Adsorption cooling system using metal organic frameworks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current adsorption-based cooling and refrigeration systems are inefficient, expensive, and limited to using water as a refrigerant, requiring high desorption temperatures and large footprints, which hinders their widespread adoption for commercial and industrial applications.
Innovation Solution
The development of highly adsorptive metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) integrated with substrates having microchannels, enabling the adsorption and desorption of various refrigerants under controlled thermodynamic conditions, enhancing the adsorption/desorption performance and mass-specific stored energy density.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional adsorption-based cooling systems are used, then cooling function is provided, but they require large footprints and high desorption temperatures, reducing system efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as porous adsorbent materials with extremely high surface areas (exceeding 2000 m²/g). These MOFs are integrated onto substrate surfaces, creating a high-surface-area adsorbent structure that dramatically increases the adsorption capacity per unit volume, thereby reducing the system footprint while maintaining or improving cooling efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates composite structures by integrating MOFs onto substrate surfaces. This composite approach combines the high surface area and tunable porosity of MOFs with the structural support of substrates, achieving enhanced adsorption performance in a compact configuration that reduces overall system size.
2Productivity
If conventional adsorption materials are used, then cooling is achieved, but high desorption temperatures are required, increasing energy consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the tunable properties of MOFs to optimize adsorption-desorption parameters. By selecting specific MOF compositions and structures, the system can be tailored to operate at lower desorption temperatures compared to conventional adsorbents. The high surface area of MOFs enhances adsorption capacity, allowing for more efficient heat transfer and reduced thermal energy requirements for desorption.
3Productivity
If water is used as the only refrigerant, then adsorption cooling is achieved, but application scope is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent leverages the chemical tunability of MOFs to create adsorbents that can selectively adsorb different refrigerant types including water, ammonia, and organic refrigerants. By adjusting the functional groups and metal centers in the MOF structure, the system can be adapted to work with various refrigerants, making the cooling system versatile for different applications beyond just water-based systems.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution reduces energy consumption by utilizing MOFs with high surface areas for efficient refrigerant management, allowing for the use of diverse refrigerants and improving cooling performance, thus making adsorptive cooling systems more cost-effective and efficient.
Implementation Method 1
a first metal-organic framework (MOF) coupled to the first substrate, the first MOF being adapted for adsorbing and desorbing a refrigerant under predetermined thermodynamic conditions
Implementation Method 2
the microchannels provide ingress and egress paths for a refrigerant
Data Source
AI summary
An adsorptive cooling system includes: a first highly adsorptive structure positioned to receive thermal energy from a thermal energy source, including: a first substrate; and a first metal-organic framework (MOF) coupled to the first substrate and adapted for adsorbing and desorbing a refrigerant under predetermined thermodynamic conditions; a second highly adsorptive structure positioned to receive thermal energy from the thermal energy source including: a second substrate; and a second MOF coupled to the second substrate and adapted for adsorbing and desorbing a refrigerant under predetermined thermodynamic conditions; a cooling unit; and a circulation system adapted for circulating refrigerant from the first highly adsorptive structure and the second highly adsorptive structure to the cooling unit to provide cooling from the thermal energy source and to return the refrigerant to at least one of the first highly adsorptive structure and the second highly adsorptive structure.