HEAT-DRIVEN HYDRIDE SLURRY HEAT-PUMPS

Thermodynamic analysis and experiments are presented for a heat-driven hydride slurry heat pump (HHSHP). The thermodynamic analysis indicate s that a HHSHP can achieve cooling coefficient of performance (COPc) v alues >0.7. A packed bed reactor was designed and fabricated to evalua te the importance of the absorption resistance in the hydrogen-liquid- hydride slurry (HLHS) reactor. It was observed that the packed bed rea ctor minimizes the absorption resistance effectively. With the use of packed bed reactors the HHSHP may be a practical heat pump system. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd and IIR.