this evaluation test, the relationship between the thickness Th of the adsorption unit shown in FIG. 8 when the number of stacked adsorption layers in the adsorbent and the height of the adsorbent are the same, and the output Pw of the adsorber indicating the desorption performance of the adsorbent, was obtained for each of the adsorbent 1 of this embodiment and the adsorbent of the comparative example.

[0044] FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the results of the evaluation test. The horizontal axis of FIG. 9 indicates the thickness Th (μm) of the adsorption unit, and the vertical axis indicates the output Pw (W) of the adsorber. In FIG. 9, the results of the adsorbent 1 of the present embodiment are indicated by a solid line L1, and the results of the adsorbent of the comparative example are indicated by a dotted line L0. As shown in FIG. 9, in both the present embodiment and the comparative example, it was revealed that the output Pw of the adsorber is improved by increasing the thickness Th of the adsorption unit to a certain extent, thereby increasing the amount of adsorbent. However, since the number of stacked adsorption layers is constant, when the thickness of the adsorption unit is increased, the height of the entire adsorbent is increased. When the height of the adsorbent is increased, the amount of heat transfer per unit area of ​​the adsorption unit increases. In the adsorbent of the comparative example, the output of the adsorber becomes rate-limiting when the thickness of the adsorption unit is a certain value (for example, around 1300 μm), and it was revealed that even if the thickness of the adsorption unit is increased beyond the value, the output Pw of the adsorber is reduced (see dotted line L0 in FIG. 9). On the other hand, in the adsorbent 1 of this embodiment, the surface area of ​​the adsorption unit 10 is the same as that of the adsorbent of the comparative example, but the heat of the adsorbent 1 can be efficiently transferred using the heat conductive portion 16. As a result, the adsorbent 1 of this embodiment has a larger adsorption unit thickness Th than the adsorbent of the comparative example, and even if the height of the adsorbent is increased, the output of the adsorber is not rate-determining (see solid line L1 in FIG. 9). Therefore, as shown in FIG. 9, the thickness Th of the adsorption unit, which is rate-determining the output of the adsorber, is also increased compared to the adsorbent of the comparative example, and even if the thickness Th of the adsorption unit is the same, the output of the adsorber is increased compared to the adsorbent of the comparative example.

[0045] As described above, according to the adsorbent 1 of the present embodiment, the water vapor adsorbed by the adsorbent 11 moves through the flow paths 21a, 22a, 23a, and 24a, which have a lower diffusion resistance of water vapor than the adsorbent 1, and therefore is easily diffused throughout the adsorbent 1. This improves the adsorption rate of water vapor in the adsorbent 1 and improves the utilization rate of the adsorbent 1 contained in the adsorbent 1. In addition, the heat of adsorption generated in the adsorbent 1 when the adsorbent 1 adsorbs water vapor is released to the outside of the adsorbent 1 through the heat conductive portion 16 formed of graphite or the like, which has a higher thermal conductivity than the adsorbent 1. This makes it possible to suppress the temperature rise of the adsorbent 1 due to the heat of adsorption, and therefore to suppress the decrease in the adsorption rate of water vapor in the adsorbent 1. In this way, in the adsorbent 1, by promoting both the diffusion of water vapor within the adsorbent 1 and the release of the heat of adsorption from the adsorbent 1, the adsorption rate of water vapor in the adsorbent 1 can be improved and the utilization rate of the adsorbent 11 contained in the adsorbent 1 can be improved. Therefore, the amount of heat generated by the adsorbent 1 can be increased.

[0046] Moreover, according to the adsorbent 1 of this embodiment, the adsorbent 1 is formed with a plurality of flow paths 21a, 23a and a plurality of flow paths 22a, 24a arranged in directions intersecting each other. As a result, water vapor can be diffused by using the flow paths 22a, 24a in places inside the adsorbent 1 where the water vapor cannot be diffused by the flow paths 21a, 23a. In addition, in the adsorbent 1, the flow paths 21a, 23a and the plurality of flow paths 22a, 24a are arranged in an intersecting manner, so that the surface area inside the adsorbent 1 is increased. As a result, the adsorbent 1 is easily brought into contact with water vapor, and the adsorbent 11 is easily able to adsorb water vapor, and the amount of heat generated by the adsorbent 1 can be further increased.

[0047] Moreover, in the adsorbent 1 of this embodiment, the adsorbent 1 is formed by alternately laminating the adsorbent layer 21 including the flow path 21a, the adsorbent layer 22 including the flow path 22a, the adsorbent layer 23 including the flow path 23a, and the adsorbent layer 24 including the flow path 24a. As a result, for example, in an adsorbent molded by extrusion molding, only flow paths along one direction are formed, whereas in the adsorbent 1, flow paths 21a, 22a, 23a, and 24a having complex shapes can be formed. Therefore, water vapor can be diffused to the inside of the adsorbent 1, where water vapor has difficulty diffusing when only flow paths along one direction are formed, and the heat value of the adsorbent 1 can be further increased.

[0048] Furthermore, according to the adsorbent 1 of this embodiment, water vapor flowing through one flow path in the adsorbent 1 can flow through another flow path via the communicating flow path 25. This reduces variation in the flow rate of water vapor among the multiple flow paths 21a, 22a, 23a, and 24a, allowing water vapor to be diffused uniformly throughout the adsorbent 1. This improves the utilization rate of the adsorbent 11, thereby further increasing the amount of heat generated by the adsorbent 1.

[0049] Moreover, according to the adsorbent 1 of this embodiment, since the thermally conductive portion 16 is formed in contact with the adsorbent 11, the heat of adsorption generated in the adsorbent 11 is easily transferred to the thermally conductive portion 16. Moreover, since the thermally conductive portions of the submerged adsorption layers, for example, the thermally conductive portion 16 of the adsorbent layer 21 and the thermally conductive portion 16 of the adsorbent layer 22, are connected, the heat of adsorption transferred from the adsorbent 11 to the thermally conductive portion 16 can be released to the outside of the adsorbent 1 via the thermally conductive portion 16 of the adjacent adsorbent layer. This can further suppress the temperature rise of the adsorbent 1 due to the heat of adsorption, and therefore can further suppress the decrease in the adsorption rate of water vapor in the adsorbent 1. Therefore, the amount of heat generated by the adsorbent 1 can be further increased.

[0050] Furthermore, according to the adsorbent 1 of this embodiment, the heat conductive portion 16 is disposed approximately at the center of the adsorbent 11, and is capable of transferring heat inside the adsorbent 11 that is difficult to transfer to the outside of the adsorbent 1. This makes it possible to further suppress the temperature rise of the adsorbent 1 due to the heat of adsorption, and therefore to further suppress the decrease in the adsorption rate of water vapor in the adsorbent 1. Therefore, the amount of heat generated by the adsorbent 1 can be further increased.

[0051] Moreover, according to the adsorbent 1 of this embodiment, the heat conductive section 16 is disposed approximately at the center of the adsorbent 11. Water vapor is less likely to diffuse into the central part of the adsorbent 11 during the limited time of the cycle of heat storage and heat generation in the adsorption heat pump 100. Therefore, in the adsorbent 1 of this embodiment, the central part of the adsorbent 11 that is less likely to be utilized for heat storage and heat generation is replaced with the heat conductive section 16, thereby promoting the transfer of heat in the adsorbent 1 and improving the utilization rate of the adsorbent 11 contained in the adsorbent 1. As a result, the amount of adsorbent contained per unit volume is reduced compared to the comparative adsorbent having only the adsorbent, but the heat storage performance and heat generation performance of the adsorbent can be improved compared to the comparative example.

[0052] Furthermore, since the heat exchanger 5 of this embodiment is equipped with flow paths 21a, 22a, 23a, and 24a through which water vapor can easily flow, and an adsorbent 1 having a heat conductive section 16 that transfers the heat of adsorption of the adsorbent 11 to the outside, the amount of heat generated by the adsorbent 1 is increased, and the output of the heat exchanger 5 can be improved.

[0053] Moreover, in the adsorption heat pump 100 of this embodiment, the heat exchanger 5 includes an adsorbent having the flow paths 21a, 22a, 23a, and 24a and the heat conductive portion 16. This improves the output of the heat exchanger 5, and therefore the output of the adsorption heat pump 100 can be improved.

[0054] <Second embodiment> 10 is a perspective view of the adsorbent 2 of the second embodiment. The adsorbent 2 of the second embodiment is different from the adsorbent 1 of the first embodiment (FIG. 2) in the shape of the heat conductive portion.

[0055] The adsorption body 2 of the present embodiment includes a plurality of adsorption units 30. In the present embodiment, similarly to the first embodiment, the adsorption units 30 each formed in a substantially rod shape are arranged at substantially equal intervals to form a planar shape, thereby including a plurality of adsorption layers 21, 22, 23, 24. The adsorption unit 30 includes an adsorbent 11 and a heat conductive portion 36.

[0056] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an adsorption unit of the second embodiment. The heat conductive portion 36 is a member having a flat plate shape formed of a material having a higher thermal conductivity than the adsorbent 11. As shown in FIG. 11, the heat conductive portion 36 is disposed so as to be sandwiched between the first adsorbent 12 and the second adsorbent 13. In this embodiment, the heat conductive portion 36 is disposed substantially at the center of the adsorption unit 30 in the x-axis direction, and extends along the y-axis direction (see FIG. 11(B)). The end face 36a on the positive side in the z-axis direction of the heat conductive portion 36 is exposed to the outside on substantially the same plane as the end face 12b of the first adsorbent 12 and the end face 13b of the second adsorbent 13. The end face 36b on the negative side in the z-axis direction of the heat conductive portion 36 is exposed to the outside on substantially the same plane as the end face 12c on the negative side in the z-axis direction of the first adsorbent 12 and the end face 13c on the negative side in the z-axis direction of the second adsorbent 13.

[0057] Fig. 12 is a diagram illustrating heat transfer in the adsorbent 2. Fig. 12 shows a perspective view of a pair of adsorption units 30 that are part of the adsorbent 2 and are adjacent to each other in the stacking direction of the adsorption layers 21, 22, 23, and 24. For ease of explanation, for each of the pair of adsorption units 10 shown in Fig. 12, the adsorption unit 30 located on the positive side in the z-axis direction is referred to as adsorption unit A30, and the adsorption unit 30 located on the negative side in the z-axis direction is referred to as adsorption unit B30.

[0058] In a pair of adsorption units A30, B30 stacked as shown in Fig. 12, the end face 12c of the first adsorbent A12, the end face 13c of the second adsorbent A13, and parts of the end face 36b of the heat conductive portion A36 in the adsorption unit A30 are in contact with the end face 12b of the first adsorbent B12, the end face 13b of the second adsorbent B13, and parts of the end face 36a of the heat conductive portion B36 in the adsorption unit B30. Heat H2 transferred from the positive direction to the negative direction of the z axis is transferred from the adsorption unit A30 to the adsorption unit B30 mainly by contact between the end face 36b of the heat conductive portion A36 in the adsorption unit A30 and the end face 36a of the heat conductive portion B36 in the adsorption unit B30 (the dotted hatched portion shown in Fig. 12). The heat transferred to the thermal conductive portion B36 of the adsorption unit B30 is also transferred to another adsorption unit B30 adjacent to the adsorption unit B30 on the negative side in the z-axis direction. In this manner, in the adsorption body 2, the thermal conductive portions 36 of the multiple adsorption units 30 connected along the stacking direction of the adsorption layers 21, 22, 23, 24 facilitate the transfer of heat in the stacking direction of the adsorption layers 21, 22, 23, 24.

[0059] In the adsorption unit A30, the heat conductive portion A36 is sandwiched between the first adsorbent A12 and the second adsorbent A13, and the heat of adsorption can be removed relatively easily from each of the first adsorbent A12 and the second adsorbent A13. In the adsorption unit B30, the heat conductive portion B36 is sandwiched between the first adsorbent B12 and the second adsorbent B13, and the heat of adsorption can be removed relatively easily from each of the first adsorbent B12 and the second adsorbent B13. The heat of adsorption removed by the heat conductive portions A36 and B36, together with the heat of adsorption removed from the other adsorption units, flows in the direction indicated by the arrow H2 and is transferred to the heat medium flowing in the heat exchanger 5.

[0060] Fig. 13 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a nozzle 40 used in manufacturing the adsorption body 2. Fig. 13 shows a schematic diagram of the nozzle 40 used in manufacturing the adsorption unit 30. Fig. 13(A) is a cross-sectional view of the nozzle 40 including the central axis C40, and Fig. 13(B) shows a view seen from the direction of the arrow α shown in Fig. 13(A). The nozzle 40 includes an inner nozzle portion 41 and an outer nozzle portion 42.

[0061] The inner nozzle section 41 is a substantially hollow cylindrical member, and a flow path 41a through which a fluid can flow is formed inside. The outer nozzle section 42 is a hollow cylindrical member disposed outside the inner nozzle section 41. Inside the outer nozzle section 42, a flow path 42a through which a fluid can flow is formed between the outer wall 41b of the inner nozzle section 41 while accommodating the inner nozzle section 41. In the nozzle 40, the center of the flow path 41a and the center of the flow path 42a are both located on the central axis C40. The tip 41c of the inner nozzle section 41 is located inside the outer nozzle section 42, and the fluid flowing through the flow path 41a flows inside the outer nozzle section 42 alongside the fluid flowing through the flow path 42a. As shown in FIG. 13(B), the injection port 43a of the injection section 43 of the nozzle 40 has a rectangular shape. In the nozzle 40, a paste-like raw material M36 containing graphite as a main component is flowed through the flow path 41a, and a paste-like raw material M11 containing silica gel and a heat conductive assistant is flowed through the flow path 42a. At this time, by adjusting the flow rates of the raw materials M36 and M11, the raw materials M36 and M11 are ejected from the ejection port 43a without mixing, as shown in FIG. 13(B). By moving the nozzle 40 while ejecting the raw materials M36 and M11 from the ejection port 43a, a linear member having two raw materials M11 and the raw material M36 sandwiched between the two raw materials M11 is formed. This allows the manufacture of an adsorption unit 30 in which the heat conductive portion 36 is sandwiched between the first adsorbent 12 and the second adsorbent 13.

[0062] FIG. 14 is a first diagram for explaining a first manufacturing method of the adsorbent 2. In the first manufacturing method of the adsorbent 2, first, the raw material M36 and the raw material M11 are injected from the injection part 43 of the nozzle 40 onto the surface of the flat plate-shaped stage 45 to form one adsorption unit 30. At this time, the nozzle 40 is moved in the y-axis direction along the surface of the stage 45 as shown in FIG. 14 (white arrow F21 in FIG. 14). After the nozzle 40 is moved to form one adsorption unit 30, the nozzle 40 is moved in the x-axis direction. At this time, the movement distance of the nozzle 40 in the x-axis direction becomes the width of the flow path 21a of the adsorption layer 21. After the nozzle 40 is moved in the x-axis direction, another adsorption unit 30 is formed next to the previously formed adsorption unit 30. This is repeated to form a plurality of adsorption units 30 on the surface of the stage 45 with a predetermined gap therebetween. As a result, the adsorption layer 21 is formed. It should be noted that the ratio of the size of the nozzle 40 to the suction unit 30 shown in FIG. 14 differs from the actual ratio for the sake of convenience in the explanation of FIG.

[0063] FIG. 15 is a second diagram for explaining the first manufacturing method of the adsorbent 2. The raw material M36 and the raw material M11 are injected from the injection part 43 of the nozzle 40 onto the positive side of the adsorption layer 21 in the z-axis direction that has been previously formed, to form the adsorption unit 30. At this time, the nozzle 40 is moved in the x-axis direction along the surface of the stage 45 as shown in FIG. 15 (white arrow F22 in FIG. 15). After the nozzle 40 is moved to form one adsorption unit 30, the nozzle 40 is moved in the y-axis direction. At this time, the movement distance of the nozzle 40 in the y-axis direction is the width of the flow path 22a of the adsorption layer 22. After the nozzle 40 is moved in the y-axis direction, another adsorption unit 30 is formed next to the adsorption unit 30 that has been previously formed on the adsorption layer 21. This is repeated to form a plurality of adsorption units 30 on the positive side of the adsorption layer 21 in the z-axis direction, with a predetermined gap therebetween. As a result, the adsorption layer 22 is formed. It should be noted that the ratio of the size of the nozzle 40 to the suction unit 30 shown in FIG. 15 differs from the actual ratio for the sake of convenience in the explanation of FIG.

[0064] In this manner, in the first manufacturing method of the adsorbent 2, a plurality of adsorption units 30 are formed on a plurality of adsorption units 30 arranged in one direction, so as to be aligned in a direction different from the one direction. By repeating this process, it is possible to manufacture an adsorbent 2 in which a plurality of flow paths (for example, flow path 21a shown in FIG. 14 and flow path 22a shown in FIG. 15) are formed. By using the stage 45 used in manufacturing the adsorbent 2 as the heat transfer wall 5a of the heat exchanger 5, it is possible to directly mold the adsorbent 1 on the heat exchanger 5.

[0065] The nozzle for forming the adsorption unit 30 is not limited to the nozzle 40 shown in Fig. 13. For example, by arranging three nozzles for ejecting one raw material side by side, ejecting raw material M36 for the thermally conductive portion 36 from the central nozzle, and ejecting raw material M11 for the adsorbent 11 from two nozzles on both sides, it is possible to form the adsorption unit 30 having the thermally conductive portion 36 sandwiched between the first adsorbent 12 and the second adsorbent 13. Alternatively, the adsorption unit 30 may be formed by using one nozzle to form the first adsorbent 12 and the second adsorbent 13 having a gap for the thermally conductive portion 36, and then ejecting raw material M36 for the thermally conductive portion 36 so as to fill the gap between the first adsorbent 12 and the second adsorbent 13.

[0066] FIG. 16 is a first diagram for explaining a second manufacturing method of the adsorbent 2. In the second manufacturing method, a cylindrical adsorbent 2 is manufactured. In the second manufacturing method, the nozzle 40 is moved from one end 5b of the heat transfer wall 5a to the other end 5c (white arrow F23 in FIG. 16) while rotating the heat exchanger 5 about the central axis C5 of the heat exchanger 5 (white arrow R21, R22 in FIG. 16). The raw material M11 and raw material M36 ejected from the moving nozzle 40 are attached to the heat transfer wall 5a, thereby forming a spiral-shaped adsorption unit 30 arranged obliquely with respect to the central axis C5 as shown in FIG. 16. At this time, the size of the gap between the adjacent adsorption units 30 is determined by the moving speed of the nozzle 40 in the direction of the white arrow F23. This gap becomes the flow path 21a of the adsorption layer 21. In this way, the adsorption layer 21 is formed.

[0067] FIG. 17 is a second diagram for explaining the second manufacturing method of the adsorbent 2. After forming the adsorption layer 21, the nozzle 40 is moved from the other end 5c of the heat transfer wall 5a to one end 5b (white arrow F24 in FIG. 17) while rotating the heat exchanger 5 about the central axis C5 of the heat exchanger 5 as the center of rotation (white arrows R23 and R24 in FIG. 17). The raw material M11 and raw material M36 ejected from the moving nozzle 40 are attached to the outside of the adsorption layer 21, thereby forming a spiral-shaped adsorption unit 30 arranged obliquely with respect to the central axis C5 as shown in FIG. 17. At this time, the size of the gap between the adjacent adsorption units 30 is determined by the moving speed of the nozzle 40 in the direction of the white arrow F24. This gap becomes the flow path 22a of the adsorption layer 22. As a result, the adsorption layer 22 having a cylindrical shape is formed on the outside of the adsorption layer 21 having a cylindrical shape.

[0068] In this manner, in the second manufacturing method of the adsorbent 2, the spiral-shaped adsorption units 30 are formed to overlap on the heat transfer wall 5a of the cylindrical heat exchanger 5. At this time, the angle of the adsorption units 30 with respect to the central axis C5 of the heat exchanger 5 is changed for each adsorption layer, so that the flow paths of the respective adsorption layers intersect. In this way, a mesh-like adsorbent 2 in which a plurality of flow paths 21a, 22a are formed can be manufactured (see FIG. 17).

[0069] As described above, according to the adsorbent 2 of the second embodiment, the water vapor adsorbed by the adsorbent 11 moves through the flow paths 21a, 22a, etc., and is therefore easily diffused throughout the adsorbent 2, thereby improving the adsorption rate in the adsorbent 2 and improving the utilization rate of the adsorbent 11. Furthermore, the heat of adsorption generated in the adsorbent 2 is released to the outside of the adsorbent 2 via the thermal conductive portion 36, thereby suppressing an increase in the temperature of the adsorbent 1 and suppressing a decrease in the adsorption rate of water vapor in the adsorbent 2. In this way, in the adsorbent 2, the amount of heat generated by the adsorbent 2 can be increased by promoting both the diffusion of water vapor within the adsorbent 2 and the release of the heat of adsorption from the adsorbent 2.

[0070] 16 and 17 has a cylindrical shape, which facilitates heat exchange with the heat medium flowing inside the cylindrical heat transfer wall 5a, thereby improving the output of the heat exchanger 5.

[0071] <Third embodiment> Fig. 18 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the adsorbent 3 of the third embodiment. The adsorbent 3 of the third embodiment differs from the adsorbent 2 of the second embodiment (Fig. 10) in that an intermediate layer is provided between a pair of adsorption layers.

[0072] The adsorbent 3 includes a plurality of adsorption units 10 constituting a plurality of adsorption layers 21, 22, 23, and 24, and an intermediate layer 50. For ease of explanation, Fig. 18 shows two adsorption units A30 and B30 of the adsorbent 3 that are adjacent to each other in the stacking direction.

[0073] The intermediate layer 50 is a member disposed between the adsorption unit A30 and the adsorption unit B30, and is made of a material having a higher thermal conductivity than the adsorbent 11, for example, a material mainly composed of graphite. In this embodiment, the intermediate layer 50 has a substantially flat plate shape, and on the adsorption unit A30 side, the intermediate layer 50 is in contact with each of the end face 12c of the first adsorbent A12, the end face 13c of the second adsorbent A13, and a part of the end face 36b of the heat conductive portion A36 in the adsorption unit A30. On the adsorption unit B30 side, the intermediate layer 50 is in contact with each of the end face 12b of the first adsorbent B12, the end face 13b of the second adsorbent B13, and a part of the end face 36a of the heat conductive portion B36 in the adsorption unit B30.

[0074] In a pair of adsorption units A30, B30, heat H3 transferred from the positive direction to the negative direction of the z axis is transferred from the thermally conductive portion A36 of the adsorption unit A30 to the thermally conductive portion B36 of the adsorption unit B30 mainly via the intermediate layer 50 (the dotted hatched portion shown in FIG. 18). The heat transferred to the thermally conductive portion B36 of the adsorption unit B30 is also transferred to the other adsorption unit B30 adjacent to the adsorption unit B30 on the negative side of the z axis direction. In this way, in the adsorption body 3, the intermediate layer 50 disposed between each of the adsorption layers 21, 22, 23, 24 facilitates heat transfer in the stacking direction of the adsorption layers 21, 22, 23, 24.

[0075] As described above, according to the adsorbent 3 of the third embodiment, the intermediate layer 50 formed from a material having a higher thermal conductivity than the adsorbent 11 connects the thermally conductive parts 36 of the adjacent adsorption layers 21, 22, 23, and 24, and therefore promotes heat transfer between the adjacent adsorption layers 21, 22, 23, and 24. This can further suppress the temperature rise of the adsorbent 3 due to the heat of adsorption, and therefore can further suppress the decrease in the adsorption rate of water vapor in the adsorbent 3. Therefore, the amount of heat generated by the adsorbent 3 can be further increased.

[0076] <Fourth embodiment> Fig. 19 is a perspective view of the adsorbent 4 of the fourth embodiment. Fig. 20 is an enlarged view of the β portion of Fig. 19. The adsorbent 4 of the fourth embodiment is different from the adsorbent 1 of the first embodiment (Fig. 2) in the method of laminating the adsorbent.

[0077] The adsorbent 4 of this embodiment includes a strip-shaped adsorbing portion 61 and a plurality of heat conductive portions 66, and is formed by rolling up the strip-shaped adsorbing portion 61. The adsorbent 4 of this embodiment is disposed on the outer side of a heat transfer wall 5a of a cylindrical heat exchanger 5. The adsorbent 4 has a plurality of through holes 62 formed therein, which penetrate the adsorbent 4 in a direction substantially perpendicular to the axis of the heat exchanger 5.

[0078] The adsorption part 61 has a metal foil 61a and an adsorbent 61b. The adsorbent 61b is formed as a thin film on one main surface of the metal foil 61a formed in a strip shape. The adsorption part 61 has a plurality of openings 63. When the adsorption part 61 is rolled up (see FIG. 19), the plurality of openings 63 communicate with each other to form through holes 62 (see FIG. 20). Some of the through holes 62a form a flow path with a lower diffusion resistance of water vapor than the adsorbent. That is, the openings 63a forming the through holes 62a among the plurality of openings 63 form a flow path through which water vapor passes.

[0079] The heat conductive parts 66 are housed inside the openings 63b excluding the opening 63a among the multiple openings 63. When the adsorption part 61 is in a rolled state, the openings 63b overlap to form through holes 62b (see FIG. 20). This allows the heat conductive parts 66 housed inside the openings 63b to be connected. In the adsorption body 4, the multiple heat conductive parts 66 are arranged and connected in a direction substantially perpendicular to the axis of the heat exchanger 5.

[0080] 21 is a diagram illustrating a method for producing the adsorbent 4. When producing the adsorbent 4, first, for example, a strip-shaped metal foil 61a wound around a reel 71 is pulled out in the direction indicated by a solid arrow F4, and a raw material coater 72 is used to coat one main surface of the metal foil 61a with raw material M61b of the adsorbent 61b.

[0081] After drying the raw material M61b of the adsorbent 61b applied onto the metal foil 61a, a first hole 64 penetrating the metal foil 61a and the dried adsorbent 61b is formed using a punch 73. Next, the first hole 64 is filled with the raw material M66 of the heat conductive part 66 using a raw material filling device 74, and the heat conductive part 66 is formed in the first hole 64.

[0082] After forming the heat conductive parts 66, second holes 65 penetrating the metal foil 61a and the adsorbent 61b are formed between the heat conductive parts 66 adjacent to each other in the traveling direction F4 of the adsorbent 61. The adsorbent 61 with the second holes 65 formed therein is wound around the heat exchanger 5. When the adsorbent 61 is wound around the heat exchanger 5, the first holes 64 form the above-mentioned through holes 62b, and the heat conductive parts 66 housed inside are connected. The second holes 65 communicate with each other to form the through holes 62a through which water vapor flows. This completes the adsorbent 4.

[0083] As described above, according to the adsorbent 4 of the fourth embodiment, the openings 63a among the multiple openings 63 formed in the adsorbent 61 form through holes 62a having a lower water vapor diffusion resistance than the adsorbent 61b in the adsorbent 61 in the wound state. In addition, the heat conductive parts 66 made of a material having a higher thermal conductivity than the adsorbent 61b are housed inside each of the openings 63b among the multiple openings 63 formed in the adsorbent 61. In the adsorbent 61 in the wound state, the multiple heat conductive parts 66 are connected. As a result, by winding the strip-shaped adsorbent 61b, it is possible to form an adsorbent 4 that can easily diffuse water vapor throughout and transfer the heat of adsorption relatively easily. Therefore, it is possible to increase the amount of heat generated by the adsorbent 4 relatively easily.

[0084] Moreover, according to the adsorbent 4 of this embodiment, by applying the adsorbent material 61b to the strip-shaped metal foil 61a, it is possible to form an adsorbent 4 that can easily diffuse water vapor and transfer the heat of adsorption relatively easily. The method of applying the raw material to a strip-shaped member is commonly used and well-established, so the product manufactured by this manufacturing method can reduce the manufacturing cost. Therefore, the manufacturing cost of the adsorbent 4 can be reduced.

[0085] <Modifications of this embodiment> The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be embodied in various forms without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the following modifications are also possible.

[0086] [Variation 1] In the first embodiment, the flow paths 21a and 23a are arranged to intersect the flow paths 22a and 24a at approximately right angles. However, the "first flow path" and the "second flow path" do not have to be perpendicular to each other. The two types of flow paths may be arranged in different directions and intersect. This allows water vapor to flow through one of the flow paths inside the adsorbent, where the other flow path cannot. This improves the utilization rate of the adsorbent and increases the amount of water vapor adsorbed in the adsorbent. In addition, the multiple flow paths do not have to intersect.

[0087] [Variation 2] In each of the first to third embodiments, the adsorbents 1, 2, and 3 are formed by stacking four adsorption layers 21, 22, 23, and 24. In the fourth embodiment, the adsorbent 4 is formed by rolling and stacking a strip-shaped adsorption section 61. However, the adsorbent does not have to be formed by stacking adsorption layers. In addition, the number of adsorption layers to be stacked is not limited to this. It is sufficient that the adsorbent has a plurality of flow paths having a lower gas diffusion resistance than the adsorbent, and a heat conductive section formed from a material having a higher thermal conductivity than the adsorbent.

[0088] [Variation 3] In the first embodiment, the adsorbent 1 is provided with a communication flow path 25 that connects two flow paths formed approximately in parallel. The communication flow path does not have to be provided. The presence of the communication flow path allows water vapor flowing through one flow path to flow to another flow path, eliminating variation in the amount of water vapor supplied throughout the adsorbent 1. This improves the utilization rate of the adsorbent 11, thereby further increasing the amount of heat generated by the adsorbent 1.

[0089] [Variation 4] In the first embodiment, the adsorption unit 10 is provided with a heat conductive part 16 having a flat bottom part 17 disposed on the negative side of the adsorption unit 10 in the z-axis direction, and a wall part 18 formed to rise from the bottom part 17. In the second embodiment, the adsorption unit 30 is provided with a heat conductive part 36 having a flat plate shape disposed so as to be sandwiched between the first adsorbent 12 and the second adsorbent 13. The shape of the heat conductive part is not limited to these.

[0090] Fig. 22 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a first modified example of an adsorption unit. In the adsorption unit 10 shown in Fig. 22, an end face 18a on the positive side in the z-axis direction of the wall part 18 of the heat conductive part 16 is located inside the adsorbent 11. That is, the end face 18a is not exposed to the outside. Even with this shape, the heat conductive part 16 having a higher thermal conductivity than the adsorbent 11 is arranged along the direction in which the adsorption layers of the adsorbent 1 are stacked (z-axis direction), so that the adsorption heat of the adsorbent 11 is easily transmitted in the stacking direction. Therefore, the temperature rise of the adsorbent 1 due to the adsorption heat can be suppressed, and the amount of heat generated by the adsorbent 1 can be increased.

[0091] FIG. 23 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a second modified example of an adsorption unit. In the adsorption unit 10 shown in FIG. 23, the heat conductive portion 16 has a bottom portion 17, a wall portion 18, and an upper portion 19. The upper portion 19 is a flat plate-shaped portion disposed on the positive side of the adsorption unit 10 in the z-axis direction. The upper portion 19 is formed with an upper surface 19a which is an end face on the positive side of the adsorption unit 10 in the z-axis direction. As a result, in the adsorption unit 10 shown in FIG. 23, the bottom portion 17 and the upper portion 19, which have a relatively large area, can be in contact with each other in the stacking direction, so that the adsorption heat of the adjacent adsorption units 10 can be easily transmitted in the stacking direction. Therefore, the temperature rise of the adsorption body 1 due to the adsorption heat can be suppressed, and the amount of heat generated by the adsorption body 1 can be increased.

[0092] [Variation 5] In the above embodiment, the width of the flow path is 50 μm or more and 2 mm or less, and the interval between adjacent flow paths is 100 μm or more and 5 mm or less. However, the width of the flow path and the interval between adjacent flow paths are not limited to this. They may be changed according to the type of adsorbent and the type of adsorbate (water in the embodiment).

[0093] [Variation 6] In the above embodiment, the adsorbent includes silica gel. However, the material included in the adsorbent is not limited to this. It may be activated carbon or zeolite capable of adsorbing water. In addition, the gas adsorbed by the adsorbent is not limited to water vapor. It may be ammonia, methanol, ethanol, or the like.

[0094] [Variation 7] In each of the first to third embodiments, the suction unit has a rectangular cross-sectional shape. However, the cross-sectional shape of the suction unit is not limited to a rectangular shape. It may be a circular shape.

[0095] [Variation 8] In the above embodiment, the adsorbents of the multiple adsorption layers are formed from the same material. However, the adsorbents may be formed from different materials for each adsorption layer. For example, adsorption layers made of different materials using different types of adsorbents may be stacked.

[0096] Although the present aspect has been described above based on the embodiment and modified examples, the above-mentioned embodiment of the aspect is intended to facilitate understanding of the present aspect and does not limit the present aspect. The present aspect may be modified or improved without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims, and equivalents are included in the present aspect. Furthermore, if a technical feature is not described as essential in this specification, it may be deleted as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0097] 1,2,3,4...Adsorbent 5...Heat exchanger 5a…Heat transfer wall 11,61b…Adsorbent 12, A12, B12...First adsorbent 13, A13, B13...Second adsorbent 16,A16,B16,36,A36,B36,66...Heat conduction part 21,22,23,24…adsorption layer 21a, 22a, 23a, 24a...flow paths 25...Communicating flow path 50…Middle class 62,62a,62b...Through hole 63,63a,63b...opening 100…Adsorption heat pump

Claims

1. An adsorbent comprising: The suction unit includes a plurality of rod-shaped suction units arranged side by side such that their longitudinal directions are in the same direction, The adsorption unit is An adsorbent that adsorbs gas; a heat conductive portion formed of a material having a higher thermal conductivity than the adsorbent; The adsorbent further comprises: a flow path formed between two of the plurality of adsorption units along a longitudinal direction of each of the two adsorption units, the flow path having a gas diffusion resistance lower than that of the adsorbent; Adsorbent.

2. The adsorbent according to claim 1 , The flow paths include a plurality of first flow paths aligned in a first direction and a plurality of second flow paths aligned in a second direction intersecting the first direction. Adsorbent.

3. The adsorbent according to claim 2 further comprises a first adsorption layer including the plurality of first flow paths and a plurality of the adsorbents located between the plurality of first flow paths; a second adsorption layer laminated on the first adsorption layer and including the second flow paths and a plurality of the adsorbents located between the second flow paths; Adsorbent.

4. The adsorbent according to claim 3 further comprises: A communication flow path is provided that communicates the first flow path and the second flow path. Adsorbent.

5. The adsorbent according to claim 3 or claim 4, the thermally conductive portion is formed in contact with the adsorbent in each of the first adsorption layer and the second adsorption layer, The thermally conductive portion of the first adsorption layer and the thermally conductive portion of the second adsorption layer are connected to each other. Adsorbent.

6. The adsorbent according to claim 5, The adsorbent has a shape stretched in one direction, The heat conductive portion is provided at approximately the center of the adsorbent and extends along the extension direction of the adsorbent. Adsorbent.

7. The adsorbent according to any one of claims 3 to 6 further comprises: an intermediate layer disposed between the first adsorption layer and the second adsorption layer, the intermediate layer being made of a material having a higher thermal conductivity than the adsorbent; the thermally conductive portion of the first adsorption layer and the thermally conductive portion of the second adsorption layer are connected via the intermediate layer. Adsorbent.

8. An adsorbent comprising: An adsorbent that adsorbs gas; A plurality of flow paths each having a gas diffusion resistance lower than that of the adsorbent; a heat conductive portion formed of a material having a higher thermal conductivity than the adsorbent; the adsorbent is in a band shape and has a plurality of first openings and a plurality of second openings formed therein; The thermal conductive portion is accommodated inside each of the second openings, The strip-shaped adsorbent is in a rolled state, The first openings are in communication with each other to form the flow path, A plurality of the second openings are overlapped with each other, thereby connecting the plurality of the heat conductive portions. Adsorbent.

9. 1. A heat exchanger comprising: An adsorbent according to any one of claims 1 to 8; a heat transfer wall, the adsorbent being disposed on one side and a heat transfer medium flowing on the other side; heat exchanger.

10. 10. The heat exchanger of claim 9, The heat transfer wall is formed in a cylindrical shape, and the heat medium flows inside the heat transfer wall. The adsorbent has a cylindrical shape and is disposed on the outer surface of the heat transfer wall along a circumferential direction. heat exchanger.

11. An adsorption heat pump comprising the heat exchanger according to claim 9 or 10.

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